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This event is a collaboration with Goldsmiths and Lancaster universities to share knowledge and experience using Positive Action to recruit Library Graduate Trainees to address the underrepresentation of Black, Asian, and Global Majority staff in libraries, and to work towards implementing such traineeships across many more libraries. 

A CILIP ARA workforce survey conducted in 2015, found: 

“Low ethnic diversity: - 96.7% of the LARKIM workforce identify as ‘white’ compared to 87.5% identifying as ‘white’ in UK Labour Force Survey statistics.” 

a_study_of_the_information_w.pdf (ymaws.com) 

Areas that will be covered on the day include:

• Case studies of Positive Action initiatives across a variety of academic libraries.
• Legal expertise on the Equality Act 2010’s Positive Action provisions – Section 158 and 159.
• Advice from the HR perspective.
• The voice of the Graduate trainee experience.
• Privilege and racism as a lived experience and performative anti-racism in the library sector.
• Positive Action traineeships resource sharing.”

Chairs and moderators:

Marilyn Clarke, IALS Librarian, Head of the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Library

Nuala McLaren, Head of Reader Services and Academic Support, Goldsmiths, University of London

Elaine Sykes, Head of Open Research, Lancaster University

Tom Morley, Open Research Officer, Lancaster University

Final Programme (pdf)

Image courtesy of Goldsmiths, University of London


All welcome 

This event is free to attend, but advance booking is required.