CILIP Yearbook 2002‐2003

Citation

Oppenheim, C. (2003), "CILIP Yearbook 2002‐2003", Journal of Documentation, Vol. 59 No. 5, pp. 623-624. https://doi.org/10.1108/00220410310499672

This paperback is the successor to the well‐known and long‐established Library Association Yearbook. Like its predecessor, it is primarily a list of the members of CILIP, the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals that arose from the ashes of the Library Association and the Institute of Information Scientists. The style is not significantly changed from the style and content of the LA Yearbook.

Following a brief introduction to CILIP, and contact details for its most senior staff, there is a list of members of its council (but without e‐mail addresses), and a list of the chairs of sub‐committees (but not members of those sub‐committees). The text of the Royal Charter and bye‐laws are provided, and then some general information about the benevolent fund, special interest groups and medals and awards, as well as CILIP representatives on other bodies.

The bulk of the text is devoted to CILIP members, with a note that dates in italics indicates when the member “joined the institute”. Presumably, the intention is to show the date at which a member joined either the IIS or LA or both and the fellowship date (if applicable). In my case it states that I joined the IIS in 1991, although I joined 20 years earlier, and later became a fellow. Similar errors are made for other members. Although it is stated that for reasons of confidentiality, members’ personal addresses are not provided, in some cases they are. In some other cases, the person has the legend “employment unknown” or “employment not known” (I wonder what the difference between the two is) when their employment is well‐known – but perhaps they do not have it recorded on the CILIP database. The job details provided are insufficient to contact the individual, and it is surprising that e‐mail addresses are not given where possible. Furthermore, in some cases, the job details provided are well out of date (in one case by about four years). In some cases, no contact details at all are provided.

The book ends with a brief history of the LA and the IIS, and a roll of honour of previous winners of prizes, previous presidents and secretaries of the two bodies (from which I learned that Sir Harry Hookway was the only person to have been president of the IIS and of the LA).

The Yearbook has insufficient information to allow one to readily contact a member of CILIP, and yet presumably this is the primary purpose of the book. The Royal Charter and bye‐laws will be of use to those active in CILIP, whilst the details of awards may be of use to those planning to enter for one of them. The contact details of CILIP staff and of special interest groups are useful, but are probably more up to date on the Web. One copy should be kept on the reference shelves of large libraries.