We are excited (and a little nostalgic) to announce that CILIP has relocated from Ridgmount Street to our new space at the British Library.

As we celebrate the 125th year of our Royal Charter, it feels an appropriate moment to reflect on our past while looking ahead to the future with real confidence.

We are excited to be working in partnership with the British Library, on a number of joint initiatives focused on digital skills and development for libraries, and becoming their neighbour.

Our nomadic past

As CILIP bids farewell to 7 Ridgmount Street, our home for 57 years, it is fascinating to reflect on where we started at the tail end of Victorian Britain, and where the Library Association, the Institute of Information Scientists, and latterly, CILIP have resided since.

The Association first identified the need for permanent premises in 1888 and found its first home in Hanover Square in London’s Mayfair, which we rented from 1890 - 1898.

We then occupied a series of rented premises - one shared with the Trade Union NALGO, another with the Association of Special Libraries and Information Bureaux (ASLIB).

In 1933, the Carnegie UK Trust offered the Association a derelict property in what later became the University of London’s Malet Street, where we occupied Chaucer House for 33 years, from 1932 - 1965.

The Library Association then moved to a modern, purpose-built facility at 7 Ridgmount Street in 1965, which then served as CILIP’s London base for a grand total of 57 years.

The site had been acquired from University College London in exchange for Chaucer House. It had previously been used (in part) as a repository for the British Library. Here, over the years, we welcomed thousands of librarians and information professionals, hosted events, conferences and meetings and provided facilities for the staff.

Our needs have changed and, accelerated by the pandemic, CILIP was occupying less than 15% of its total floorspace and was landlord to 9 tenant organisations. Much of our work is now online, with staff working remotely and positive feedback from members about our new-found decentralised role.

So here we are in 2023. We have moved into the British Library, the national library for the UK, and it’s a great fit for us as the chartered institute and leading voice for the information, knowledge management and library profession. We also still have our teams based in the devolved nations of Scotland, Cymru Wales and Northern Ireland.

We now start a new chapter based in the Knowledge Quarter, within the British Library and a stone’s throw away from many major knowledge institutions such as The Wellcome Trust, The Francis Crick Institute, UCL, Google, UCLH and within walking distance of 3 main rail hubs.

The future

We called our five-year strategy and action plan We Are CILIP - a reminder that first and foremost, CILIP is a community of like-minded librarians, information professionals and knowledge management practitioners who share a common set of values and a belief in the importance of changing lives through quality information and services.

From our new home we will continue to innovate, advocate and provide training and support for our members to engage with new ideas, examine their scope and their alignment to our ethics, and develop the skills you need to make them useful for your users.

We also celebrate our 125th year of Royal Charter with our search for the 125 CILIP professionals and trailblazers who represent the breadth and talent of our membership. Nominations are now open if you or a colleague wish to nominate or self-nominate.

Nominate Now