This year marked a milestone for the Scottish Library and Information Council, as we supported 20 library professionals to attend the 2026 CILIPS Annual Conference – the highest number we have ever helped to take part.
Through our annual CILIPS bursary scheme, we are proud to open up opportunities for library employees across Scotland to connect, learn and share their experiences at the country’s largest gathering of library and information professionals.
The annual event took place on Monday 1 and Tuesday 2 June at the Dundee Apex Hotel. Here, some of this year’s bursary recipients reflect on what the experience meant to them.
Clare Hemsworth, Library Support Coordinator - School Libraries, Renfrewshire
“So many of the talks I attended at the CILIPS Conference left me feeling uplifted about my own authority and the work that takes place. Many of the sessions I attended were other authorities presenting on work they have undertaken that we in Renfrewshire have previously done or what we could potentially build upon.
“Highlights included Jeanette Castle’s session on how public libraries can support loneliness, the workshop on professional registration, Thomas Clark’s session on Scots language and Catherine Flick’s session on gaming in libraries which is a personal passion. I also got the chance to catch up informally with colleagues both from other authorities and suppliers – especially Overdrive on how they can support our Flightpath funded AI project.”
Annabel Cavaroli, Customer Engagement Manager, Midlothian
“The theme of Amplifying Impact at this year’s conference was a really interesting one and it’s always great to hear the many and various ways that libraries benefit our communities. The keynotes were all excellent. I loved hearing from Mairi Kidd on literature and literacy and her point of ensuring that we get the basics right was one that really hit home for me. Grace Blakeley blew me away with her talk on how libraries can democratise the economy and having recently read ‘Against All Odds’ it was great to hear from Nathanael Lessore on conversation with Margaret McDonald. I found the poetry and words of Robin Ince really moving and it was so interesting to hear the European library context from Klaas Gommers.
“For parallel sessions, I attended the presentation on Greenwave by Dundee Libraries. Let’s STRIDE, Reading is for Everyone and ‘More than one way to burn a book’. Each session was really interesting and made me think about how we could incorporate the ideas in Midlothian.
“It was also a great opportunity to network with colleagues and suppliers, and the social aspect of the Conference is something that I really value.”
Stephen Shiels, Library Development Leader, Edinburgh
“It has been a long time since I last made it to a CILIPS event, and I applied because I wanted to reconnect with the sector and hear what is happening across the library world.
“The Newbies Networking session beforehand was genuinely reassuring. Meeting others who were also attending for the first time and hearing about the location and the day helped settle my nerves. By the time I arrived I felt welcomed, supported, and ready to get the most out of the experience.
“My biggest takeaway was a renewed sense of how vital libraries are in the current economic climate. As costs rise and more public services are monetised or outsourced, libraries remain one of the last free, safe, inclusive spaces available to everyone. We offer far more than books – we offer belonging, opportunity, and community – and it is essential that we continue to promote and advocate for this work.
“There were many highlights. Mairi Kidd’s talk on why literature and libraries matter was powerful and affirming. Hearing Margaret McDonald and Nathanael Lessore discuss the impact of books and empathy resonated deeply with my work in a school library. The Inside the Carnegie Medals session was equally relevant and inspiring. But the standout for me was Reading is for Everyone: How can we overcome barriers to pupils reading for pleasure? with Meg Davidson and April Ingram from HighLife Highland. Their collaborative model – with high schools and public libraries working closely with primary schools to build strong reading foundations – was fantastic, and I left full of ideas.
“Overall, the conference exceeded my expectations. It was a pleasure to attend, a privilege to learn from so many passionate colleagues, and a reminder of how important and impactful our profession continues to be. I felt I could return to my own role feeling motivated and reinvigorated.”
Stefanie McCartney, Libraries and Communities Officer, Glasgow
“I have worked for Glasgow’s libraries for almost 11 years now, but this was my first time attending a CILIPS conference, having opted to delve further into health-related ones before due to my previous roles.
“From the workshops I attended, I managed to take lots of notes and learning from each. I decided to attend the session on how I could better communicate my impact and the library’s impact to different audiences, I found it hard to try and capture what I do in a one-minute elevator pitch, there’s so much we do, so I’m still working to get that just right!
Lunch was a good time to chat to other people – even few and short conversations can make lovely connections – and I was gifted a beautiful crochet headband from another librarian after we shared how we liked to use our creative interests in our libraries to connect and relax with others. Thank you Onyinyechi!
“I am about to reach the stage of my Chartership submission where I gather my notes together and transform it into its final form, so the session about Professional Registration has garnered the most notes by me from the day. The session was important to steer me on the right track.
“Something that is a continuous practice within the library is ensuring empathy does not lead to apathy, often due to our own resources and support being depleted and deleted. The Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH) session managed to blend learning with wellbeing practice, and I will be using the mindful activity used during the workshop, and the ideas generated from it for future staff support and training to help keep us all regulated on tricker days.
“Recently I have completed a programme focussing on equality, diversity and inclusion in our libraries using design thinking, working on a team project to find study areas that can benefit learning alongside wellness for pupils and students during exam prep. The session sharing about chill out spaces in couple academic libraries was a great way to understand that this is very student led in each setting and I have more knowledge about SLIC funding opportunities to potentially help get our pilot off the ground!
“The funding support to attend the CILIPS conference from SLIC helped gift me two days of library knowledge, generated more creativity and ideas from me to develop resources and services back in my role at the library and helped me see future prospects in my library career.”
Christine Glen, Library and Information Assistant, City of Glasgow College
“The conference was busy in a welcoming way. People constantly on the move, to meet colleagues or to interact with those manning the stalls in the room, as well as enjoying the treats offered, from stationary and advice on products to a wee cheeky bag of Haribo.
“This aside, the key takeaways that I took from the conference were, the fact that information and library services are part of our everyday lives. That we have the freedom to search, select and discover new information without barriers. The fight that we are having to defend these last free to access public spaces. What was particularly important, I learned, was the scope of how much libraries have had to adapt even more to the changing landscape of information and the demands put on them. While still providing relevant and useful services for their users. The conference gave me confidence that our sector is an active and forward thinking one, once which I am happy to be part of.”
Sharron Brown, Engagement Co-ordinator, Fife
“Being able to obtain a bursary to attend the CILIPS Conference this year has been incredibly insightful and a very valuable experience.
“I have gained experience and knowledge across other sectors, as well as in neighbouring authorities and beyond. I’ve heard of some inspirational projects that have enabled me and my organisation to make new contacts and networks, as well as ideas on how our own initiatives can be developed, or funding sought to develop these. I’ve discovered some very valuable research that is also current to our experiences in our authority, such as censorship, advocacy and the professional role.
“The keynote speakers were especially inspiring in their passion for advocating libraries. While the breakout sessions gave some clear direction on how and what impact it is essential to be gathering for the communities we serve. How libraries can and do combat loneliness, encourage community engagement and co-creation of projects, champion languages and are radical establishments that question and challenge views and opinions in society, to the benefit of a more democratic society of informed citizens.
“Many elements of the event will stay with me and help focus the impact I can have in my role going forward. Things like funding bids being opportunities to grab and not run away from, how we should be shouting more about what we’re doing in our own authority and how my learning at CILIPS can be brought back to enthuse colleagues and communities with the fabulous speakers/authors/poets I was able to enjoy. However the passion for libraries and the essential work that they do is the key element that I will take away from the event.”
