As a student in the field of library and information science, I have been a member of CILIP since the beginning of my degree. However, I haven't had a chance to attend their annual Conference + Expo until this year (the global pandemic put a few wrenches in those plans). This year that changed though! Thanks to a bursary from the Library and Information Science Research Group (LIRG) at CILIP I was able to attend the full Conference + Expo in Liverpool this year from July 7 to July 8. And as a bonus I managed to get a "We Are CILIP" selfie at the CILIP booth in the exhibit hall (see above). Though the exhibit hall and sessions officially opened on July 7, those of use who were in Liverpool by the evening of 6th were able to enjoy a dinner and afterhours tour of the Central Library (picture of the reading room below). As someone who always wanted to be "locked in" at a library overnight, it was a pretty awesome experience to see the library when users weren't there. On July 7, the conference began with coffee/tea and a powerful keynote by Sayf Al Ashqar from Iraq. The keynote was accompanied by a poem from Vanessa Kisuule about the importance of libraries. A whirlwind of exhibit exploration and conference sessions followed, with a chance to win a prize if you visited every booth in the exhibit hall (I didn't win, unfortunately, but good conversations were had overall). One of my favourite sessions on July 7 was the launch of the Green Manifesto, where panel members shared ways that their libraries were working on their environmental goals. The Green Libraries programme, beginning in February, is meant to help libraries reduce their carbon footprint and support their communities to do the same. The work that libraries are already doing was quite interesting to hear about, and hopefully the programme will help many more libraries reach their environmental goals. The day ended with a drinks reception at the Museum of Liverpool that evening. Though I wasn't able to attend (I spent some quality time with friends I hadn't seen for a while) I heard that it was a great time for those who did.
July 8 the day began with more coffee and a keynote by Professor Jacqueline McGlade about connected knowledge and the ways information professionals can help the world address climate change. Though there were many things to take away from this keynote, one that was especially powerful to me was the multiple shapes information and knowledge takes. This connects with a concept a participant brought up in my own PhD research and is something that I want to be able to explore more fully in the future. It also connects with other keynotes from an earlier conference this year: Conceptions of Library and Information Science. All in all, I haven't yet ruminated on it enough myself, but hope to be able to explore the many forms of information and knowledge and their relationships with migration/colonisation/assimilation/integration. But the keynote wasn't the only interesting session on day two. I attended three sessions on July 8, Working Towards Net Zero, Better by Design (based on a book now available from Facet Publishing), and Allyship in Action. Though each of these sessions was interesting, I was able to take the most away from Allyship in Action. Allyship in Action had a short presentation at the beginning about the importance of being an ally, but the majority of the session was spent in small groups where we discussed amongst ourselves the qualities of an ally and the challenges of becoming/being an ally. At the end, everyone was challenged to commit to actions that they would do going forward to continue on their allyship journey. This session was motivating, and I am very glad that it was offered at the conference. Overall, my experience at the CILIP Conf+Expo was awesome and I suggest that all information professionals look into attending. I'm sure some years will be more aligned with certain needs, so people may not feel the need to attend every year, but even just the networking is a great opportunity so if there is the chance to go, take it. I also suggest applying to the many bursary options. I got the one from LIRG this year, but I know there were also other opportunities that gave people the chance to attend when they otherwise wouldn't have. So keep apprised of the conf+expo and when the programme matches your interests and stay alert for those bursary opportunities!
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A Second Blog Page?This is the part of the blog specifically about my PhD. It will include updates, musings, and advice. Archives
August 2022
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