Clarke appointed chair of the Scottish Library and Information Council

The Scottish Library & Information Council (SLIC) has appointed Alan Clarke as its new chair, taking over from current chair, professor Ian Ruthven, who is stepping down in November at the end of his term in office.

An experienced chief executive and chair, the SLIC says Clarke has a “proven track record of success” in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. He was most recently chief executive of Quality Meat Scotland. He was also formerly chief executive at Scottish Bakers, the trade association for production, retail and craft bakers in Scotland, and director of Lifelong Learning UK.

Clarke is also the owner of talentatwork.org, specialising in strategic consultancy, organisation and people development. He has stepped down from his role as chair of the Cue & Review recording service, a charity dedicated to providing talking newspapers for the blind and visually impaired, to focus on his new role with SLIC, but continues to read and record for the organisation.

He said: “I am delighted to be appointed and look forward to meeting with our members and key stakeholders soon. The global pandemic, budget squeezes, artificial intelligence and sustainable development are some of the challenges facing the sector, however, the Scottish Library & Information Council (SLIC) and its members have a proven track record of managing change through digital inclusion, providing access to learning, and sitting at the heart of communities across Scotland.

“I hope that my experience in strategic business development can assist in showcasing the economic, social, education and community impact of all libraries to our users and funders, whilst contributing to the Scottish government’s Green Recovery Plan.”

Current chair, professor Ian Ruthven, is SLIC’s longest serving chair, having led the board since 2017. A professor of information seeking and retrieval at the University of Strathclyde Information School, Ruthven is passionate about reducing the digital divide and increasing access to information and information services.

During his tenure, SLIC developed “FORWARD”, Scotland’s public library strategy, “Vibrant Libraries, Thriving Schools”, the first national strategy for school libraries in Scotland, and “A Collective Force for Health & Wellbeing”, the first collaborative strategic action plan of its kind. SLIC also commissioned a number of research pieces, such as “Libraries on the Move”, gathering evidence on the use and impact of mobile libraries; and “Health on the Shelf”, investigating the health and wellbeing offer from public libraries.

Ruthven said: “Serving as chair of SLIC has been one of the highlights of my career. The contribution made by SLIC to education, culture, and social wellbeing in Scotland is profound and wide-ranging and I am very grateful to have shared in the many successful initiatives created by SLIC and its members over the past six years.”

The SLIC board launched a new strategic development plan in 2021 which sets out its vision and key priorities to 2024, including developing strategic partnerships, setting standards and best practice, and commissioning and undertaking sector research.

Clarke’s appointment follows a “robust” recruitment process, led by sector executive search organisation Aspen People, the SLIC says.