Changing Lives Seminar Series

Get involved with CILIP's new #ChangingLives Seminar Series, a programme of virtual events celebrating innovation and thought leadership in the library, knowledge and information sector. Curated alongside our Diversity Networks and Community, Diversity and Equality Group (CDEG), the Changing Lives Seminar Series invites ‘lightning talks’ from new and diverse voices in the library, information and knowledge sector and a keynote from an established professional.

Themes for each seminar have been set by our three Diversity Networks – CILIP BAME Network, LGBTQ+ Network and Disability Network – together with CDEG, who are sponsoring the series. You can catch up with the recordings for Seminars 1 and 2 further down this page.

Call for papers for Seminar 3 postponed to 2022 

Look out for further updates on the Changing Lives Seminar programme in the new year. We will be continuing to run this series with opportunites to present lightning talks at the #ChangingLives Seminar events.

Lightning talks are a great way to get the audience engaging with this theme, to inspire and motivate others and for you to gain valuable public speaking experience in a friendly environment.

If you are selected to present a lightning talk, we will award £50 for your contribution to this virtual event.

How to apply

Look out for applications opening in the new year.

Speakers will be invited to complete an application form to give a lightning talk, demonstrating how your proposal meets the theme, the key points you hope to get across to the audience within your presentation, your conclusions and the main take away for the audience.

Remember you will only have 5 minutes so it is important to get your ideas across clearly and succinctly in plain, accessible language.

Lightning Talk submissions will be reviewed by a selection committee made up of representatives from CILIP’s Diversity Networks and CDEG.

Selection criteria

Submissions will be reviewed against the following selection criteria:

• Relevance to seminar theme
• Clearly defined topic
• Interest and freshness of perspective
• The provision or enhancement of knowledge, expertise, ideas and inspiration.

While proposals will be judged on their own merit, the panel will also give consideration to the following when making the final selection:

• CILIP’s commitment to have no all white or single gender panels at its events.
• CILIP’s broader commitment to increase the representation and diversity of the library, information and knowledge workforce, and to encouraging a workplace culture that embeds, promotes and celebrates diversity and inclusion.
• Allocating spaces to people who have not spoken at a conference or event before where possible.

Who can apply

CILIP is committed to supporting the sector to increase the representation and diversity of the library, information and knowledge workforce, and to encouraging a workplace culture that embeds, promotes and celebrates diversity and inclusion. 

As part of this commitment, we are looking for a diverse and representative group of speakers bringing a broad variety of perspectives and experience to these lightning talks. We particularly welcome applications from professionals who are underrepresented in the library, knowledge and information sector, including people from BAME, LGBTQ+ and working class backgrounds, people with experience of disability and those who are neurodiverse, as well as people working at any level who have never spoken at a conference or event such as this before.

CILIP acknowledges that an increasing amount of emotional labour goes into creating talks, presentations and articles about inequalities and oppression faced and experienced by marginalised people. While we recognise the importance of that (emotional) labour, the Changing Lives Seminar Series seeks to create a space for diverse voices in the sector to share the professional expertise that they bring to the library, knowledge and information profession. The Changing Lives Seminar Series will therefore focus on a new theme each time and invite people to speak on this theme in a way that most resonates with them and their work. The talks are not required to be related to EDI.

Seminar 1: Pride in the Profession

The launch seminar was held on Wednesday 21 July on the theme of Pride in the Profession.

We enjoyed 4 lightning talks on the theme of Pride within the library, knowledge and information profession alongside a keynote speech from Dr Karen Schneider, Dean of the Library at Sonoma State University and a member of the American Library Association’s Rainbow Round Table.

CILIP’s LGBTQ+ Network proudly hosted the first Changing Lives seminar, chaired by Deborah Varenna.