Report: House of Commons Library Virtual Tour 4th April 2024

The tour of the House of Commons Library took place on 4^th April at lunchtime and was conducted by Amina Gual with thanks to Valerie Bearne for organising.

The library looks over the Thames and is based in an interesting part of Parliament on the Principal floor which is a prime spot. There has been a royal palace on the site since the 11^th Century. The current House of Commons Library was completed 1852 in the 19^th Century on the site of the old palace of Westminster which was burnt down in 1834. It is 170 years old but there was always a royal palace on the site.

Parliament didn’t always have a library, the library originated from early 19^th century with the first librarian Benjamin Spiller. The library was originally in St Stephens’s Hall and following the fire a design a competition was run for a new palace of Westminster. Charles Barry won the bid and was the successful architect. The Interior of the library is very gothic with the fabric of the building laid out to how the architect and designer, Augustus Pugin, envisaged.

Starting with the Reference Room there are some interesting artefacts including bolt clippers used to cut chains off from suffragettes who attached themselves to the buildings. This is part of the Women in Parliament display in the room.

Looking back to 100 years at photos, the Commons library is not dissimilar from today’s library. The library is classed as a heritage site meaning much of the fabric and fittings cannot be changed. All furniture tables and chairs are in keeping with the original design with the ceiling demonstrating intricacies of design in addition to the chandeliers and carpets.

The Reference Room was not part of the original library in 1852. There are now an additional three rooms. Space is at a premium nowadays in Parliament. The Reference Room is a small reference library with usual things one would expect to find including photocopiers, workspace and books. Old bound volumes of minutes of Parliament predating digital copies exist. Originally at the time of the British Empire this room was a Map room with a large globe in the centre. Maps at this time were incredibly important. Some members come in and work at the tables but primarily staff. The room hosts occasional functions. The display of Women’s history is not originally part of the library.

There are galleries which were added in the 19^th century to the original design and more galleries were added in the 1950s.

The Oriel Room derived its name from the Oriel window which is a large bay window in the room, quite grand and suspended mid-way. The window overlooks the Thames and House of Commons terrace. This room is a main section room for the Commons Library and is staffed between team of 10-12 answering personal enquiries. The majority of the work is undertaken online and deals with enquiries from Members of Parliament, their staff and house staff by e-mail, occasionally by telephone. Other teams are based in the Outbuildings near St James’ park. There are 8 Specialist teams – specialist researchers on policy matters, stats etc.

Some of the main work undertaken is to prepare briefing papers to look at topics prior to debate – E.g., Post Office Horizon System Bill. The documents provide a background and look at the bill to inform the debate. These are impartial and are produced before bills or any piece of major legislation goes into the Commons.

The briefings are not just focussed on Parliament but world affairs such as Ukraine, Gaza etc. These are available to the public and are hosted on the main site which is a one stop shop for all library research.

The library offers a loan service with over 100,000 books in its collection though not all are on site. The collection is a specialist collection and has few fictional works.

Their budget is set by the House and the details are quite complicated and form part of the administrative vote (supply estimates) published as House of Commons papers.  Funding is from the “public purse”, so they are accountable for money spent.

The team are Generalists with a good amount of knowledge, however specific knowledge can be provided by the 8 specialist groups which include international affairs and defence, social policy (education, housing), Science and environment, economic and policy section. The team administer and triage their enquiries. If specialist input is required this is then allocated to a particular specialist for the relevant group. Priority is given to enquiries relating to business of the house and debates of the chamber. The team can receive 30,000+ enquiries per year however there is a lot of other work which happens behind the scenes which isn’t captured.  

An image of the House of Commons Library

Library teams produce regular mail outs of briefings for the week, of any member of staff or house staff can subscribe to. These mailouts detail what is published for the week.  For a back bench debate the team will proactively approach the relevant individuals. The team works closely with the devolved libraries and help answer enquires where possible and have a good relationships with other European Parliaments.

They have a library management system where material is loaned for people to borrow books with a generous loan period, if it’s not renewed and following a process of several stages of overdue notices and if the book is not returned the borrower will replace it although this does not happen very often.

There are other rooms within the library which are used.  ‘A’ Room has lots of books and provides IT for members of parliament some of whom have favourite spots.  In this room there are special green leather chairs which were originally used by the Speaker and Sergeant at arms when the Commons Chamber was temporarily relocated during the second world war.  There is also a ritual old fashioned safe which is still used by the team today.

