CILIPS Students & New Professionals Community

Welcome to the Students & New Professionals Community for Scotland!

We are a recently established group aiming to help people in the early part of their careers in the information and library sector to connect, share information and advice, and network. Whether you’re a LIS student, a recently-qualified librarian, somebody who is in their first library/information role or who is looking to change careers and learn more about library work, you are welcome in this group. Please see our Terms of Reference for more information on our purpose.

We have developed a list of useful resources that helped us when starting out in the profession. We hope you will find them helpful in some way too and will be adding to the list frequently.

We also run the New Voices blog, a space where new professionals can share their perspectives. We are keen to gather up some case studies from early-career professionals outlining their journey in the profession so far. Please see the resources on the right-hand side of this page for some guidance on writing one of these.

We also had our first (virtual) social on April 15th 2021! We hosted a quiz which was followed by time for chatting and getting to know fellow students and new professionals. We were also delighted to be participate in the Festival of Pride and Knowledge in June 2021 with the CILIP LGBTQ+ Network and CILIPS!

We ran our first ever Happy Half Hour on the 30th September! It was a relaxed evening for attendees to wind down with other students and new professionals after a day of studying or working.

Please get in touch with us with your New Voices contributions or if you have an idea for an event or resources we could offer – we would love to hear from you! Email snpc@cilips.org.uk.

If you would like to keep up-to-date with our work then join our mailing list and follow us on Twitter.

Organising group members

Chair: Chloe Elder

Twitter: @chloe_v_elder

Hi! I’m Chloe, and I work as a Library Assistant at St George’s School for Girls, Edinburgh. I’ve enjoyed working in libraries and archives since graduating with my MSc in Information Management and Preservation from the University of Glasgow in 2018. With a background also in Book History and Comparative Literature, I like all things bookish. Originally from Florida, I love living in and exploring Scotland with my partner. My hobbies include dance, violin, climbing and cooking.

Secretary: Marta Trogu

Twitter: @martatrogu

Hi! My name is Marta and I work as a Senior Library Assistant in the Acquisitions and Access department at the University of Glasgow Library. After my BA(Hons) in English, I undertook a MSc in Information and Library Studies and graduated from the University of Strathclyde in 2018. I love libraries and I am passionate about information law, ethics, and technology. I am originally from Sardinia (Italy) and I like to spend my free time reading and writing.

Social Media Manager: Abbey Bowerman

Hello! My name is Abbey and I am a postgraduate LIS student at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. I am originally from the south of England but I have also lived in Texas and South Korea. I have experience working in public libraries in the US which I came to through my love of organising! In my free time I enjoy fawning over other people’s dogs and teaching English classes.

Events Coordinator: Elizabeth Carney

Twitter: @emcarney94

Hi there! My name is Elizabeth and I work as a Health Librarian for NHS Forth Valley. I always knew I wanted a career in libraries and so following my undergraduate degree and a year working full-time as a Library Assistant at the University of Glasgow, I undertook an MSc in Information and Library Studies, graduating from the University of Strathclyde in 2019. Outside of work, I like walking, playing the piano, and one of my favourite things to do is visit the Glasgow Women’s Library!

Website Editor: Dana S Copeland

Twitter: @danastoddart

Hello all! I’m Dana, and I currently work as a Digital Officer in a college library. I completed the Information & Library Studies MSc at Strathclyde in 2020, starting my job a few weeks later! I also have an undergraduate degree in English Literature from Glasgow University. As you may have guessed from these degrees, I read a lot in my spare time! I’m originally from a wee town in the north of Scotland, and I like to split my time between the city and the countryside.