CILIPS Professional Development Fund Report – CILIPS25 by Lucrezia Gaion
Category: Blog
CILIP Scotland Annual Conference 2025
Written by Lucrezia Gaion, Academic Support Librarian, Heriot-Watt University.
I applied for the CILIPS Professional Development Fund 2025 and was awarded a place on the first day of the CILIPS25 conference.
As an Academic Support Librarian I particularly valued two of the sessions I attended. The first, “Information Literacy, Information Activism: Wikimedia in the Post-Truth Age” presented by Dr Sara Thomas, and “Reading and Wellbeing: Exploring the Evidence Base and Deepening Understanding” presented by Prof. Sarah McGeown. Dr Sara Thomas’ engaging session fostered a high level of critical thinking when it comes to information and the current information landscape. One that is plagued by misinformation and disinformation, where the general public struggles to tell the difference between reality and fiction. What kind of information can we rely on in the post truth age? As librarians and information professionals we have a responsibility to protect and uphold truthful information. Dr Thomas explained how Wikimedia stands for knowledge and information activism, that is, promoting equitable information, which entails making sure marginalised voices and histories are part of the landscape. Wikimedia strives to develop a sense of civic responsibility in the public, thus protecting democracy. Its transparency and strict guidelines for editing mean that everyone is aware of the process of publication when it comes to Wikipedia. Coming to the talk, my knowledge of the Wikimedia universe was minimal. I learnt so much during the session, and it has encouraged me to look more into it and see how my institution and Wikimedia can collaborate moving forward, especially as we tackle the effects that generative artificial intelligence is having on the student population.
The second session that created a lasting impact was Prof. Sarah McGeown’s presentation on the research she’s been leading on reading and wellbeing. In my previous role I was heavily involved in reading for wellbeing, as I was trained in bibliotherapy and was one of the facilitators for the information for wellbeing online course, a project that sought to train librarians in words for wellbeing. This is an area that interests me, and a passion of mine. A few things stood out to me from this talk. First, that although there is some evidence of the benefits of reading, that is dependent on many factors, some of which can be barriers to reading and that it’s time consuming. Another thing that stood out to me is the importance of teaching children how to choose books. That was a big part of my role as a school librarian. I was surprised to learn that the research hadn’t included school libraries or school librarians’ expertise – to my knowledge – and that might be a point of interest for the future.
Overall, the CILIPS conference is always a hub of professional growth and inspiration for me. I hope I will have the opportunity to attend again in the future.
Lucrezia 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.