Help shape the future of intellectual freedom – build CILIP’s new committee

CILIP is pleased to announce a new Intellectual Freedom Committee (IFC) and is inviting applications for its inaugural Chair.

This is a unique opportunity for CILIP members to help shape the information profession's voice on one of the most pressing and enduring issues of our time: the right to know, speak, and access information freely.

At the heart of all library, knowledge management, and information work lies a powerful principle: intellectual freedom - the right to access information and express ideas without restriction. It is a cornerstone of both a healthy democracy and an open, informed society.

Starting with the appointment of a new Chair this Summer, the newly formed IFC will provide strategic leadership, expert advice, and public advocacy on this critical issue. Working closely with the CILIP Board of Trustees and senior leadership, the committee will help shape an evidence-led work programme that protects and promotes these values across the sector and beyond, ensuring every citizen is informed by a wide range of trustworthy information and empowered to use it as they wish.

Following the appointment of the Chair, CILIP will open recruitment for up to five co-opted committee members who don’t all have to be CILIP members.

“Now more than ever, we need strong, confident voices speaking up for freedom of expression and access to information,” said Louis Coiffait-Gunn, Chief Executive Officer at CILIP. “The new Intellectual Freedom Committee will ensure these values remain central to our profession and visible in public life.”