Professional Librarian Qualifications

What do they mean?

MCLIP (Chartership) – can only be used by a chartered and fully paid up member of Cilip (the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals). Candidates will usually have a degree or post-graduate qualification in Library and Information studies and will have spent around 2 further years learning and studying ‘on the job’ and then have submitted a professional portfolio of work for assessment by CILIP.

Candidates should be able to provide a certificate of chartership and an up to date membership card from CILIP. To find out more please visit Cilip's website

When MCLIP is combined with a suitable period of experience in a school library environment it is recommended that candidates have Head of Department status.

ACLIP (Certification) – is a qualification earned by library staff, who do not have a degree or post-graduate qualification in Library and Information studies - although many are graduates in other disciplines. They have considerable experience of working in libraries and have used that experience to prepare a professional portfolio of work for assessment by CILIP. Candidates should be able to provide a certificate of certification and an up to date membership card from CILIP. To find out more please visit Cilip's website

FCLIP (Fellowship) – is the highest level of professional qualification awarded by CILIP and is only given to librarians who have shown a high level of commitment to and achievement in their professional life. To find out more please visit Cilip's website

Vocational Qualifications – Level 2 is an entry level qualification suitable for a library assistant working with a more experienced or more qualified member of staff. It focuses on the routine tasks common to most libraries.

Level 3 has a more managerial element to it and shows that candidates have reached the level suitable to manage a library unsupervised.

Updated December 2016