hi
not sure if has been circulated - if you wd like more details of the NE
Diversity work please let me know
ian
16 April 2002
The Diversity Council Marks its First Birthday
The Diversity Council celebrated its first birthday with a "Change the World"
seminar, held at Hounslow Library on the 15th March. The Diversity Council is
an organisation set up to address the issues of library and information
services to diversity communities - defined as those communities which suffer
discrimination and exclusion on the basis of gender, race, class, disability,
sexuality and a range of other factors - as well as the issues of
under-recruitment of members of such communities into the profession, their
career progression, training, etc. within the public library services, the
educational, and other sectors.

The keynote speaker at the seminar was Professor Ismail Abdullahi of Clark
Atlanta University, a regular visitor to the UK who has been instrumental in
setting up the Diversity Council, Professor Abdullahi congratulated the DC on
its first anniversary before saying that there had been 3 black presidents of
the American Library Association. Only when the UK had similar role models
would real change come about. We had, therefore, as an organisation, to confer
status on those who were bringing about progress in this area, he said.

Bob McKee (Chief Executive, CILIP) re-emphasised his personal commitment to
diversity and promised that the new CILIP would carry on the work of the LA in
this area. Speakers from the Government's Department for Culture Media and
Sport, Resource and the Commission for Racial Equality all stressed the
importance of encouraging diversity within the library profession and each
expressed a wish to work closely with the new organisation.

A number of initiatives to promote diversity within the library and information
profession were highlighted, including the Quality Leaders project at Merton
and Birmingham, and the Desired Staffing Profile project based at the
University of Wolverhampton. Mary Heaney from Wolverhampton, spoke about the
latter initiative and stressed the importance of cross-sectoral collaboration
needed if academic library staffing profiles were to reflect the gender and
ethnic profiles of an academic institution's user groups. As Hendie McNellie
from the CRE said, such initiatives as this were justified not only by law and
ethics, but by business practice too. While initiatives were taking place at a
local level, too often they were taking place in isolation. The Diversity
Council offered the chance, Mary Heaney said, of initiatives and individuals
learning from each other and pooling their experiences and their growing
expertise.

Discussion during the day covered a number of themes: the importance of
collaboration in this area between sectors which had a great deal to learn from
each other, and the importance of building on the optimism and cohesion gained
by the formation of the Diversity Council.
At a meeting the previous day officers were elected to the new organisation and
a constitution agreed. Application for the formation of a Diversity Group
within CILIP will be put forward in the coming weeks. It is envisaged that this
group will be a broad membership organisation within CILIP which will promote a
wide range of issues of diversity within the library and information profession
covering issues of race and religion, of culture and ethnicity, of social class
gender, sexuality, age, disability and a range of other factors. In other words,
it may evolve as an umbrella organisation to address this range of issues
affecting CILIP members as well the user communities of library and information
services.
It is envisaged that the Diversity Council, as a federation of organisations
dedicated to addressing issues of racial discrimination and
under-representation of black and ethnic minority staff within the profession,
will continue to operate as a body independent of CILIP, or as an Organisation
in Liaison (OiL). This will give it the independence and flexibility to monitor
progress in this field, and to work with other organisations in this area, such
as the Commission for Racial Equality, Resource and the Department for Culture
Media and Sport.


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An email message from:
Lorna Hibbert
Information Development Officer
North East Museums Libraries & Archives Council
House of Recovery,
Bath Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne
NE4 5SQ
Telephone: 0191 222 1661
Fax: 0191 261 4725
Email: [log in to unmask]
********************
NEMLAC http://www.nemlac.co.uk



Ian Blackwell
Access & Lifelong Learning Policy Officer
North East Museums, Libraries & Archives Council (NEMLAC)
House of Recovery
Bath Lane
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE4 5SQ

tel:   0191 222 1661
fax:   0191 261 4725

www.nemlac.co.uk