Kaye Towlson, De Montfort University In a recent workforce mapping exercise sponsored by the Chartered Institute of Information professionals (CiLiP) less than 5% of the survey sample (4336) identified with a “non-white” ethnicity. The overwhelming whiteness of the library sector is well established. Decolonising DMU offered opportunities to address this issue. Experience of this has been positive for post incumbents and library staff. At DMU our library staff profile reveals 17% identify as a person of colour. This figure fails to reflect the local demographic profile (57% Leicester City population is of a minoritised ethnicity) or the DMU student cohort, approximately 50% students of colour:50%white students. Research shows a sense of belonging and connectedness with the institution will encourage help seeking and a diverse staff profile to be beneficial (NUS 2011). Although usage statistics reveal the LLS typical user to be a female of colour and more students of colour engage with learning support services, there is a social justice imperative to enable diversity and cultural representation within the library and information service workforce. Mindful of barriers to entering this sector the delivery of a Library Traineeship funded through Decolonising DMU and the uptake of institutional paid internships is offered as a slow burn path to decolonising libraries. This session charts the development and delivery of a Library Trainee role within De Montfort university Library and Learning Services 2021 –2023. Opportunities afforded to and by the Library Trainee role will be noted and ways of maximising work opportunities through institutional paid internships will be discussed. The positive impact these roles have on the experience of staff within the institution and the role holders, the learning that flows from this approach are offered as a positive, although incremental way forward to making the academic library workforce more diverse. This presentation was delivered at Reimagining Higher Education: journeys of decolonising at De Montfort University, Leicester, on Wednesday 8th November 2023.

1. Decolonising the academic
library: Opening the library
doors
Kaye Towlson,
Academic Team Manager,
Library and Student Services, De
Montfort University

2. Shape of the
session
• Context
• Action
• How
• Impact and development
• Future

3. Library Workforce and
diversity
• 2023 CiLiP workforce mapping exercise of Information professionals less
than 5% of the survey sample (4336) identified with a “non-white”
ethnicity.
• Ishak and Hussain (2019) research for SCONUL into experiences
of ethnically minoritised staff in academic and research libraries. Confirms
lack of ethnic diversity in academic and research library workforce
• Both establish the library sector as an overwhelming white space.
• Through Decolonising DMU (DDMU) Library and Learning Services have
worked to make a more diverse and culturally aware space (in its broadest
sense) . Working through four streams of activity: Collection, spaces,
staffing and raising awareness.
• A cornerstone of the work with staff has been offering opportunities for
library experience through existing internships and creating a Library
Trainee role.
• Experience of this has been positive for post incumbents and library staff.
• A positive, although incremental way forward to making the academic
library workforce more diverse

4. Need to Diversify the Library workforce
• Mainly white staff in Library profession and in institution's
library ,compared with DMU's 50:50 student cohort, literature
reveals student's sense of belonging important especially in
help seeking scenario, establishing a connection and
successful learning
• Coleman (2015) talks of a racialised gap in belonging (in
Equality Challenge Unit and Higher Education Academy
Scotland 2016)
• Research shows a sense of belonging and connectedness with
the institution will encourage help seeking and a diverse staff
profile to be beneficial (NUS 2011, Atkins 2018, Ansley 2019)
• Marandure, Hall and Saima, (2022) Reveals that racialised gap
persists in terms of the black student experience

5. Ishak and Hussain (2019)
for SCONUL
• Research into the experience of staff from minoritised
ethnic communities working within academic and
research libraries
• Confirms lack of ethnic diversity in academic and
research library workforce
• Acknowledges the need for greater ethnic diversity
within the workforce
• Acknowledges challenges for staff of colour
• Despite these workplace challenges, staff of colour
would still recommend the library profession to anyone
from a minoritised ethnic community considering a
career in this sector

6. The opportunity
• Graduate Library Trainee: pre-qualification
experience
• Bid for funds through Decolonising DMU
• Aligned with LLS workforce diversity plan
• Slow burn mechanism to increase the diversity
of LLS staff /profession's profile
• Funding secured: case made to Staff
Recruitment Group

7. Rationale for Library Trainee
role
• Role fits LLS workforce diversity plan
plus ethos/objectives DDMU corporate project.
• Decolonising DMU will cover all employment costs
• Opportunity for a graduate of colour to gain experience of
working in a library environment
• Fixed term role
• Enable progression to library/allied
professions/Postgraduate professional qualification
• Developmental trainee posts are in short supply
• Aim recruit a graduate of colour
• Role contribute to better representation in the academic
library
• Impact on the wider student experience and aspiration.

