CILIP | Executive Briefing: Freedom of Information - the role of the library and information professional

This Executive Briefing has now taken place.
If you would like to notified about future Executive Briefings please email training@cilip.org.uk

The Freedom of Information Act comes into force on the 1st January 2005. It is highly likely that library and information professionals will be directly and profoundly affected by the introduction of this legislation. No doubt you and your staff have a number of questions that need answering about the FOI Act before its implementation in January 2005.

By attending our FOI Executive Briefing you will hear Anne Jones, Assistant Information Commissioner give an up to the minute report on what will happen in January 2005 and how the changes required can be implemented in your organisation successfully. Practitioners from government; records management; and others will also speak about the impact the FOI Act will bring. The final speaker will explore concerns surrounding the freedom versus protection/social control/social inclusion debate.

Not only will you and your staff have to get to grips with the legislation but you may also need to train and/or advise others in your organisation or users of your service. All sectors will be affected by the legislation. The mantra 'FOI does not apply to the private sector' is only partially true. Firstly many private sector companies provide services substantially or exclusively to the public sector. Secondly one cannot assume a 'counsel of perfection' in the operation of the Act at local level.

When the act comes in to force central and local government departments, parliament, local authorities, the NHS, public funded educational bodies, the police and over 400 other bodies such as the Post Office, the BBC and the Tate Gallery will all have to comply. However, there is no new money for implementing services to support FOI!

The CILIP Freedom of Information Panel report to Council in December 2003 asserts that the role of the Library and Information professional will come to the fore as we have the skills to rise to the challenges presented by FOI. It could even result in a 'return to the golden age of librarianship'. As the report concludes 'we have the skills - let's use them'.

Programme
9.30   Registration and coffee

10.00 Welcome
         Chair – Linda Wishart, Head of Knowledge &
         Information Management, Dept of Health

10.10 Meeting the Challenge of Freedom of
           Information - Anne Jones, Assistant Information
         Commissioner

10.50 Questions

11.00 Coffee

11.30 Role of Records management in this era of
        compliance - Ceri Hughes and Steve Perry, KPMG

12.15 Questions

12.30 Lunch

1.45 Freedom versus protection – what can
          library/information professionals do? - David
        Smith, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister

2.30 Questions

2.45 Freedom, control or protection – social
          inclusion or social control - Sue Childs,
        Northumbria University

3.30 Questions

3.45 Summary

4.00 Close and tea

Fees:
CILIP personal members: £180 plus VAT £211.50
CILIP institutional members: £220 plus VAT £258.50
Non members: £250 plus VAT £293.75

How to book a place

Updated: 20 January 2005

Freedom of Information – the role of the library & information professional 3 November 2004,London