Online storm engulfs Cilip.(Chartered Institute of Librarians and Information Professionals)

Byline: Tracey Caldwell

Tracey Caldwell

Cilip has rebutted charges that it is irrelevant and poor value for money.

Members and ex-members have accused the professional association of failing to represent all sectors of the information industry and not listening to its members. In heated discussions online, particularly on the FreePint forums, calls have been growing for Cilip to sell its London headquarters and invest the proceeds in member services.

"I am in the commercial sector, and Cilip's gearing is towards the public sector," said Philip Sidaway, a corporate information professional. "My employer has no knowledge of Cilip, so there is no incentive for me as an employee to join."

Fiona Palmar, an ex-member who works for Learning & Teaching Scotland, believes Cilip membership is too costly. "In order for me to justify the cost to my employer, I would need to see relevant seminars more frequently, and preferably at a lower cost," she told IWR.

"It seems to me that neither chartership nor LIS exams bestow common sense within a post -- or a business outlook, which is increasingly ...