this work has included examining the non-implementation of the 1964 Public Libraries and Museums Act, exploring the implications of the Government’s Online Safety Bill and considering the role of the Equalities Act 2010 in secur- ing access to school, public and prison libraries.
In a policy environment that is increasingly hostile to ideas of Human Rights, equality and representation, we must be vigilant in defending the legal basis of fair, equitable and inclu- sive library provision.
This is why our position on key agen- das confronting the sector must always draw on fundamental Rights. For example, our support for open access and open education stem from our belief that people have a right to learn from the knowledge that preceded them and to add to the fund of human experience for the benefit of prosperity. Similarly, our view on censorship stems from a belief in the information rights of the user.
We believe that the best way for any institution or community to mitigate the impact of bias and to navigate these challenges is to be as diverse, inclusive and representative as possible. The more identities, perspectives and voices we can bring together as a professional community, the better, stronger and more representative our services will be to the societies and communities we serve.
This is why we have called our new strategy ‘We Are CILIP’ (
www.cilip.org.
uk/wearecilip). It is an expression of the idea that whomever you are, whatever your background, if you share our belief in the role of libraries as places of Human Rights, liberty and equality then your identity, your perspective, your voice and your professional expertise will always have a place in our community.
New Changing Lives Action Plan and Hub
CILIP’s EDI Programmes Manager Yvonne Morris looks at CILIP’s continuing approach towards equalities, diversity and inclu- sion (EDI), and how things have changed in recent years.
CILIP’s work on EDI goes back several decades. In 1977 The Library Associ- ation issued a policy statement Public libraries in a multi-cultural Britain to encourage the improvement of services to people from ethnically diverse backgrounds, and in the 1980s held a series of events celebrating “the con- tribution of black librarians to British librarianship”. Although the LA wasn’t involved in any of the early LGBTQ+ work in libraries during the 70s and
April-May 2022
80s, choosing to take a “neutrality” line, there was collaboration with the Burning Issues Group, launched in 1994 to focus on LGBTQ+ provision (Vincent, 2016). Our Community, Diversity and Equality Group was formed over 2011-12. Since 2013 we have sought to take a more evidence-based and strategic approach which, demonstrates our com- mitment to achieving positive change, both for ourselves and our professional com- munity. In 2018, following an 18 month consultation with our members, we put a commitment to upholding, promoting and defending equality and human rights at the heart of our professional ethics. Our 2019 Changing Lives Position Paper was an important declaration of these commitments, which we are now putting into action in several areas through a comprehensive programme of work. Our recently launched Changing Lives action plan sets out this programme under several priority areas, from our governance, culture and community, advocacy and projects to pathways into our profession. It includes current actions alongside medium to longer-term goals
that will underpin the new We Are CILIP five-year action plan and strategy (2022- 26). This Action Plan will be reviewed every six months to the end of 2022 and annually thereafter.
You will find the Changing Lives Action Plan in our new Changing Lives Hub (www.
cilip.org.uk/changinglives), a platform that brings together all our EDI commitments, activities and resources. Visit the Hub and get inspired by stories from libraries across the nation – from virtual reality programmes and IT training for older people to author visits with inmates and group reflective practice for healthcare workers. You can also scroll through our introductory EDI reading lists, with books on topics from anti-racism, LGBTQ+ and disability, to gender parity, mental health, information poverty and climate change. You can explore committee vacancies and free membership opportunities for library and information workers from ethnically diverse backgrounds, and learn more about our Diversity Networks. There is a calendar of EDI awareness and celebra- tion days to download too! IP
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