There is still quite a demand for newspapers and magazines and the team still take in a selection of hard copy daily newspapers both regional and major. There are many online subscriptions free of charge to see these.  Hard copy holdings have been reduced with digital services replacing these, saving costs.

The lovely fixtures and fittings (including the shelving and furniture) are set in gothic 19^th century with a controlled environment and hasn’t changed.  Present are a lovely original metal stationery racks which are silver plated, heavy and are nothing like what exists today. The fireplace which is a very visible part of the room is no longer used.  It was interesting to learn about the House of Commons Journals which document minutes of the proceedings in the Chamber which are still used to this very day.

An original set of early House of Commons Journals is held by the Parliamentary Archives. The current set in the Library are re-prints of the early original volumes.  The originals were rescued from the fire and the collection includes volumes dating back to 1547.  One entry of note was 4^th January 1642 recording the time when Charles I entered Parliament with henchmen and was in conflict with Parliament confronting Speaker Lenthall.  These journals literally documented minutes of the day’s events and are recorded in a very matter of fact way.

The House of Commons Library is not a Parliamentary archive, however there is a Parliamentary archive team based in the House of Lords who are the official archivists for both Houses. This team is due to be amalgamated with the National Archives in 2024 so their function will move to them.

‘C’ Room is a little quieter than the other rooms and does not provide any IT, however from this room there are some spectacular views of Lambeth Palace and County Hall across the Thames.

‘C’ Room is quite special has engraved panels at the top with dates from 1377 representing the names of all the speakers of the House of Commons dating to the present Speaker Lindsay Hoyle. The names were engraved mid 20^th century.

Times the library open tend to be from the very beginning when the House is sitting at 9am to rise of the house (sitting period) and can vary each day. There is a separate night team who covers from 18:00 to closure.

Library staff are subject to general security vetting as are all parliamentary employees.

‘D’ Room is a quiet room not originally part of the House of Commons Library and was the original Speaker’s private library / apartment. This was gifted to House of Commons library in 1966. There is a panel designed to screen the library from what was the Speaker’s accommodation. The room contains many volumes of parliamentary papers and Busts, of which one is of Erskine May, a clerk who became a senior clerk whose name represents the Parliamentary Bible explaining conventions and presence of parliament.

A second Bust is present of Spencer Perceval an early 19^th Century Prime minister who was assassinated in parliament on 11^th May 1812 by John Bellingham, an individual who had a grievance against the government for his treatment a few years ago previously when he had been imprisoned in Russia for a trading debt.

In the room there was a phone from 1920 which works a little like a telephone intercom and used to communicate between Speaker’s private library and Speaker’s private apartments and different rooms.

There are no particular rules, however the statement of services which states what they can do, ethos and also limitations on services. They won’t undertake translation work and do not support members’ private interests.  All the work is to support members in their parliamentary duty.

Overall a very enjoyable tour of the library which overlooks some fantastic views and it is amazing to see the fixtures, furniture and look of the room remaining in place to preserve a key part of history from that period of time with the library still in operation today.

Virtual Visit to the House of Commons Library on 4th April 2024

By Kelly Blake

Virtual Visit to the House of Commons Library on 4^th April 2024

by Kelly Blake

I was one of approximately 20 library professionals who were lucky enough to go on a virtual visit to the House of Commons Library on 4th April 2024.   This was the first virtual tour that they had undertaken, and it was a thoroughly interesting and a very enjoyable to spend a lunch-break.

The tour began with a view from the library window to help show us exactly where within the Palace of Westminster the library sits.  It’s a great view over the Terrace and across the Thames.  The library was completed in 1852 on the principal (first) floor.  Inside the library, we started in the Reference Room (originally called the Map Room) where a small exhibition was on display for Women’s History Month, which included the bolt cutters used to cut chains off suffragettes during their campaigning.  This was not something I was expecting to see in the House of Commons Library!

The library of 100 years would not have look too dissimilar to what we were viewing today.  The Palace of Westminster is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, so not very much at all can be changed in the fabric and furniture of the library.  It is all in keeping with the original design, with wood panelling and elaborate carpets throughout. In 1852 the library had three rooms designated to it called A, B and C.  The Reference Room was an addition given to the library, along with the Oriel Room and latterly D Room.  The function of the Reference Room changed as large physical maps were no longer used and it became the Reference Room with a small reference library which is mostly used by library staff. 

