Keeping the information profession up to date: are compulsory schemes the answer?

This paper explores issues in relation to the contribution and importance of mandatory continuing professional development (CPD) in re-energizing and motivating the information profession. Set within the context of developing our understanding of the concept of ‘professionalism’ for the contemporary information profession, the mandatory schemes offered by professional associations in the UK and New Zealand are compared and contrasted, and an assessment made of their pros and cons in this regard.