Four contexts for our professional future

Sustainability

Our members will help their users, communities and organisations create a more sustainable world by making informed decisions and being accountable for their use of resources.

"Librarians and information professionals have a central role to play in ensuring sustainable environmental future of our planet, helping their users and communities to confront the realities of climate crisis and to take urgent, evidence-based action to avert it.”

Maja Maricevic
Head of Higher Education and Science
The British Library

Digital transformation

Our members will help their users, communities and organisations to harness the positive potential of new and disruptive technologies including AI, machine learning, automation and robotics while minimising the risks.

"We are living in an age of rapid technological advancement. As ethical information professionals, it is empowering that we can provide the leadership and expertise to equip and enable our communities to effectively interpret information, discover new content and develop knowledge, to be better connected and part of a digitally fluent and enriched world”.

Emma Adamson
CILIP Member
Director of Learning Services
University of South Wales

Equity and social justice

As a community, we will hold ourselves to account for our personal, professional and ethical commitment to Equity and Social Justice. Our members will work with their users, communities, organisations and their own institutions to achieve a more just, inclusive and representative society which ensures intellectual freedom and access to opportunity for all.

“As librarians and information professionals, we have a central role to play in achieving a more just, inclusive and representative society. There is a great deal of work to do, but as a professional community we are committed to challenging inequality and building a more equitable future for everyone by being mindful of this is everything we do, from our partnerships with the community, other professionals and organisations, to upholding our professionl standards and making sure that they are still relevant and address the new diverse and inclusive landscape.”

Abibat Olulode
Committee Member, CILIP Prison Libraries Group
Development Librarian Literacy, Skills, Employment and Business
London Borough of Lambeth

Leadership

Our members will move from “Information Managers to Information Leaders” – enabling their users, communities and organisations to harness the power of information, knowledge and data to fulfil their potential.

"Over the next 5 years, our profession will move from information managers to information leaders – working with our users, communities and organisations to learn, adapt and grow for the future.”

Amina Shah
President, CILIP Scotland
National Librarian and Chief Executive,
National Library of Scotland

These four elements combine to form CILIP’s unique value proposition to the community we serve.

We are the only organisation with the cross-sector remit, the mandate of our Charter and the track-record to provide leadership for the whole profession.