Mentor Scheme
Q. How do I find a mentor?
A. If there is no one in your organisation who can help you, look at the mentor register on the CILIP website. As well as a list of mentors there is advice on the whole mentoring process.
Q. How often should I meet with my mentor?
A. This will depend on circumstances and needs to be agreed at the start. However, meetings can be by telephone or email. You don’t have to spend time and money travelling.
Q. What do I do if I can’t find a mentor?
A. Remember that you can have a mentor from a different sector. Working with someone from another sector can provide you with a different perspective.
· A mentor does not have to be in your local area. While it is useful to have an occasional face-to-face meeting, a lot can be achieved by phone and e-mail.
· Is there someone in your workplace, or someone you know through wider professional activity, who you feel could be a good mentor? If so, ask whether they will act as your mentor. They could register as a CILIP mentor and restrict themselves to having one mentee.
· Discuss with your line manager who is likely to have contacts in other organisations and could recommend someone to you.
· Contact your local Branch/Home Nation, Career Development Group or Personnel Training & Education Group Mentor Support Network representative – they could suggest people to contact.
· If you still can’t find a mentor, get in touch with the CILIP Qualifications & Professional Development Department (quals@cilip.org.uk)
Q. Until I have found a mentor I don’t feel that I can make a start. Is there anything I can do?
A. Complete the Mentee Information form - this will help you to focus on what you want from the mentoring relationship.
· Produce an initial draft of your CV, Development Plan (PDP or PPDP) and Personal Statement. These drafts will provide a basis for initial discussion with your mentor and will help you feel that you are moving forward.
· Start collecting evidence.
Q. Does my mentor have to come from the same sector?
A. No. A mentor from a different sector can provide a different dimension and enable you to think more widely.
· Someone working in one sector could have previous experience in another sector and will have a wider perspective.
Certification
Q. What does ACLIP stand for?
A. Certified Affiliate of CILIP (CILIP Byelaws, Section 3, Professional Qualifications, No.16)
Q. Can ACLIPs remain as Affiliated Members if they are unwilling or unable to proceed to Chartership?
A. Yes. The ACLIP is a stand alone qualification so does not require an Affiliated Member to change their type of Membership.
Q. How much will it cost to apply for Certification?
A. The application fee is £22.
Q. I have worked in lots of different jobs, can I still apply for Certification?
A. Yes; you can draw on all your experience to help you complete your application.
Q. What is the best time to submit my application?
A. Submit as soon as you are ready.
· Dates of CILIP Assessment Panel (CAP) meetings are on the website but Panels are still being established and the assessment of applications will be shared between the CAPs. You will be told which CAP is assessing your application.
Q. What if my Branch/ Home Nation hasn’t got an assessment panel?
A. You can still apply; your application will be assessed by a panel in another area. Send your portfolio to Qualifications & Professional Development, CILIP, 7 Ridgmount St, London WC1E 7AE.
Q. What kind of evidence should be included in the portfolio?
A. Include anything which adds value to the application
· Be selective – you don’t need to include too much
· NVQ or similar certificates which are relevant to your application (you don’t need to include things like GCSE certificates)
· An example of reflective writing, e.g. a report on the effectiveness of an aspect of your library or information service
Q. I am doing a web-searching course at my local college – can I include the certificate with my portfolio?
A. Certainly. There are many formal and informal training and development activities that members are doing to help them at work. They can all be included as evidence for either certification or revalidation, as long as you feel they help you to meet the criteria.
Q. I don’t know what qualification I should apply for. I have had a rather unusual career path. What shall I do?
A. Ask the Qualifications and Professional Development Department!
Q. Why do I have to wait so long for a decision when I have submitted?
A. Unless you are required to carry out some additional work on your application, normally four months should be the maximum waiting period. If you are required to carry out additional work, you will be informed.
· Each CAP meets four times a year, i.e. approximately every three months.
· CAP members are volunteers who carry out assessments in their own time.
· The assessment of applications is an ongoing process but the recommendations of assessors have to be formally ratified at a CAP meeting.
· The outcome of applications received for assessment in the four weeks immediately before a CAP meeting are unlikely to be ratified until the next CAP meeting.
Q. Once I've gained my ACLIP can I automatically register to Charter?
A. You are eligible to register but you must ensure that your post will allow you to build a portfolio of evidence that will meet Chartership criteria. You should look at the Chartership Handbook and discuss with a Mentor.
Q. Now that I have my ACLIP am I eligible to apply for posts asking for qualified librarians or information managers?
A. No. The ACLIP is recognition of your achievements at assistant or paraprofessional level. You are eligible to apply to Charter and it is only then you are assessed as a librarian or information manager.
Chartership
Q. What does MCLIP stand for?
A. Chartered Member of CILIP (CILIP Byelaws, Section 3, Professional Qualifications, No.15)
Q. How much will it cost to apply for Chartership?
A. The application fee is £55.
Revalidation
Q. How much will it cost to apply for Revalidation?
A. The application fee is £25.
Q. When can I register?
A. Anytime from 1st April 2005.
Q. When can I apply for Revalidation?
A. You are eligible to apply three years after Chartering, gaining Fellowship or since your last revalidation.
Q. What if I Chartered longer than three years ago?
A. You are eligible to submit as soon as you're ready. Even though you've got lots of experience to draw on, you'll probably find it best to concentrate on the last three years of professional practice.
Q. What if my Branch/ Home Nation hasn’t got an assessment panel?
A. You can still apply; your application will be assessed by a panel in another area.
Q. What do I have to do to stay in the Revalidation Scheme – does it mean a lot of work?
A. You must return an annual summary of your training and development (in the form of a log) at the end of years 1 and 2. This should be easy to complete as long as you make a few notes as you go through the year. CILIP will undertake random sampling to ensure the process is operating effectively.
Fellowship
Q. What does FCLIP stand for?
A. Chartered Fellow of CILIP (CILIP Byelaws, Section 3, Professional Qualifications, No.15)
Q. How much will it cost to apply for Fellowship?
A. The application fee is £70.
Updated: 06 February 2008