We were then shown the Oriel Room and the window for which it was named.  It is the main reception for the library and very close to the chamber in the House of Commons.  We were told more about how the library worked, being staffed by a small team of 12-14 people who answer enquiries from MPs and their staff.  In addition, almost 200 people working in the Research and Information team who are mostly based elsewhere and included eight Subject Specialist teams.  The House of Commons Library is free to use and aside from dealing with enquiries and research they also write impartial briefings to help inform debates e.g. on the Post Office/Horizon scandal.  These briefings are also available to members of the public.  The Librarian confirmed that the library has a traditional book loans service too, although the collection is a specialist one which has very little fiction.  They run an Inter-Library Loan service too, so there was a lot of familiarity in some of the functions of this specialist library.

At this point there was a pause to ask some questions.  Firstly, there was a question about who sets the library budget and whether it is it enough, to which the librarian replied that it was part of the Administration Budget set by the House of Commons and whilst they have to operate within the budget, there have not been any staff cuts and the service has been able to grow.  The next question was about the length of time given to an enquiry before it was passed to a member of the research and information team.  There was no hard and fast rule on this.  It will be triaged and if it needs specialist information, will be allocated to someone in that team.  They employ fair-use policy for enquiries and have deadlines in which to respond to enquiries.  Incredibly, there can be over 30,000 logged enquiries a year!  Another interesting question was whether the House of Commons Library worked with libraries from the devolved parliaments. The library does work quite closely answering questions from them and vice versa and they all take part in an annual two-day conference too.

We then moved into the A Room which is generally shared in use between library staff and MPs.  Members’ Staff and House Staff can use the library too, but they have more limited access than MPs.  Looking a little out of place in this historic setting, this room had some PCs available.  In contrast, there were also two green leather chairs which were used by the Speaker of the House and the Sergeant at Arms in the Second World War; and the original safe for the library hidden in one of the cupboards, which is still used today but difficult to open.  In this room were hard-copy newspapers, which were still much in demand, including regional titles.  They also have a news aggregator and lots of online subscriptions, as digital services have replaced physical versions in many other ways e.g. law reports, which used to be a large part of the library collection.  At this point we were shown a smaller detail of the library – some intricately designed, silver-plated stationery racks which were part of the original library design.  Other examples of these can be seen in the photo below:

A view of the library

The B Room was next on the tour, which featured some of the book collection with lots of desk space to work at.  There were also the original green leather armchairs, which are apparently not at all comfortable!  We saw the House of Commons Journals, which are the bound minutes of proceedings in the chamber.  The original set is in the Parliamentary Archives, but the reprinted volumes were no less impressive.  The librarian was able to point out some historic events in a couple of volumes – the 1642 record of Charles I entering the House of Commons with his supporters, and the 1605 attempt to burn down the Houses of Parliament by Guy Fawkes and his co-conspirators.

We moved on further through the library to the C Room, where there were engraved panels listing all the names and dates of the Speakers of the House from the 1300s onwards.  Interestingly there was only room left for one more name on the panels and that it hadn’t yet been decided how or where it would continue after that.  Then the librarian took some more questions, the first of which was about the renovations and how it would affect the library.  The librarian said that this was all a little while off for the library as the plans need to be voted on in the new parliament.  There was then a question about the hours for which the library is staffed, which we were told is from 9am until the “rise of the House” which on Mondays is at 10.30-11pm!  Another was whether library staff needed to have background checks, we were assured that library staff were subject to the same checks as all Parliamentary Staff. 

Lastly, we moved on briefly to the D Room which was originally part of the Speaker’s private apartments, but was gifted to the library in 1966.  The nature of its location and original designation means that this room has a hidden corridor running to the Speaker’s Apartments behind a row of bookcases (this can be seen on the left in the photo below).  This room fittingly features a bust of Erskine May and well as one of Spencer Perceval, who was assassinated in the Palace of Westminster.  The librarian took further questions at this point; however, I had to get back to work and unfortunately missed the answers to those.  It was a very interesting tour that had me talking about it to others for days afterwards, so many thanks to the librarian for her time and I would encourage others to visit the library if the opportunity arises.

A view of the library

AGM and Professional Development Day – April 2024.

by Darren Bevin
Chair, CILIP SW.

The CILIP South West AGM and Professional Development Day took place on 10th April in the Rougemont Room at Exeter Central Library.

