Cilip Chartership - the process

1. Before we look at Chartership – what is
CILIP’s Framework of Qualifications?
“They are the only professional qualifications in
library and information work in the UK. . . . .
. . . . and they are recognised globally.”

2. They are only available to . . . .
Members of the Chartered Institute of Library
and Information Professionals
- there are 3 categories -
• Certification – ACLIP
• Chartership – MCLIP the Gold Standard
• Fellowship – FCLIP

3. The route to Chartership
after certified Affiliate (ACLIP) status, you may decide to progress further . . .
• You will need to be a library and/or information
worker for at least two years (full-time equivalent)
before submitting an application for Chartered
Membership.
• During this time you can register as a Chartership
candidate, but you will have to become an
Associate Member before you can submit your
Chartership portfolio (this may mean a change in your
subscription rate).

4. • You and your mentor will need to develop your
Personal Professional Development Plan (PPDP)
based on your own situation.
• Your Certification PDP can be used as the basis
of this, but you will need to review, revise and
further develop it during the period leading up
to your Chartership submission.
• Information on formal education courses and
other training activities, that will help with your
personal development, are available on the
CILIP website: www.cilip.org.uk/training

5. So, let’s review that . . .
When you apply for Chartered Membership you must be
a current Associate Member.
Complete and submit the Registration Form to
Qualifications & Professional Development, CILIP, 7
Ridgmount St. London WC1E 7AE.
Find a mentor, work with him/her and then submit your
Personal Professional Development Plan (PPDP) within
six months of registering.
Your plan will cover 1 to 2 years of professional
development - (depending upon whether you are a Pathway
1 or 2 candidate - details to follow . . . .)

6. Attend a portfolio building course arranged by your local
Career Development Group.
Put together your portfolio and write a covering statement,
with the guidance of your mentor, referring to the assessment
form used by the Chartership Board.
Once you are ready to submit your application complete the
submission form and send your portfolio to Qualifications and
Professional Development, at CILIP H.Q.
From sending in a portfolio to becoming a Chartered Member
can take between two to six months, and sometimes longer . .

7. Am I eligible? You may register to Charter if you have:
Pathway 1 . . .
• a CILIP accredited library and information degree or postgraduate qualification
Pathway 2 . . .
• ACLIP Certification and sufficient professional level experience
• an overseas library and information qualification accepted by CILIP
• a non-accredited library and information qualification assessed at Scottish
Qualifications Framework Level 10, or England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Level HE4 and above.

8. I was an extraordinary candidate!
a non-accredited degree level qualification and substantial professional
experience (known as Extraordinary Chartership Candidates)

9. Submitting the Chartership portfolio
the process – (part 1)
Agree with your mentor that the portfolio is ready to be submitted –
Call CILIP HQ for an RS form –
Send in your portfolio –
(in triplicate: 3 printed copies or 2 printed & 1 electronic) with RS form and £50 fee
Send copies of your portfolio to a pair of assessors –
(If an assessor knows the candidate he/she must return the portfolio,
which is then sent to another assessor)
Assess the portfolio individually, then discuss together -

10. Submitting the Chartership portfolio
the process – (part 2)
Registering as Chartered Member
The newly Chartered Member is added to CILIP's register and receives a
certificate produced by professional calligraphers - £20 in 2007
If they reject - the application is sent to
a second pair (they do not see the
original assessment) or the candidate is
asked for more information - or invited
to attend an interview.
If they accept - the portfolio is officially
accepted at the next available Board
Meeting. The candidate is informed by
post and invited to register as a
Chartered Member of CILIP
If the second pair rejects . . .
A decision is formally agreed at the next
Chartership Board.
Candidate is informed by post and given
feedback to support future resubmission.
If the second pair accepts (split decision)
Portfolio is seen by whole Board and discussed
at the next Board Meeting.
They may: reject, accept, or ask for more
information . . . .

11. Chartership – the criteria
•
•an ability to reflect critically on personal performance
and to evaluate service performance
• active commitment to continuing professional development
• an ability to analyse development and progression
(with reference to experiential and developmental activities)
• breadth of professional knowledge & understanding
of the wider professional context

12. So how do you get started?
• keep a record and keep everything
• use a diary, loose leaf binder,
online tool - or even a shoe box (!)
•think about evidence . . .
•be ruthless
•complete a skills audit
• be organised and plan your training
• allow plenty of time

13. Choosing a mentor . . .
• Preferably not your line manager
• Look outside your organisation
• Arrange a first meeting
• Agree a simple contract: duration & parameters
• Write your PPDP together

14. What Is a Development Plan?
A plan which identifies:
• skill & knowledge needs
• action to be taken to meet these
• outcome required
• people required to take this action
• timescale/target date
• review date and outcomes achieved

15. Why Is a Development Plan Needed?
• to help you take control of your development, keep
yourself on track and reflect on outcomes
• to inform CPD planning (e.g. for appraisal,
negotiation with employer…), identifying priorities,
costs, timescale etc
• to act as a “route map” – to help you work out how
to get from where you are to where you want to be
• because the regulations say so!

