David Smith, Chair, Knowledge and Information Management Group
Following on from my proposal laid down within the last edition of Refer, ISG is to transform into part of CILIP’s new Knowledge & Information Management (K&IM) Group. Following the consultation, all feedback received was positive regarding the changes, with many emphasising that the information skills used by many of our members were key to being an effective knowledge and information management professional. In fact, it is recognised that the needs of users and the utilisation of the information and resources that we manage is crucial to providing a good service to our users. CILIP has also congratulated ISG on its innovative approach to not only be present at the K&IM table, but to embrace change and to be subsumed into it.
So what does this mean for ISG? The National Committee had its last meeting as ISG on 9th November and as part of its AGM, the motion that ISG be transformed into being part of the K&IM Group was carried unanimously. As of 1st January 2017, ISG will no longer exist in its current format and the new K&IM Group will formally commence.
I have been appointed by CILIP to chair the new Knowledge & Information Management Group National Committee through its initial stages, and several members of the existing ISG Committee are also joining me. The new K&IM has now had its first couple of meetings, and its first business plan has been drafted. Our Treasurer, Andrew Hutchinson, has also been appointed as Treasurer to the new K&IM Group. Andrew is reasonably new to the role, but his input has been invaluable to date since he took over from our previous long standing and valued Treasurer, Gary Archer.
At its first meeting, the K&IM Committee was keen that the existing ISG work being continued under the new structure be well co-ordinated, and a sub group of K&IM is to be created called “Information Services”. The Reference Awards and SCOOP will report under this banner. Until the final structure of the new Committee is agreed, the two regional groups (London/South East and East of England) will also report here, in order to provide continuity until they are equipped to take on the role of full K&IM regional groups. The Chair of the Information Services Sub Group will be Amanda Duffy, who many of you will know as one of our longest standing and hard working members as our Minutes Secretary / Chair of the Reference Awards Panel. The other main objectives for 2017 will be based around establishing the identity of the Group, Communication, Events and identification of training needs for members.
The K&IM Committee has agreed that they would like to continue to publish a journal, and Helen Edwards, our Editor who has provided quite a visionary focus to Refer over the last few years has agreed to continue to be involved in this and be our fourth national K&IM Committee member from ISG. The next edition of Refer will be dedicated to K&IM issues, and then after that the future direction will hopefully have been decided – including any name change.
As of January 2017, all CILIP members will be automatically offered free membership of K&IM for the first two years to help get it established. Thank you for your membership of ISG over the years. Your support has been appreciated, and it is hoped that you will all continue to join us as existing and valued ISG members, to see this area establish and develop; both within CILIP and more importantly in the wider workplace.
As of 1st January 2017, the new K&IM Committee will consist of the following people:
| Name | Role | |
| David Smith | Chair | info@djsmanagementsolutions.com |
| Stephen Phillips | Vice-Chair | Stephen.Phillips@morganstanley.com |
| Andrew Hutchinson | Treasurer | A.J.Hutchinson@bath.ac.uk |
| Mairead Smith | Honorary Secretary (joint) | mairead.smith907@mod.uk |
| Denise Carter | Honorary Secretary (joint) | dcisionconsult@gmail.com |
| Amanda Duffy | Minutes Secretary / Chair of the Information Services sub-group | jdburntoak@virginmedia.com |
| Sandra Ward | Member | s.e.ward@btinternet.com |
| Helen Edwards | Member / Editor | Helen_Edwards@skolkovo.ru |
| Sue Silcocks | Representing UKeIG | sue.silcocks@aecom.com |
| Ruth Carlyle | Representing HLG | RCarlyle@macmillan.org.uk |
| Francesca Emmett | Representing GIG | francesca.emmett@noms.gsi.gov.uk |
| Kim Austin | Representing CSLIG | secretary@clsig.org.uk |
| Karen McFarlane | CILIP Trustee – advisory role | Karen.McFarlane@cilip.org.uk |
Refer 32 (3) Autumn 2016
referisg 
That’s a big step in the right direction.