Martyn Wade, the retiring National Librarian and Chief Executive of the National Library of Scotland, has been named as the new chair of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP), the UK’s professional body for librarians. Wade is due to retire from his current responsibilities in Scotland in March.

“It is a terrific honour to Chair CILIP Council and I am very much looking forward to taking up this role,” said Wade. “At a time of rapid change and challenge for library and information services it is essential that we have an active and vocal professional body that both reflects and supports its members. I am looking forward to working with Council colleagues and staff to ensure that CILIP can continue to build its support for members and expand its influence throughout the sector and beyond.”

Supporting him as Treasurer is Mike Hosking, recently retired as Service Director of Libraries, Learning and Culture, at Cambridgeshire County Council.

CILIP, as TeleRead readers should know by now, has been hugely vocal in the fight to preserve the UK’s libraries from the depredations of the current British government, voting a motion of no confidence against Ed Vaizey, the UK Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, for one thing. As former head of a national library, Wade should bring some of the gravitas needed to lead such a fight, and indications are that he is ready to take up the challenge.

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