Editorial: Continuing Professional
Development
Putting
fingers to keys to write my first editorial as the new Joint Editor
of Impact was one of the last stages of a hectic few weeks on a
steep learning curve - I can vouch that continuing professional
development (CPD) is not just about going on well planned courses or
quietly reading articles!
In order to deliver this copy of
Impact to you, I have had to develop new skills in handling
electronic documents, liaise with publishers and contributors, and
look closely at issues of style and layout. The results of my
professional development are seen in the tangible publication you
are now reading. In a similar way, we should always be mindful that
wider CPD has a direct impact on the service we deliver to our
users.
I have read and heard many Career Development Group
members advocate the benefits of becoming involved in wider
professional activity - and appropriately so, because the Career
Development Group offers more opportunities than most groups within
our sector. Development of skills which can be directly transferable
to the work-place and to furthering one's career are the rewards for
going that extra mile. This issue features details of the Career
Development Group's Annual General Meeting - an ideal opportunity to
meet the officers and find out more about what you can do for the
group. Alternatively, there is also a list of regional
contacts.
As the Career Development Group, CPD must be our
professional mantra, but how we measure that development and ensure
standards are met and maintained is one of the most pressing current
issues within our profession, especially since the formation of our
new professional body, CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and
Information Professionals. It is, therefore, fitting that this first
issue of Impact since the formation of CILIP should be dedicated to
CPD. The debate must start with what we mean by professional,
relating that debate to issues of standards (especially chartership)
and the various means by which those standards are currently
measured, including the relatively new pro-forma method. CPD is, de
facto, a continuous process and the need for revalidation, though
widely acknowledged, is difficult to put into practice for many
because of their work-life situation. As a profession, we need to
have a framework for ensuring standards are maintained, but we need
to consider the enormous variety of sectors and types of employment
CILIP now embraces. Whatever sector you work in, the need to develop
the information skills of our users is now widely recognised. In
turn, this requires us to focus on the skills we need to develop
information skills in our users. All these topics are covered in
this issue. Are there other skills you think the professional should
be paying more attention to developing? What is the focus of your
CPD and why? Impact would be delighted to hear from
you.
Christopher
Cipkin |
|
![]() |
|
Editorial - Christopher Cipkin
