You are invited to attend the reception, which will be held from 6-7.30pm at Prospect House, 75-79 York Road, London SE1 7AQ.

Prospect is a trade union with 105,000 members in the public and private sectors – mainly professionals and specialists from all disciplines. Group chair Suzanne Burge said: "Prospect already represents 1,000 professionally qualified librarians and information professionals working in capacities that make use of their professional skills, often outside traditional library work. Our members include website managers, enquiries librarians, knowledge management advisers, information researchers, library advisers, records managers, documentalists, and a whole range of related jobs.

"We hope to reach out to professionals in all these fields who do not know there is a union that can represent them at work," she said. "Professional bodies exist to represent their professional interests – that is very different to an effective trade union that can negotiate pay and conditions on their behalf. Traditionally librarians have often not been well paid. It is time their growing range of skills were recognised by employers."

Although Prospect does not represent librarians and information professionals in public libraries or educational institutions, it has members in a wide variety of public, private and voluntary sector organisations: in the national libraries, museums, research councils, voluntary bodies, learned institutions, the private sector, central government, agencies and non-departmental bodies (Prospect negotiates with over 300 employers). About half the union’s librarian and information members work in government departments.

The LIP group meets regularly to discuss issues of common concern – pay and conditions, career development, employment opportunities and training – and to network. "Nowadays an increasing amount of business is conducted by email and we welcome corresponding members who receive papers and join in discussions electronically," said Suzanne Burge.

NOTE Over 15,000 librarians and information professionals are estimated to work in the UK. Three-quarters work for local authorities and the education sector, leaving another 3,000 in national libraries, government departments and industry and commerce, where Prospect membership is concentrated.