CILIP launch Blogger Challenge

CILIP Blogger Challenge

The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) has launched the Blogger Challenge, a competition giving you the opportunity to talk about important library, knowledge and information issues.

Can you bring your knowledge and experience to bear on one of the big topics of the day and offer a new perspective?

Who can enter?

Anyone who works or studies in the library, knowledge or information sector, or has an interest in this or related areas, can enter the competition.

You don’t have to be a CILIP member to enter and you don’t have to live in the UK.

What sort of topics could I write about?

You could, for instance, provide a new perspective on a library, information and knowledge related topic, such as:

  • Everyday life, e.g. Why supermarket shelves should be arranged by Dewey Decimal
  • Copyright and the law, e.g. How does current UK copyright law serve people with disabilities?
  • Data, information and knowledge, e.g. Why don’t people care about their own data?
  • Education,e.g. How to teach information literacy in the classroom
  • Publishing, e.g. 6 reasons a paper book is the perfect technology
  • Research,e.g. 5 thoughts on the future of open access journals
  • Technology,e.g. How do you archive a video game?
  • The economy and business, e.g. 5 ways libraries are supporting new businesses
Judging criteria and guidelines

Each submission will be judged on the quality of the writing and the criteria below:

1. Be short and focused on one issue

  • The word limit is 500-1500 words

2. Have a short, meaningful and descriptive title

  • Less than 70 characters (including spaces)

3. Be relevant

  • It should focus on important issues relating to libraries, knowledge and information, and the relevance of these issue to wider society

4. Be bold and encourage debates

  • It should be bold; making a clear argument backed up by facts, stats and sources
  • It should encourage comments and debate

5. Be original

  • It should provide a new and original perspective
  • It should not have been published anywhere else previously, including on your own blog

6. Make complex concepts and ideas accessible to non-experts

  • Use simple, everyday language
  • Try to explain all acronyms and technical language

CILIP also ask that all entrants try to write for screen reading, bearing in mind that people read differently on a screen compared to reading on paper. For instance:

  • Use sub-headings to break the blog into meaningful chunks of information
  • Try the inverted pyramid structure – start with the conclusion, cover the most important and interesting information first, and provide more detail later in the piece
  • Find out more about how users read on the web
 How do I submit a blog?

Please email your submission to web@cilip.org.uk, with a few lines about yourself and your interest in library and information related topics.

The submission should be a Word document or in the body of the email.

 When is the deadline?

Your submissions should be sent to web@cilip.org.uk by 5pm (GMT) on Friday, November 7th.

The winning blog post and highly commended blog posts will be chosen by Thursday, November 27th.

What happens after I submit?

The judging panel, chaired by CILIP Vice President Jan Parry, will review your submission. After the deadline has passed, CILIP will be in touch to let you know whether your blog post has been highly commended or not.

The winning blog post and highly commended blog posts will be published on the website at the end of November and start of December 2014.

 What can I win?

The writer of the winning submission will win an iPad mini or Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 (depending on the winner’s preference).

A group of highly commended submissions will also be selected. Each “highly commended” entrant will receive one Facet Book of their choice, up to a value of £60.

See terms and conditions.

 Why is CILIP running this competition?

CILIP want to promote:

  • Lively and thought-provoking discussion about issues relevant to the library, information and knowledge sectors
  • The value of the skills, expertise and knowledge of library, information and knowledge professionals to issues that impact on our day-to-day lives.
Who can I contact for more information?

If you have any questions about the competition, please email  web@cilip.org.uk.

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