The previous AGM took place only last November and had been solely online. Looking ahead to future meetings, it was felt that there would be more chance of a venue being available around Easter (for example, at a University setting).

The event in April had both speakers and an audience who were online and in person. Attendees were equally split with twenty in person and another twenty on Zoom. The talks took place after the AGM and centred around the themes of welcome and access.

The first to speak was Sonia Ramdhian, the Director of Sector Development at CILIP, who provided a short introduction to the day’s themes. This was followed by Kay Ecclestone, Vice-Chair of CILIP SW who spoke on her involvement and work with the Peninsula of Sanctuary movement. This was the first cross-sector project in the country and offered free training, created a Resource Bank and gave access to an online Forum for library staff interested in improving their welcome to new arrivals and refugees. Kay engaged the audience both in the room and online with a quiz accessible via a QR code that challenged assumptions and knowledge on the refugee situation in the UK. Results of the multiple choice questions were screened live.

This was followed by Lara Marshall (via Zoom), the Library Engagement Manager for the Royal National Institute of Blind People with her talk: ‘See Differently: How to Make Your Library More Accessible to Blind and Partially Sighted People’. Her detailed talk on the equipment and technology available followed an interactive discussion on common sight loss misconceptions and simple but effective ways to interact and offer the best customer care to blind and partially sighted library users.

After lunch, Emma Laws (above), the Exeter Cathedral Librarian, gave us “ ‘… much visited by the curious …’ 1000 years of Exeter Cathedral Library and Archives”. Housed in the West Wing of the Bishop’s Palace in Exeter Cathedral is a modern library and archive facility in which are preserved and made accessible to the Dean and Chapter’s many thousands of books and documents, which span the 10th to the 21st centuries. Emma kindly tailored her talk to cover themes of welcome, access and outreach that addressed issues of conservation and preservation alongside the desire to make the contents of the library available.

Finally, Sarah Gosset (above), the Librarian for Families and Outreach at North Somerset Council discussed the challenges when reaching out to Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. These stemmed from a variety of barriers on both sides, ranging from location and literacy levels to mistrust of authority. North Somerset Council have been working to engage this community and to show that libraries are a space and resource for everyone, regardless of background.

CILIP South West would like to thank everyone who attended this event, especially those who presented, and also to Exeter Central Library for hosting this event and providing refreshments. Particular thanks must go to Callum Elliott-Archer, the Centre Manager, for his support throughout the day and overcoming the challenges of a hybrid programme to ensure the day ran smoothly. Our aim is to find another venue next year in a different south west county that can support a hybrid event.

Your Library Service: Plymouth Proprietary Library

By Darren Bevin

Outside the Plymouth Proprietary Library

Q1: Introduce your service! What’s the main aim of the service, and what sort of users does your service cater to?

My name is Darren Bevin and for the last two years have been the Library Manager of the Plymouth Proprietary Library, an old institution that has survived at various locations. The building we are now in used to be a church hall. It is a subscription library and for an annual fee members can borrow from a wide variety of books and get discounted rates on a range of talks and activities. The library does not currently cater for children and many of the users are locals who like to get involved in what we do.

Q2: What has been a profound/memorable moment in your library? (it can be funny, something that made you change your practice, a learning moment, something poignant, anything!)

We were a venue for a vampire movie filmed by a local company. Fortunately, the actors were just using the library to conduct research on vampires rather than fighting evil! 

Q3: What has been your most successful library service offer or resource to date?

The monthly coffee mornings (with homemade cakes) are always popular and a chance for members to meet up and exchange books. I try and tie them in with an event such as a book launch or a book/plant sale. Our fortnightly talks can also occasionally reach full capacity (there is seating for thirty-five).

Q4: What top tip, or piece of advice, can you offer to aspiring library and information professionals?

Don’t give up if it is something you really want to pursue. When I began (a long time ago) I wrote to over a hundred academic libraries which eventually got me a graduate trainee position at a Latin American library in London.

Q5: What top tip can you offer to experienced library and information professionals?

If time allows, consider getting involved in library related activities outside of the workplace. I used to be on the committee of the Independent Libraries Association and I am currently preparing a talk for their AGM in Penzance in May. I am also Chair of CILIP South West and busy organising our AGM and Professional Development Day at Exeter Central Library in April. To coincide with all this, I am in the process of going for my Fellowship with CILIP. I find all this does support my paid work (which admittedly is part-time).

