2025 PROGRAMME OVERVIEW
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
With exciting keynote addresses from key figures both in and out of sector, Conference 2025 welcomed thought leaders from the tech, creative and learning and library spaces to present ideas which provoke, challenge and inspire. Join us next year as we bring together a global community of professionals, academics and industry pioneers to engage in meaningful conversations and explore challenges and opportunities about the future of Libraries and Information Management.
This year we had the pleasure of hearing from renowned Author, Poet, BBC Radio Broadcaster and Scriptwriter Michael Rosen, Chief Librarian and Innovation Officer at the National Library Board Singapore, Gene Tan, and newly appointed CEO of the British Library, Rebecca Lawrence.
Michael Rosen
Gene Tan
Rebecca Lawrence
Sebastian Cuttill
2025 headline programme theme
THE NORTH STAR: ASSERTING OUR ETHICAL PRINCIPLES AND LEADING THROUGH CHANGE
CILIP Conference 2025 explored ‘North Star’ ethical principles in the context of how we navigate this time of great challenge and opportunity, and examined how we can exert our influence, demonstrate our impact and position our sector’s expertise to secure our seat at the top table– whether that be at an organisational, local, national or international level.
PRESERVE, PROTECT, PROMOTE
Against a backdrop of sluggish growth, fast-paced tech innovation, live AI experiments, and viral mis/dis-information, our sector’s ethical framework is more relevant than ever: To preserve knowledge in secure and useful ways, now and in the future. To protect people from misleading and harmful content by upskilling them and giving them access to a wide range of trustworthy information, and to promote responsible, sustainable, and ethical practices.
As the UK government continues to enable mass AI experiments on society … as Big Tech continues to commodify individuals’ data … as we examine the pros and cons of emerging tech … our sector has a uniquely valuable role to play in supporting staff and service user’s information and media literacy, advocating for information rights, and considering the ethical implications of policy decisions.
OUR PROGRAMME EXPLORES:
- Digital inclusion
- AI literacy and critical thinking about new tools
- If we really mean ‘yes’? Big Tech, data literacy and consent
- The latest developments in AI, copyright and licensing, including how we balance creators’, innovators and tax-payers’ rights
- AI Governance
INFLUENCING UP, DOWN AND SIDEWAYS
We are essential trusted ethical partners to innovation. Whether we are influencing changes at a policy level, securing funding for the future of our services or co-authoring ethical AI and data strategies, how we talk about our values and our impact matters.
CILIP Conference discusses how we can:
- Support the continued development and upskilling of a dynamic, AI-literate workforce
- Forge allies across and beyond the sector as trusted information professionals
- Persuasively demonstrate the skills, expertise and relevance of the library, information and knowledge community
- Leverage stories and evidence about our successes
- Brand and market our services to increase user engagement
- Build relationships and narratives which chime with mission-driven government
- How we can respond positively and proactively to challenges when they arise
As well as our headline theme around ethics and influencing, the 2025 programme explored key ‘top of mind’ challenges across our leadership strands of:
- Sustainability
- Personal, professional and workforce development
- Information management
- Knowledge management
- And more!
DEVELOPING TALENT STREAMS
The sector’s leadership gap is a pressing challenge. The programme features sessions specifically designed to upskill and empower emerging and aspiring leaders to take the next step into managerial positions.
OUR HUMAN-NESS AND ‘SOFTER’ SKILLS
One of our most popular sessions in recent programmes explores how we relate to – and overcome – imposter syndrome. Our programme features strands of personal development (because personal development is professional development) and how we can better self-lead.
INTERACTIVE WORKSHOPS
Hear from expert panels and have your chance to put forward questions in our chaired Q&A’s. Our workshop programme aspires to provide a collaborative environment where delegates can explore, critique and disseminate key ideas and best practise.
KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT & INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
For Knowledge Management and Information Management practitioners (or people considering making a career change) we offer a ‘conference-within-a-conference’, addressing the big themes in Knowledge Management, Information Governance and Information Management.
