An open, inclusive and progressive definition of libraries, information and knowledge as a ’profession’

This paper sets out CILIP’s definitions of three key concepts in our work as the professional association for everyone working in libraries, information and knowledge management – ‘profession’, ‘professional’ and ‘professionalism’. These definitions have been revised following the first round of consultation in October. They now form the basis for the discussion to be led by Liz Jolly, Chief Librarian of the British Library, as part of the overall review of Professional Registration.

Context

Professions span a broad spectrum from regulated to unregulated or self-regulating. The history of librarianship as a profession has been one of varying degrees of formalisation. In the recent past, the regulation of librarianship was much more formal than it is today – in effect you had to be a certified professional, included in a Register of Professionals, to ‘practice’ as a librarian.

We now see a plethora of routes into our information profession, as evidenced by the 2015 CILIP and ARA Workforce Mapping Project. These routes are bringing together well established and new skills, offering new opportunities and delivering new expertise across the profession.

CILIP believes that it would be a profound error for the information profession to become a completely unregulated profession, risking in the process losing the recognition of and engagement with our professional skills and values. Instead, we believe that it should be an open, inclusive profession with proportionate self-regulation and a much broader range of pathways, including through workplace-based development, career transition and apprenticeship.

Many of the issues surrounding discourse about librarianship, information and knowledge management stem from the incomplete transition away from the ‘old’ model of formalised qualifications. While aiming to be more open, progressive and inclusive, we still have a ‘sense memory’ of a time when librarianship as a protectorate based on qualifications and networks.

The aim of our Professionalism Review is to re-state, clearly and positively, the contemporary definition of librarianship, information and knowledge management as an open, inclusive and progressive ‘profession’.

Definition 1: ‘Profession’

CILIP believes that people working in libraries, information, knowledge and data are united under one ‘profession’ (the ‘information profession’) based on their identifiably overlapping skills and shared values.

Supporting ideals:

• A ‘profession’ is a community of people working in the same trade or occupation who come together to formalise the skills, qualifications and regulation of their work
• The profession has a code of ethics and a recognised body of professional knowledge and works to deliver quality information services for the public good
• CILIP is committed to diversifying the library, information and knowledge workforce and ensuring that our profession is truly representative of the communities we serve. As part of this commitment, we are working to open up pathways into the profession, ensuring that qualifications, experience and apprenticeship are all regarded as valid routes according to the circumstances of the individual practitioner

Definition 2: ‘Professional’

CILIP defines a professional as someone who:

Supporting ideals:

• What makes someone a professional is the knowledge, skills, attitude, behaviours and values that they bring to their work. From this definition, we are clear that an individual practitioner needs to evidence that they have engaged with a recognised body of professional knowledge, applied it in practice and are committed to learning. Qualifications, membership of a professional association and Professional Registration, are an excellent and advised way of demonstrating this, although not mandatory.
• CILIP recognises the value and importance of formal teaching and learning in Library and Information Science and related disciplines, and that working towards an academic qualification can provide an excellent broad-based understanding in the theory and practice of information science. Our aim is not to undermine the value of LIS and related qualifications, but to ensure that they do not unintentionally present a barrier to entry to the profession.
• Experiential routes (Professional Registration) and Blended Routes (Vocational and Apprenticeships) are valid and valued externally verified routes to demonstrate knowledge, applied practice and a commitment to learning.
• Delivering quality services for the end-user is a key driver for professional behaviour. Our professionals connect users to information for the public good.

CILIP can:

• Support people to develop themselves as a professional through CPD, networking and peer support;
• Maintain and update a Skills Standard (the Professional Knowledge and Skills Base) to ensure that individuals and learning providers have access to a syllabus or skills framework that is designed to meet the current and future needs of employers and is rooted in best practice and information science;
• Provide an accreditation service (Professional Registration) which enables people to demonstrate their status, abilities, knowledge and experience as a member of a profession through inclusion in a Register of Professionals;
• Support LIS schools and other learning providers in providing qualifications and on-the-job training to help people maintain their professional skills;
• Encourage employers to recognise and value professionalism in their staff and to support them in their professional development.

Just because someone isn’t a member of CILIP, does not have a formal LIS qualification or hasn’t been through a formalised certification process such as Chartership, this doesn’t make them ‘unprofessional’. We also understand that there are people working in libraries, information and knowledge who regard it simply as a job rather than a profession or a career.

Our definition of a ‘professional’ isn’t meant to be exclusive. It is meant to be welcoming, inclusive and beneficial – the purpose is not to exclude some people and include others but to say that it is beneficial for people working in libraries, information and knowledge to be recognised as a profession and to provide support for the professional development of those people.

We believe it is important for people who feel they want to develop their professional skills, to feel part of a profession and to evidence their professional skills to others (including employers) to have access to services that enable them to do so.

Definition 3: ‘Professionalism’

CILIP subscribes to the definition that ‘professionalism’ refers to “the competence or skill expected of a professional”.

Supporting ideals:

Based on our definition of ‘professional’ above, it follows that an individual practitioner can demonstrate professionalism whether or not they are a member of CILIP, are included in the Register of Professionals, hold a LIS qualification or equivalent or undertake formal CPD. They do need to evidence they have acquired a body of professional knowledge and are applying it in reflective practice. Whilst the definition is not prescriptive in how they do this, qualifications, membership of a professional association and Professional Registration, are an excellent and advised way of demonstrating this, although not mandatory.

What CILIP can do is provide the means for people to develop their professional skills, signal their commitment to the shared ethics of the information profession and to demonstrate their professionalism to others.