Knowledge and Libraries: a story of FEDIP membership

Knowledge, Libraries, and Technologies

Knowledge Services and Libraries are adapting to new technologies, experimenting with data analysis, generative AI, and new social media platforms.

Historically, and presently, libraries have enabled equal access to technologies, from providing the public with access to computers and the internet, to showcasing 3D printer technologies and virtual/augmented reality!

Library, knowledge and information professionals are pioneers and users of technology.

Last year, I got a chance to be a member of FEDIP for free, courtesy of CILIP! I work in the NHS as a Knowledge Specialist. With a keen interest in innovative technologies, I was pretty excited to learn new things.

What is FEDIP?

FEDIP: Federation for Informatics Professionals in Health and Social Care (pronounced FED-eye-P) is a body comprised of folks interest in health and care informatics, in its many forms.

It fosters spaces for people with similar interests to network, supporting their learning and professional development.

It has a lot of excellent resources in the FEDIP Hub; e-learning courses, videos and plenty to read!

There’s also member registration, a bit like chartership, and the FEDIP Standard, which makes for interesting reading.

Something else I found interesting was their job description database, highlighting loads of different jobs descriptions!

E-Learning and CPD

I did a quick online course on using R, a statistical computing language. It was very friendly for complete beginners, and it was fun to try out different things! Probably better to try that out on a non-work PC, as the course requires you to download a bit of software.

The forums are good to read too! I haven’t been active on them, partly due to shyness, and partly due to being super busy, but it’s certainly ‘on my list’ of things to do in the future.

There’s also handy monthly newsletters, which notifies people of upcoming webinars, and other useful information.

And speaking of webinars…

FEDIP’s fabulous webinars

There are frequent webinars looking at advances in technology and innovation in healthcare, which I have found truly fascinating. I find that they don’t require too much technology know-how; a lot of the content is often very user-friendly.

A few webinars I attended were:

• ‘Embedding a Culture of CPD in Digital, Data and Technology Teams’
• ‘Gearing up for AI’

It was great to hear perspectives from across the health and care sector nationally, with many facing similar challenges around workloads, AI literacy needs, information needs around upskilling the workforce, and assessing the impact of new technologies.

The future

I’m doing a PGCert and feel that there’s a lot I have yet to cover in FEDIP, but I want to try out member registration after finishing up my course! I will be continuing my membership in FEDIP, as I think it’s really worthwhile and although I haven’t been able to immerse myself as much as I had originally planned this year, I hope to do so more in the future!

Librarians are adapting to meet the challenges of new technologies, like they always have done in the past.

I look forward to continuing my FEDIP membership, and learning more as time goes on!

CILIP Conference 2023 report by Marlène Rak, Subject Support Librarian, UWE Bristol.

Following my application to receive a bursary from CILIP South West Members Network, I had the immense pleasure to attend the CILIP Conference 2023 in Birmingham last July. This was such a lovely way to end an otherwise busy academic year and I knew, from looking at the conference programme, that some tough decisions would have to be made as to what talks to attend, with some events running concurrently.

Photography by Marlène Rak

Opening the Conference, John Trevor-Allen, CILIP’s President, reminded us about how much our association has achieved over the past 125 years, uniting practitioners across sectors as well as internationally by bringing representatives from all domains. This was an opportunity for us all, he told us, to make and renew contacts and look to the future together, learn from each other and inform the services that we offer to society at large. Bringing and sharing ideas and initiatives that we can then cascade on to colleagues has the potential to touch millions of lives. Sparking inspiration in others to help moving our profession is what information professionals do. “Wherever the next 125 years take us, it starts right here […], it starts right now, and it starts with you”, enthused Trevor-Allen.

Rebecka Isaksson, who used to find knowledge management very boring before eventually embracing it (according to her own words and as a result of her passion for communities of practice), delivered the first keynote on driving value through AI-powered Knowledge Management. Her excitement for generative AI was palpable in the room, and her eagerness and energy set the tone for the remainder of the day. It was lovely to hear her comment on how, despite her background in business and management, she felt she had found her tribe amongst this bunch of friendly information professionals.

