support infrastructures in the workplace. That’s not fair. Although they do have a really important role.” A balance should be struck, but above all employers should feel supported in ways that suit them. Kathleen adds: “You should be able to say, ‘this is a supported but unre- markable workplace experience’, and by ‘unremarkable’ I mean it’s just something that we help support you with alongside a number of other things in the workplace. I think the other thing is that support has to be backed up by resources. Give your people time. If you think they’re doing great work that is having an impact in your organisa- tion, give them time to do that work.”
The book Feminist Librarianship: Principles, practices and provocations features contributions from more than 20 leading feminists work- ing in the library and information sector and beyond. This agenda-setting book combines case studies from libraries with insights on feminism-infused principles and practices.
Chapters include:
l how libraries can catalyse women’s creativity;
l menstrual literacy in bloody brilliant libraries;
l intentionally inclusive practices in a feminist library partnership;
Kirsten McQuarrie, Editor, Feminist Librarianship: Principles, practices and provocations.
they are in life. I’ve been inspired by the Macmillan conversation cafes in libraries. It is just perfect, isn’t it? Utilising the his- torical space of what a library is in order to enable people to talk about their expe- riences today. How amazing would it be to have that for menopause and menstrual health in libraries?”
Structures
Building a level of support does not mean staff have to be experts, according to Kirsten who says: “[It’s about] getting the message to our professionals that you don’t have to know everything, you don’t have to be the health expert. Macmillan is the ideal exam- ple: they have the expertise, but what we have is, firstly, the space, this non-commer- cial, non-clinical space in the community, which, as you say, is getting ever rarer. And also, the trusted relationships. Librarians are consistently ranked in the top three most trusted professions in the UK. So, it’s a great way in when we are talking about things like this.”
And how to build this support into the workplace – whether that is a library or another organisation? The answers are not always straightforward, but Kathleen says: “What it’s about is understanding that you have the responsibility to look after your employees. And also, it’s okay to say ‘I don’t
46 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL
know, but let me find out. The most affirm- ing thing if someone tells you ‘I’m having challenges in how I negotiate menstrual health in the workplace’ is to say, ‘I’m not sure of the answer, but leave it with me, and thanks so much for telling me’. “You don’t have to go into talking about your experience or a partner’s experience, you don’t have to say, ‘we can’t deal with it’ or ‘that’s too much information’. You don’t have to give the answer, you just have to give the space and the promise that you’re going to go away and think about what you can do.”
And while this may be early days for many organisations, Kathleen’s experience as chair of the ISO Standard hints at a movement that is not stopping. She says: “I look at workplaces around the world, and what I see is that some are great and have specific policies; some are great and don’t even mention menopause but just have a really supportive culture. There is no one best way of doing it.
“But whether it’s top-down or bot- tom-up, resources have to be put into it. Allies and champions can do an amazing job for organisations, but we should not be relying on the individual. “It’s often individuals with lived expe- rience having to go through this whilst at the same time trying to create change and
l attachment theory, feminist practice and giving girls what they need to thrive; l eco-feminism and sustainable libraries.
Feminist Librarianship: Principles, practices and provocations is an indis- pensable new book that shines a light on the valuable achievements of the women working in the library and information profession, and who constitute 75 per cent of the workforce. It surfaces contributions that are too often unspoken, overlooked and undervalued in every sense, and also reiterates the “strong link between librar- ies and female empowerment, evidencing the case that investment in libraries is an investment in women”. IP
‘‘
Women aren’t ask- ing for the world of work to be changed and reorientated around them; what they’re asking for are sensible ways to help them fulfil their max- imum productivity. – Kathleen Riach
April-May 2026
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