16. Training and
development
need
Proposed action Anticipated
outcome
Expected
timescale
Organising,
running and
evaluating
events
Talk to colleagues;
Practical experience
of running events
Be able to organise
and run events
Sep 2010 –
Jan 2011
Indicate how you will develop your participation within the profession e.g.
through Branch and Group memberships, professional reading (including e-
reading) and other activities
Attend CILIP events; read Update, Gazette, Communities;
Attend special interest group meetings, including CDG

17. Why do we need portfolios?
•For gathering and presenting evidence
• To aid evaluation and reflection
• For appraisal, career change
• To demonstrate
•Professional judgement
and - because they’re essential
to the Framework of Qualifications too !

18. Your portfolio is meant to
Give clear evidence of your professional
development, which includes . . .
– demonstrating your ability to select relevant
information
– reflecting objectively on your own performance and
that of your employer
– communicating effectively

19. Consider the contents
Select everything that goes into
your portfolio very carefully

20. So, what must it contain?
•A contents table
•CV
•PPDP
•Personal evaluative statement (1,000 words)
•Aims and objectives of organisation
•Structure chart
•Evidence of participation in a mentor scheme

21. but also . . . . .
• certificates
• staff development reviews/evaluations
• contributions to the professional press
• project briefs / reports / surveys
• active membership of professional networks
• training delivered (and/or attended)
• list of visits
•bibliography

22. and even perhaps . . . .
•evidence of work-based learning
•responses to enquiries from users/colleagues
•publicity you have created
•letters/memos
•testimonies/observations
•relevant out of work experiences
•case studies
• web pages
• audio visual material
•photographs, multimedia

23. Don’t ignore presentation
 You should submit in triplicate, clearly identified,
accompanied by an application form and the submission fee
 Use big enough files/folders – divided into clearly marked
sections
 Type everything - using 12 point type
 Do not use sticky notes
 Do not use acronyms or abbreviations without explaining

24. Do
Present your evidence
logically and cross-reference
where appropriate
Clearly label each piece of evidence
with its reference number
Add explanatory notes (if helpful)

25. Do
Evaluate your training . . .
Who decided that you needed this
training? Why?
Could you use your new skills straight
away or was it more relevant to your
future career development?
Did you actually use your new skills?

26. Do
keep a training log
–Date
–Title
–Reason for attending
–Course contents and expected outcomes
–At a later date, describe how/if you used
the training - give an example if possible

27. Do

28. the STAR evaluative technique
• Situation
– the background
• Task
– the problem
• Action
– what you did to resolve it
• Result
– what happened

29. STAR example
• Situation
• Little use of expensive periodicals
• Task
• Increase periodical use
• Action
• Monitored periodical use with tick-sheets on covers
and a brief questionnaire. Used this information to
cancel some subscriptions and open new ones
• Result
• Periodical use increased
• Positive feedback from users
(PS - what did you learn?)

30. How can I tell if I’m evaluating?
•if you are not describing
• if you have measured your effectiveness
• if you can demonstrate how you have put into practice
what you have learned
• if you are asking questions (and answering them)

31. The reflective practitioner:
•What have you achieved?
•What have you learned?
•Where are you going?
What do you need to get there?

32. Finally, remember to . . .
Pay attention to detail
Attribute any
collaborative work and
indicate your own
intellectual contribution
Address the Chartership
criteria

33. Summary
• Good presentation
• Less is more
• Be selective
• Evaluate, don’t describe
• Use your mentor

34. With acknowledgment & thanks to . . .
Michael Martin & Margaret Chapman
CILIP Qualifications & Professional Development
Dr Miranda Morton
CILIP Chartership Board member
Margaret Watson – ‘Building Your Portfolio’ Facet, London, 2008

35. Any Questions ?
Pat Duxbury
p/t Business Information Librarian
University of Glamorgan
Treforest, Rhondda Cynon Taf
pduxbury@glam.ac.uk
CSO for South Wales (CDG – Wales)
http://www.cilip.org.uk/qualificationschartership/charteredmem/chartership.htm