Throughout the two-day event, many enthusiastic speakers shared their ideas, dilemmas and solutions on key issues currently affecting our professions. Their vision for what is yet to come was always being offered with eagerness and joy and, and sometimes apprehension too, but never with indifference. As the conference progressed, some of the themes being discussed kept coming back to the fore more regularly than others; themes such as the impact of artificial intelligence on our lives and profession, the transforming and transformative nature of leadership, knowledge management, engagement and humanity. It seems that for most of us, generative AI displays a real challenge, and not just for academic librarians for whom the ramifications on their delivery of study skills are immediate. But we do have to bear in mind that AI represents more opportunities than risks, despite a lot of people having a very emotional response to it; therefore, a fear of it.

Photography by Marlène Rak

There is a lot of hype going on around AI now and it is crucial to remember that we live in a very polarised world where the truth generally lies somewhere in between. We need to accept that artificial intelligence, as scary as it may appear to some, and human intelligence aren’t in competition, and better results can be generated when they are both being used together. “ChatGPT is NOT cheating, it’s working smart” reassured us Rebecka Isaksson. Despite those technological advancements, however, we do need to remember that many people are at a great risk of being left behind. It is crucial, more than ever, that we are able to build a digitally ready workforce. This applies to the overall workforce, not only information specialists. Our future will look very different from today, with lots of opportunities and implications that we neither understand nor know about just yet.

On the theme of leadership, it is important to highlight that being a leader doesn’t equate to being in a managerial position. Anyone, regardless of their job title or length of service, should be able to influence others. Leadership is about having a vision and inspiring. Sadly, though, opportunities for the young generations coming through our doors are scarce, regardless of how much skills, passion and energy newer professionals may have. The lack of diversity in our profession is a challenge; the Victorian structure of power has been dismantled but this hasn’t quite gone far enough. Another consideration to be made is that people working in libraries are often risk-averse; our culture is very different from, say, the more reactive culture that has been adopted in other industries such as IT. Which brings us to the thought-provoking keynote from Masud Khokhar on day 2 of the conference.

A cultural and functional shift ought to be enabled for changes that we aspire to become a reality. “Change is external, transition is internal” pointed out Khokhar. His talk on redesigning leadership for continuous innovation embodied a spectacular dive into the human mind and how the later shapes the way we select and process information. Ultimately, leadership is a human story, not a technology-driven phenomenon. Being authentic, genuine and helpful is certainly something a lot of those who spoke at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole valued above all. So was being consistent, and building rapport with people – which really was at the heart of this life-affirming symposium. Later that day, we were reminded by Sathnam Sanghera, who was splendidly led by Kate Robinson’s considerate chairing, that literacy helps escape the poverty trap. Now a celebrated British journalist and best-selling author, Sanghera, the son of an illiterate dad and a mum who doesn’t speak English, did not own a single book un􀆟l the age of 10. Lamen􀆟ng the lack of funding for public libraries and the general apathy towards some of the truly shocking statistics on the percentage of children in the UK not owing a single book due to poverty (18%, or close to 1 in 8 children, according to the findings from a 2019 survey conducted by the National Literacy Trust on over 56,000 children aged 9 to 18 across the UK), Sanghera joked that “maybe we need a footballer in the room”.

And perhaps this very last point was the one that tied us all together: the irrefutable truth that, as justly put across by Nick Poole in his welcome note on the morning of that same day, “We love libraries not just for what they are, but what they represent: an opportunity for everyone”. And to end on this note which, I am sure, will ring true for many, I would like to comment on what a privilege it was to attend the Conference, hear so many thought-provoking reflections, and rejoice in the fact that libraries are indeed the backbone of humanity. Thank you CILIP South West Members Network for having given me the great pleasure to partake in such an illuminating, joyful and ultimately, unforgettable occasion.

On the topic of Fellowship, by Donna Gundry

Donna Gundry, author

I joined what was then called Plymouth College of Art and Design in 2009 as the assistant manager, in a job share role. Spending the first two years working full time and simultaneously completing my Post Graduate via distance learning in Information and Library Studies, moving to the position of Library manager. In 2012 the institution changed its name to Plymouth College of Art and the following year having moved line managers I completed my CILIP chartership. In 2013 with the completion of my chartership, the institution was awarded Taught degree Awarding powers (2019) and I had changed line management twice during this time as well as become the Head of Library Services. With each new line manager, though the role has fundamentally stayed the same, the lens at which my role has been looked at, has altered and shifted. This has coincided with the institution developing and strengthening its position within Higher Education. Having been a mentor with CILIP, then a PRSO, I realised in speaking to other librarians, that I had accrued a mass of experience and expertise that would support my application for Fellowship. Having started the process in 2017, I was able to submit my application in 2019, just prior to Covid Lockdowns. During this time, I received the support from the Senior Leadership Team in completing my portfolio. Hopefully this conveys the changes within the institution, and my role and has been a backdrop for me wanting to complete my fellowship. All which I feel reflects the changes within Higher education as a sector, as the institution has grown as has my skill set.

