THE INSTITUTE OF
INFORMATION SCIENTISTS
THE LIBRARY ASSOCIATION REVISED PROPOSALS
FOR A NEW ORGANISATION FOR THE LIBRARY AND INFORMATION PROFESSION:
FEATURES OF THE NEW ORGANIZATION
We believe that, if the new organisation is to succeed as a
dynamic successor to the IIS and the LA, it should have the following characteristics:
Structure
- Is primarily a personal membership organisation, based in the UK, but hospitable to
overseas members
- Has a Royal Charter
- Has Charitable status
- Is democratic - governed by a council elected by its members
- Has a regional structure covering the whole of the UK
- Has premises in central London with a range of facilities, including meeting and
training rooms, and offices in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales
- Has a strategy to ensure financial stability
- Provides a wide range of products and services
- Is hospitable to partnerships with other organisations active in the information and
library sector
Professional competence
- Is inclusive, embracing the broad information and library community from all groups in
the population and practitioners at all stages in their career
- Awards Chartered status to those of its members who can demonstrate their competence to
practise at a professional level
- Has a code of professional conduct to which its members are required to comply, thus
acting as a guarantor to the public
- Accredits awards at Higher Education institutions and is involved in vocational training
- Vigorously promotes its qualifications to potential students, practitioners, employers,
government and the public
- Promotes and supports the concept of continuing professional development for all its
members by providing a framework for cpd and a programme of opportunities
External influence
- Lobbies government and a wide range of other decision makers at international, European,
national, regional and local level
- Works with other professional organisations nationally and
internationally to apply its influence appropriately on behalf of individuals and groups
- Alerts members and supporters to new legislation and regulations affecting the
profession
- Runs promotional campaigns
- Works closely with other bodies in the broad information sector
- Is organic and dynamic in its relation to the external environment
Networking and best practice
- Has a special interest group structure hospitable to specialisms within the broad
professional community and capable of fostering grass-roots activity
- Facilitates links with other, independent, bodies which share its objectives
- Facilitates effective communication between members by a variety of means, including a
major publishing programme, a lively Website and other electronic methods
- Stimulates the development of the discipline by encouraging research and disseminating
the results
- Provides information services to its members and others interested in the field
- Has a strong interest in, and involvement with, international issues
Prospectus of the range of products and services for members
There would be a range
of benefits for members which would include:
- Advocacy and representation at local and
national government levels
- Advisory work
- Case work on a one-to-one basis
- Salary and employment guidance information
- Employer support
- Media representation
- Publications: Monthly news-led journal sent
free to each member’s home address, scholarly journal, fortnightly journal of job
vacancies sent free to each member, a range of other professional publications including a
significant book publishing programme on which members would receive a discount.
- Current awareness services on the Web
- A wide range of professional development
courses, discounted for members
- Conferences and event organising
- Qualifications (benchmark) and Accreditation
of courses
- Membership of Special Interest Groups
- Career development and advice
- Promotion (Campaigns)
- Executive Briefings for senior managers on
key need-to-know topics
- Information Services to members
- Professional Support Networks, including
membership of a regional branch
- A range of services provided to members on
special terms, including accommodation, insurance and credit card.
- A full recruitment and job placement
service.
NB:
For reasons of clarity, this is an all-inclusive list. It would be
for an Implementation Task Force to investigate the final mix of a package of benefits to
Institutional and Corporate members, not differentiated here.
These features would be adopted as the basis for establishing the new organisation.
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