8. Approved: expectations
• Recruit person of colour: DMU equal opportunities institution, no
positive action.
• Fair, equitable, transparent recruitment: representative panel,
observed group discussion, prioritisation and problem-solving tests
plus interview
• Opportunity of 12 months experience prior to "Library school"
• Reality: changed expectations: pre-qualification experience not
compulsory, can charter without qualification (reality v difficult)
• Grading dictated graduate not essential
• Role (1) 12 month (21/22 fixed term f/t, 48 applicants, diverse
demographics, education and experience
• Role (2) 8 month fixed term f/t, 33 applicants, diverse field
• Recruitment Successful

9. The prep
• Programme had to be planned and approved by Library Management Group
• Needed buy-in from all Library departments as the role holder would spend
approx 2 months with each department with the exception of Library
Services (Front of House) where she would work two set days per week
throughout the contract as well as spending 2 months there. This
supported the needs of the library but also gave a consistency and ready
community for the post holder

10. The
varied programme
• Learning Services (Librarians, Academic
Skills Tutors, Maths Learning Centre and
Drawing Centre)
• Library Services: Front of House
• Archives and Special Collections
• Bibliographic services (acquisitions,
resource management, repository
management and cataloguing)
• Centre for Learning through Enhanced
technology (21/22)

11. Projects within the
programme
• E-book project and promotion.
• Infographic: Digitisation journey
• Quotes and QR codes
• Displays: Family histories and second world war, Black
voices in literature
• Feedback project
• Decolonising reading list audit
• Decolonising dip sampling of collection
• Foyer survey
• Insights into students lives

12. Displays
• Supporting existing
programme of displays of
work by authors and artists
of colour.
• Creating displays
• Hafsa created display Black
voices in literature
• Daljit created a display
around family remembrance
and the second world war to
reveal the extent of
contribution from across the
British Commonwealth

13. Presentations
and
dissemination
Tea and talk presentations to other
Library and Student Services staff
Contributions to staff development
weeks
Articles of reflection on the programme
for LLS Bulletin
Articles re: visits for LLS Bulletin

14. Library Trainee visits
An opportunity to visit collections, be
inspired and talk to professionals about their
career path

15. Why did I apply?
Libraries are notoriously
hard to break into
I represent the
demographic of
most students in
Leicester
I knew it would give me
the grounding to set
me apart in the future
• I was initially drawn to the
position owing to the wealth
of​ experience and abilities I
would acquire, which I
would be able to apply to
any future career path I
choose.
• I was very eager in
learning more
about decolonising the
collections of libraries since
it will be beneficial to me
in becoming an​ archivist.

16. Challenges for Trainees
Both Trainees had to work with lots of different people
and processes across their contract.
One department would become familiar then time to
move on
First trainee just after lockdown, lots of people hybrid,
not so many on campus
Second trainee had benefit of a training budget which
was used on visits to archives
Both Trainees gave so much to LLS and got so much
out of the experience

17. Success
Both trainees are now part of the Library and
archives profession.
First Trainee secured a place on the MA in
Librarianship at Sheffield University and is now
has a professional post in a Medical library
Second Trainee , has secured a digital Archivist
post

18. Other roles offered
through Library
Decolonising DMU work
• Frontrunners x2 (6 month 10 hours per
week) 20/21, 21/22
Conducted research Library Service and Spaces
Researcher survey with a particular focus on the
experience of Students of Colour.
• Student placements x1 ( Full time 12 months)
21/22: Research, Front of House, Decolonsing
Reading Lits audit
• Post Doc Researcher part time (6 months) 2023
Explore ways in which students of colour engage
with the library services and identify the barriers
that deter them from engagement.

19. Keeping the doors
open:
• Library and Student Services
recruit Frontrunners (DMU
intern scheme). Work on
projects across the service
• Apprenticeships: Two
apprenticeship roles recently
recruited Library Services . Aim
to open up library recruitment
• Library Trainee role very
successful...alternative funding
being sought

20. Bibliography
• Ansley, Lucy and Hall, Richard (2019) Freedom to achieve: addressing the attainment
gap through student and staff co-creation, Compass, Journal of Learning ad Teaching,
November. Available from DORA Search (dmu.ac.uk) (Accessed 8/11/22)
• Atkins, Lucy (2018) Freedom to achieve: project evaluation report, De Montfort University.
Available from DORA Search (dmu.ac.uk) (Accessed 8/11/22)
• Cilip workforce mapping A Study of the UK's Information Workforce 2023 Written by the team at
Kinetiq Lead Researcher: Dr Martin Reddington workforce_mapping_2023.pdf (ymaws.com)
Accessed 22/8/23
• Coleman, N A T (2015) Diversity is a dirty word – UK, in Equality Challenge Unit and Higher
Education Academy Scotland (2016)
• Equality Challenge Unit and Higher education Academy Scotland (2016) Equality and diversity in
learning and teaching in higher education Available from: Equality-and-diversity-in-learning-and-
teaching-Full-report_1573211251.pdf Accessed 11/10/23

21. Bibliography
• Ishaq, M. and Hussain, A.M. (2019) BAME staff experiences of academic and research
libraries, SCONUL, available from BAME staff experiences of academic and research libraries |
SCONUL Accessed 11/10/23
• Marandure, Blessing . Hall, Jess. Noreen, Saima. (2022) Understanding the University
experience of Black students: A case for decolonising. De Montfort
University, https://decolonisingdmu.our.dmu.ac.uk/celebration/mondays-session-outlines/
• NUS (2011) Race for equality: a report on the experience of black students in higher education
. NUS. [Online]. Available at Race for Equality: a report on the experiences of Black students in
further and higher education (2011) @ NUS Connect Access 6/9/23
• UUK and NUS (2019) BLACK, ASIAN AND MINORITY ETHNIC STUDENT ATTAINMENT
AT UK UNIVERSITIES: #CLOSINGTHEGAP available from bame-student-
attainment.pdf (universitiesuk.ac.uk) Accessed 6/9/23