There were several reasons why I wished to undertake my fellowship, notwithstanding the changes to the institution and role.  Also working in education, means that every year you are seeing students grow and learn, pushing themselves to succeed, and part of me wanted to have that same experience and with that receive acknowledgment for my achievements. Alongside this, I wanted to challenge myself, to see if I could achieve my fellowship. From my work as PRSO I knew that there was a significant step up between chartership and fellowship, in particular addressing the wider context in which the profession sits.

On the whole, the experience was very rewarding and enjoyable, being given time to reflect on projects and my experiences. In my everyday role, there might not be the time to do this. Having completed my chartership, I knew that I needed to be strict with my timings, from the outset I set myself a personal target of having to submit in under two years, so the process was reflective of a moment in time and didn’t spill into several academic years. Though at times it did feel like hard work, especially when I was short of time, during particular pinch points in the year. Having created a strong template for my chartership, I knew from the start I wanted to replicate that through my fellowship, providing structure to the portfolio and enabling me to link the PKSB, with my reflection and CILIPs criteria.

I feel, my CILIP Fellowship provides myself with a greater standing with both the library and academic communities, as for alongside academics it provides me with a compatible professional recognition. My CILIP fellowship also compliments my HEA Senior Fellowship, which I completed in 2022.

I am not sure if having my CILIP fellowship has automatically provided me with more professional opportunities or it has made me seek out more opportunities. Either way, completing my Fellowship has put me in a stronger position, professionally speaking. This has been reflected in being the PRSO for CILIP SW as well as the chair of SWRLS. I am definitely an advocate for the profession and supporting others to achieve their professional goals and potential.

My tips for anyone considering fellowship would be:

If you have the experience then I would do it – it’s rare to find time to reflect on yourself and completing your fellowship is an excellent way to work out a future direction and drive.

Find a mentor, though this is not essential, having a professional friend as a sounding board, proof reader and jargon buster can be highly useful. This can support your confidence and make it less isolating.

Completing your fellowship gives you time to strengthen your role in areas that you might not previously have the opportunity to. Though using the PKSB, this might invigour new projects or working methods. It provides an opportunity to show your knowledge and skills within a specialist area.

During a competitive job market, this might provide the edge over another person, landing that dream job. If not changing jobs, it shows your employer that you have the determination to achieve your goals.

Also likely to have yourself feel more motivated and empowered within your career, pushing boundaries with your role.

The Independent Library Association’s Annual Conference 2023

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Independent Library Association’s planned in-person Annual Conference and AGM did not take place at the Linen Hall Library in Belfast. Instead, the conference took place online on Friday 2^nd June 2023 and had positivity and success as its themes.

The keynote talk was by Samantha McCombe, the Librarian of the Linen Hall Library (image below) which was founded as the Belfast Reading Society in 1788. It is currently housed in a former linen warehouse from the Victorian era. Not only is it the oldest library in the city, but it is also the only remaining subscription library in Ireland. Samantha writes “Founding members established the society on radical and Enlightenment ideals. Over more than 200 years, the Library has retained its independence, maintaining the principle that its resources are owned by the community for the community.” The Linen Hall’s collection supports a public engagement programme, with exhibitions, talks, performances, and digitisation all playing a part in communicating the collections to their local and international communities.

Following the AGM, further talks took place in the afternoon with Darren Bevin from the Plymouth Proprietary Library (PPL) discussing his first year as Library Manager. The PPL moved into new premises in St Barnabas Terrace in Plymouth in 2018. No sooner has the library got settled when the COVID outbreak began, and lockdowns ensued. When Darren started work in 2022, things were beginning to return to normal and there was an opportunity to start planning ahead. The PPL needs to ensure the local community and beyond know of its existence and what it does. There is also the continual financial drive to recruit and retains members to this subscription library by providing a series of talks and events to attract new and existing users.

