Tim's borderline-obsessive hatred of CILIP seems to have be having the opposite effect to that intended. See here, where it seems that he has convinced someone who had not yet joined that he should.
We hold no brief for CILIP, indeed their Vice-President has gone to some, occasionally intemperate, lengths to repudiate us: http://philbradley.typepad.com/phil_bradleys_weblog/2011/02/coates-watch.html It was the only Valentine we had.
Nevertheless, we do think that the organisation might react in stronger terms to Tim's attempts to dictate, from outside the profession, how it should organise itself. If we were to decide that the Booksellers' Association had lost its way, and pontificate on how it should improve itself, we imagine we would be sent away with several fleas in our ears. Yet is is apparently entirely reasonable for Tim, and the quisling he has gathered to his bosom, to tell librarians what to do. Furthermore, he continues to fall into the vulgar error that the membership of CILIP consists only of professionally qualified public librarians. Over the years, many people have pointed out to him how much of a misconception this is, but his ears are stopped.
Is librarianship a profession? We think so; it is certainly more of a profession than being a travelling seller of patent medicines to Tory councillors.
"I am at present arguing to try and save libraries in a whole set of councils and most of the argument is that the librarians want to retain their roles as cataloguers and bibliographers and will close libraries in order to carry on doing what they do. They do it overtly and covertly. I think that is ridiculous and will carry on saying it"
ReplyDeleteWhat!!!!!
I meant What????????
ReplyDeleteYes, all those members of the profession working in public libraries who see their roles as 'cataloguers and bibliographers', please raise your hands.
ReplyDeleteCome on, there must be someone. Anyone?