‘‘ W Diversity


Five years ago, Cyrille Tchatchet was sleeping rough in Brighton and considering suicide. The former asylum seeker turned his life around and, as well as being an Olympic weightlifter, works at a community mental health hospital in Harrow. Cyrille was part of the Refugee Olympic Team which was set up in 2015 to allow refugee athletes to compete in the Olympic Games and focus attention on the refugee crisis. For the first time at Tokyo there was also a Refugee Paralympic Team.


Put mental health first


An important lesson over recent years has been to be aware and take care of our mental health. Tokyo reinforced the importance of setting boundaries and putting your mental health first. Simone Biles, the top gymnast, made the decision to prioritise her mental health over Olympic medals. This courageous decision is a source of support for others who are struggling.


Teamwork


The Olympics is a great example of the power of teamwork. Working together and supporting each other is important


September 2021


You are never too old to work towards professional registration or to become a mentor for others who are doing so.


This column is a great way for RPG members to share what’s on their mind. This month our hot topics have been Olympics 2020 and Diversity’.


ORKING globally makes us all aware of the challenges of time zones. With the “2020”


Olympics held in 2021 you need to add in to the mix reduced BBC coverage, no visitors in the stands, regular Covid testing for the athletes and family members of the athletes watching from home. You end up with an event that was very different from past Olympics.


The goal of the Olympics remained the same: contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport practiced without discrimination.


in all walks of life. In the high jump final in Tokyo after an exhausting competition Qatar’s Mutaz Barshim and Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi were tied. They agreed to share the title and both received a gold medal. “Sharing with a friend is even more beautiful …” Tamberi said. “This is beyond sport,” Barshim added. “This is the message to the young generation.”


Seeing Beyond Differences Taking part in the Olympics and the Paralympics takes a lot of planning, preparation and determination and the athletes provide great examples of positive mindset and confidence. The launch of the CILIP Disability Network is timely. The aim of the new network is to provide support and a platform for library, knowledge and information workers with experience of disability. Open to both CILIP members and non-members. – See more at: https://lnkd.in/dPTMbPS.


Getting “Age ready”


Research shows that age discrimination in the workplace is more prevalent than that based on gender, race or sexual orientation: https://lnkd.in/d-UXK9yA. The www.SeniorLiving.org report on Age Discrimination (2020) echoes the findings of Casteleyn’s report on Older Library and Information Worker (1994) and suggests ways to become ‘age ready’:


l Collect and analyse age-profile data to explore gaps


l Develop strategies that embrace the experienced workforce;


l Initiate conversations with experienced employees about how they might work differently;


l Consider how ageism might surface: look at pay and performance through the ageing lens;


l Develop a lifelong learning approach focussed on future jobs;


l Implement a flexible-working strategy;


Christiana (Christie) Ikeogu was born in Nigeria, emigrated to the UK and worked in academic and public libraries. Christie is editor of the CILIP RPG Post-Lib newsletter and supports library and educational resources in Africa through Lit Africa Ltd.


l Develop a programme for those with caring responsibilities;


l Create an inclusive culture.


Building your network You are never too old to work towards professional registration or to become a mentor for others who are doing so. Members of CILIP RPG are working across CILIP to help experienced library, information and knowledge workers keep their skills up to date. We are also keen to support those made redundant, seeking employment or returning from career breaks. As a CILIP member you can join any or all of the regional networks, devolved nations or special interest groups (including RPG) for free. See the list of CILIP groups that you can join at https://tinyurl.com/Cilipgroups (CILIP website login required). Sign up to receive email updates from CILIP groups using the updates subscription page (includes updates from RPG) at https://tinyurl.com/Cilipupdates RPG welcomes feedback and questions from across CILIP and beyond. You can find us at https://tinyurl.com/CILIPRPG – or email us at chair.rpg@cilip.org.uk IP


INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL 49


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