CILIPS Professional Development Fund Report – CILIPS25 by Al MacAodha
Category: Blog
Written by, Al MacAodha, University of Edinburgh & HMS Unicorn
CILIPS Annual Conference 2025, ‘Connecting & Preserving Communities’ – 2-3 June, Dundee
Having just completed my final year of university, I was delighted and very grateful to attend this conference through the CILIPS Professional Development Fund. The theme of connecting and preserving communities felt especially relevant as I begin my career in engagement-focused heritage roles. The range and variety of sessions to choose from were valuable, with opportunities to hear about the work being done in different areas of the sector.
Day one opened with a welcome from CILIPS President, Dr David McMenemy, who highlighted a number of eco-friendly initiatives as part of the conference. We had an incredible first keynote from CILIP CEO Louis Coiffait-Gunn and SLIC CEO Alison Nolan. It was inspiring to hear them speak about unlocking the full potential of libraries for the communities they serve. Did you know that libraries return £6.95 for every £1 invested in them? Both spoke about the economic aspect of libraries, sometimes overlooked in favour of less tangible social benefits. Key to Louis’ speech was how economic growth in libraries is different from the unsustainable profit cycles of other economic areas.
The first parallel session I chose was ‘Evidencing the social value of public libraries’, where we heard about a thought-provoking toolkit developed for capturing the intangible impact of public libraries. Following this, I attended a session on Wikimedia and information activism by Dr Sara Thomas. Wikimedia wasn’t previously an avenue I had considered for social activism and I found this talk extremely interesting. Sara explained how Wikimedia editing encourages civic disposition and develops critical literacy skills – especially valuable in an AI-generated hailstorm of search results online.
There was an exhibition space to explore between sessions, with conference sponsors alongside tea and coffee. It was also lovely to see a delicious veggie lunch as the standard, one of many ways the conference reduced its environmental impact.
The third parallel talk of the day was my favourite – Professor Sarah McGeown introduced us to her study on reading and wellbeing. Her analysis comprises the largest dataset for a lifespan perspective on reading and wellbeing so far. I loved how she combined the skills gained from reading with what we (as readers) bring to the story too. I enjoyed her perspective that, as reading is a cognitively challenging activity, we need to ensure people have the headspace to read in the first place – through healthcare and participation in communities.
We closed the day with two keynotes, on developing ‘slow’ AI principles and a conversation about audiobooks. Afterwards, I attended a fantastic tour of the University of Dundee’s archives and Zoology Museum. I found it valuable that the museum acknowledged the colonial origins of many of their objects and contextualised them without sidestepping their accession.
Dr Elizabeth Williams’ keynote set the tone for a busy second day. Connecting to themes from yesterday, she addressed the critical role reading plays in forging neural pathways for developing empathy and respect, and how libraries are stepping in to replace areas that government spending is missing. Following this was a powerful talk from Professor Steven Buchanan on child information poverty, which can begin as young as 6 years old, and how libraries are more important than ever in addressing this.
Hearing Graeme Hawley speak about the National Library’s ‘community walking’ to discover what individual towns want from the library was extremely interesting, working to ensure the National Library is truly national and not reflecting only what central Edinburgh wants in a library. His approach is something I would love to carry through into my own role. During a celebration of the National Library, the phenomenal Scots poet and advocate Len Pennie highlighted what an invaluable resource libraries are for disempowered individuals and as safe community havens.
I heard about the incredible student support the City of Glasgow College Library provides, through constant outreach and experimentation to empower students and respond to their needs. Finally, I heard from two Civil Service libraries sharing their experiences changing sectors, and from Dr Bruce Ryan on tackling mis- and dis-information.
With closing remarks from David, my very first CILIPS conference was over! While Scottish libraries are facing difficult realities, their incredible impact and value shone through – with trust, passion, and solidarity recurring throughout both days. I am full of inspiration now for my current and future roles. I’m very grateful to CILIPS and their Professional Development Fund for letting me attend and I hope to be
back again next year!
Al was able to attend CILIPS25 with the support of the CILIPS Professional Development Fund. The fund aims to provide financial assistance to members wishing to undertake professional development activities related to enhancing skills in the information profession. This can include in person and online conferences, events, courses, seminars or webinars organised by CILIPS, CILIP or other bodies in the UK or overseas. To learn more and apply for the next round of funding then please click here.