Roy’s at the helm

Still at the Talis Insight conference I listened with great interest to the keynote session with Roy Clare, the new (nine weeks in post) CEO of MLA.  I was impressed – both with what Roy said and the manner in which he said it.

He’s been making waves (sorry, but Roy’s a former navy man and the nautical imagery just keeps on flowing) since he took the helm (see what I mean?) at MLA – but I think the tide is moving in the right direction.  Roy says what he thinks – and, by and large, I think he’s right.

Yes, MLA does need an organisational shake-up.  Yes, there is an agenda (around skills, collections, audiences, performance and evidence) where the museums, libraries and archives can work together to common purpose.  Yes, there is a need to focus on innovation and sustainability – two key words also used by John Dolan (Head of Library Policy at MLA) in his presentation to the Conference.  Yes, we need to look outward and connect with the public in raising the profile for libraries.  And yes, there is a clear role for qualified library and information professionals in the mix of skills needed in the library workforce – although there might need to be some re-thinking around what “professionalism” really means.

Roy’s a man on a mission.  I had coffee with him after his session at the Conference and it’s clear that he knows what he wants to achieve – essentially, to make MLA a helpful bridge between the sector and government – and he knows how he intends to go about it.  He’s also a man in a hurry – he wants to get on with the job of delivering the new MLA as soon as possible.

Roy’s desire to get on with it put me in mind of two other conference sessions.  One was Lynne Brindley’s keynote to the CILIP Umbrella conference earlier in the year with her message that we should “just do it” rather than talking to ourselves and waiting for someone else to take a lead.  As Lynne put it (I paraphrase), asking for forgiveness can be more productive than waiting for permission.

The other session was – again – at the Talis Insight conference.  Frances Hendrix moderated a discussion session with a group of five new (or newish) professionals – chosen from the Clore Leadership Fellowship and the Love Libraries “top ten” young librarians.  What an intelligent, passionate and inspirational group!  If that’s the future, then our future is safe in their hands.  They’re committed to our profession and to public service – but (like Lynne) they want to see change and they want it now.  If they don’t feel empowered and fulfilled in their careers, then they’ll leave – and the real talent that exists in our new generation of professionals will leak away, out of the sides of the profession, before they can reach positions in which to make a real difference.

Roy and Lynne and the young professionals all set us the same challenge – raise our game, increase our pace, and get on with the job.  Or get left behind.

As we face that challenge, where do you want to be?  At the prow of the ship; part of the arrowhead of progress as the profession forges ahead?  Or astern and adrift, wallowing in the wake as the fleet disappears over the horizon?  It’s your choice …..