Volunteering opportunities with the Government Information Group (GIG), by Karen George

Karen is a qualified librarian and information professional. On leaving the College of Librarianship Wales in Aberystwyth, she joined the Civil Service in 1992 and held a number of library and information management roles across government at departments including: the Treasury & Cabinet Office (1990-91); MAFF (1992-1997); the Department of Health; (1998-2001), and the Home Office (2001-2013).  

In 2014 she moved to the Valuation Office Agency to take up the role of Knowledge & Information Management Lead where she was responsible for managing all of the Agency's hardcopy records and the acquisition of all third party data used by the Agency. 

Karen has been on the GIG Committee for a number of years, previously holding the posts of Journal Editor and Chair before becoming the current Vice Chair.  

In the course of her career Karen received a number of awards in recognition of her contribution to government libraries and information, including: Information Professional of the Year (2005); the Golden Candle Award (US)(2006); and GIG Annual Award (2007).

 

There are many short-term volunteering opportunities with GIG - whether it’s helping with an event, taking on a specific one-off activity or contributing to the work of a task and finish group focussing on a larger project. In addition, there is scope for developing a more in-depth involvement with GIG – for example, by taking on one of our Committee roles or managing and delivering a longer-term piece of work. 

Volunteering with the GIG Committee provides an ideal opportunity to: 

 

o   acquire new skills

o   strengthen and develop existing skills

o   build your professional profile and visibility

o   build a wide network of professional contacts 

o   gain a insight into the workings of CILIP 

o   meet KIM professionals in other sectors and regions

o   give back to your profession and help others. 

 

 

Those working in the Civil Service can take advantage of the ‘volunteering’ leave available to them each year, which is in addition to an individual’s annual leave allowance. 

 

Volunteering with GIG can provide you with valuable evidence for your end of year staff performance appraisal as well as your Continuing Professional Development portfolio, with links to the following sections of the CILIP Professional Knowledge & Skills Base:  

 

Professional Expertise                 

·       Research Skills

·       Using & Exploiting Knowledge and Information 

·       Organising Knowledge & Information                                 

Generic Skills 

·       Leadership and Advocacy

·       Strategy Planning and Management 

·       Customer Focus, Service Design and Marketing

·       IT and Communication

 

 

 

Volunteering with GIG will include: 

 

·       Contributing to GIG Committee meetings – reviewing and commenting on papers, drafting papers and reports for discussion by the Committee as required

 

·       Identifying and drafting content for GIG comms channels – the eBulletin, LinkedIn and website 

 

·       Help to promote the work of GIG and the member benefits it offers, to library and information professionals in your home government department and its agencies/arms length bodies 

 

·       Helping GIG to deliver its core offering to members (as set out in the GIG Business Plan). This will include ongoing activity as well as ad hoc projects. 

 

 

 

Other opportunities: 

 

·       Help to publicise and promote the work of GIG and GIG activities 

o   Drafting content for the GIG website, blog and eBulletin

o   Posting messages and items on the Knowledge Hub (KHub) and other networks

o   Attend AGM’s and events of other CILIP Member Networks and feed back to GIG Committee

o   Writing social media posts relating to GIG and it’s activities (in line with CILIP, GIG and Civil Service guidelines)

 

·       Representing the interests of GIG and its members at the CILIP Member Network Forums 

o   2 full-day meetings per year

o   collating comments and input from GIG Committee and group members on any papers circulated for comment

 

 

·       Helping to organise GIG visits to other library and information services or organisations of relevance and interest to members

o   5-6 visits per year, in different geographic locations

o   contacting host organisation and acting as GIG liaison 

o   publicising visit

o   managing bookings and contact with attendees

o   attend visit (if possible) and act as GIG host on the day, or arrange for another GIG Committee member to act as host 

o   writing to thank host organisation after the visit 

 

 

·       Helping to organise training and CPD events 

o   Collating ideas for topics, speakers and venues

o   Managing arrangements with speakers 

o   Managing arrangements with venues – dates, catering, numbers attending, security requirements, logistics

o   Advertising and promoting events

o   Act as GIG liaison with CILIP and any other Member Network Forum’s who may be involved

o   Liaising with the GIG Treasurer over payment arrangements (if applicable)  

o   Managing bookings and contact with attendees

o   Attend event (optional) and act as GIG liaison on the day 

 

 

·       Be involved in organising the GIG conference or the GKIM Conference 

o   Help generate ideas for topics, speakers and venues

o   Help with logistics - dates, catering, numbers attending, security requirements. 

o   Advertising and promoting events

o   Act as GIG liaison with the GKIM Conference organising team 

o   Attend event (optional) and act as GIG liaison on the day 

 

 

·       Organising webinars

o   Collating ideas for topics and speakers 

o   Managing arrangements with speakers 

o   Managing arrangements and logistics for the webinar

o   Advertising and promoting the event

o   Act as GIG liaison with CILIP and any other Member Network Forum’s who may be involved

o   Liaising with the GIG Treasurer over payment arrangements (if applicable)  

o   Managing bookings and contact with those registered

 

 

·       Acting as the GIG Committee representative at CILIP’s annual conference. (A free place at the conference is available to representatives) 

o   Free Liaise with CILIP regarding GIG’s presence at conference

o   Attend conference and promote the work of GIG to attendees

o   Produce a written report on the conference for GIG members 

 

 

·       Helping with GIG marketing and promotion 

o   Running a 'marketing' campaign

 

 

 

If you are interested in finding out more about working with GIG and the opportunities available to you, please get in touch with the GIG Chair or Secretary.