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> I am also confused to begin with you seem to be suggesting LRC have a > restricted role and we should leave diversity to the public libraries > (who locally do a great job in this area) but then you say "I'd have > thought the rationale for an LRC should not be so very different from > that for a library" - I'm not sure how what you were saying in the last > paragraph sits with your earlier points.# Sorry, Lindsay. Lumping FE and HE sectors together (I'll return to that in a jiffy), I meant: "I'd have thought the rationale for an _FE/HE_ LRC should not be so very different from that for an _FE/HE_ library". i.e. It did not seem appropriate to me that these institutions, as opposed to public libraries, should spend funds on resources that were of interest to various client constituent groupings simply because of who they are. Of course you're probably right to point out that I have underestimated the difference in ethos, and maybe in funding priorities and availability too, between the FE and HE sectors. I hope Laura will get some feedback from other FE colleges, who may have a better insight into FE collection building than I, but my gut reaction remains - that educational institutions should spend funds on hard-edged educational requirement rather than on resources whose primary merit would appear to be that they might appeal to the narrow interests of client groups. There are other institutions, such as public libraries, that can do this better. As a tax payer, I'm not too happy with the notion that I should contribute to colleges' ability to outdo each other in the popularity stakes rather than their ability to promote good teaching and learning. > Regards > > Lindsay Wallace > Learning Resources Manager > Luton Sixth Form College > > > -----Original Message----- > From: A general Library and Information Science list for news and > discussion. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of J.M. Linnell > Sent: 30 March 2005 10:30 > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: Diversity issues in libraries > > > Laura, > > >>Dear LIS-LINK, >> >>I work in the LRC of a large multicultural FE College and I have been >>looking into ways of ensuring that our stock reflects the diversity of > > >>our student population. So far my work has included the creation of a >>Black and Asian Culture Collection and a 'Lifestyle' section covering >>issues of interest to young people. >> >>I would be interested to hear from any other libraries who have been >>involved in similar projects or who have been considering diversity >>issues. Do you have a library diversity statement? Do you refer to >>diversity in your collection development policy? If so, do you feel >>that these measures have any impact on users? >> >>Any feedback gratefully received. >> >>Best wishes, >> >>Laura Davison >>Kingston College > > > Sorry, but I very much doubt the wisdom of this kind of approach. I'm > sure that you are very familiar with tight limits on funding. That makes > it all the more critical, in my view, that every penny you have should > be directed to trying to support the pedagogic and/or research function > of your college. If Kingston includes courses on, say, Asian Studies or > Youth Studies, then library or LRC provision should reflect that; but, > if not, it should not. It is not the function of an FE (or HE) library > or LRC collection, I think, to reflect anything - "the diversity of our > student population" or anything else - unless it coincides with the > academic function of the community it serves. Large public libraries, on > the other hand, can make quite a good job of this sort of thing if so > minded (and they really ought to be): I'd be inclined to leave it to > them. You ask about the impact on (other) users: the most obvious impact > is a dilution of the resource available for supporting the functions of > a college that are paid for by its users and the tax payer. > > Most Lis-link members work in libraries rather than LRCs, I'd imagine. > LRCs might have differing connotations in various institutions, but I'd > have thought the rationale for an LRC should not be so very different > from that for a library. Maybe the core question for you to consider is > quite what function an LRC should have that a Library might not? > > -- > ----------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Jim Linnell, Humanities and Education Link Librarian, Keele University, > Keele, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, United Kingdom. Tel.: (+44) 01782 584160 > Fax: (+44) 01782 711553 e-mail: [log in to unmask] > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------- -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Jim Linnell, Humanities and Education Link Librarian, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, United Kingdom. Tel.: (+44) 01782 584160 Fax: (+44) 01782 711553 e-mail: [log in to unmask] -----------------------------------------------------------------------