The final talk was by Siân Williams, Head of Special Collections & Librarian at the South Wales Miners’ Library. In 1973, the South Wales Miners’ Library was established as a research library and a centre for adult and community learning at Swansea University. As the Library prepares to move to a new location in Swansea city centre in 2024, Siân reflected on the process to create a new mission and vision for the Library fit for the next 50 years. The talk also considered some of the ways the Library is reassessing its role within the community and how the collections are used.

Although the conference allowed time for discussion and conversation, it was naturally not the same as meeting in person. It is very much hoped that the conference and AGM for 2024 that is planned to be held at the Morrab Library in Penzance on 31 May – 1 Jun will take place.

Library Safari: Plymouth Adventures

A great day spent meeting colleagues from a range of library environments, visiting three Plymouth libraries together.
Our day began at the Plymouth Proprietary Library; a great opportunity to hear about it’s history and to see the collections. A wonderful, friendly independent library with so much character.
Our next stop was Plymouth Central Library, right in the heart of the city centre. It was fascinating to see the varied spaces within the building and how these are arranged to support the community, from the piano in the entrance to the quiet top floor.
Our last visit of the day gave us the chance to see Charles Seale-Hayne Library, on the campus of The University of Plymouth, in action. Busy with industrious students, our tour took in all three floors and ended with an amazing session looking at their special collections, including books from the 16th Century, a complete (bar one) collection of Penguin classics and a diverse selection of zines.
Many thanks to all the wonderful library professionals from all three libraries who facilitated such an interesting and informative safari, and to the participants who made the day so enjoyable!

A conversation with Marlène, Subject Support Librarian

A conversation with Marlène, Subject Support Librarian

Q1: Introduce yourself! What’s your current role and/or responsibilities in the Library and Information Professional world? 

My name is Marlène Rak, I am a Subject Support Librarian at the University of the West of England (UWE). My role includes delivering embedded study skills sessions to students within the College of Health, Science and Society, facilitating academic skills workshops across faculties and supporting staff and students with their enquiries – whether online via email and Ask a Librarian or face-to-face in the library. I am also a Committee Member for CILIP’s Library and Information Research Group (LIRG) and volunteer as their Events Officer.

Q2: What has been a profound/memorable moment in your career?  

A memorable moment in my career, to date, was standing in front of a class of 120 nursing students for a one-hour-long overview of UWE’s library services – barely two weeks into my first term of teaching. I was absolutely terrified beforehand, and equally surprised as the session unfolded, to discover that not a single one of them tried fleeing the lecture hall before the end of the session. Talk about baptism by fire!

Q3: What has been your favourite role or responsibility to date?  

My role is quite varied and my schedule can look very different from one day to another. I certainly enjoy each and every facet of working as a librarian in higher education; be it meeting online with a programme leader to discuss next academic year’s library input, preparing for a one-to-one appointment with a student needing help with their literature search for an upcoming assignment, clarifying a reference via chat or exploring a module leader’s request to facilitate access to new materials for the following term. Aside from my more regular responsibilities, I have recently embarked on a 12-month research project with librarians and researchers from LIRG. I am having a fantastic time learning bucketloads from my more experienced peers in the group and feel extremely grateful for the opportunity, whilst hoping my contributions are assisting them in progressing this wonderful project too.

Q4: What top tip, or piece of advice, can you offer to aspiring library and information professionals? 

My top tip to aspiring library and information professionals is to keep trying and embrace any opportunity as a good opportunity. Getting this first role was neither an easy nor a straightforward task to accomplish but there was plenty help available along the way. CILIP were wonderful in guiding me and sharing their nuggets of wisdom at times when I had thought the possible to have become impossible. So, if you aren’t currently working within information or library services, pick up your phone and talk to them. And if you already have access to professionals in your chosen field, go and talk to those guys instead, again and again. There are loads of folks out there who are keen to support you in your journey. 

Q5: What top tip can you offer to experienced library and information professionals? 

This question is a tricky one. As a new information professional who is still very much learning the ropes, I am certainly not in a position to advocate for the more experienced ones. However, I would like to ask them to please remember that incredible sense of satisfaction they experienced when first starting out, particularly on days where the mundane can drag even the most enthusiastic ones of us down. Keep this feeling of excitement alive, stay open-minded to new ways of being and doing, keep innovating. 

‘The Calm Before the Storm’; an empty lecture theatre, taken by Marlène Rak.