Welcome to The Network
The Network supports libraries, museums, archives, galleries and other cultural and heritage organisations (as well as individuals) who are working to tackle social exclusion and towards social justice.
"Diversity within the Profession – speech to CILIP West Midlands Members Day"
Important speech by Nick Poole (CILIP CE), in which he also announced:
"[...] at the last Board meeting two weeks ago, we began an important conversation about putting inclusion, diversity and equality right at the forefront of what we are. We have proposed a new vision of “Inclusive, participatory and socially-engaged information services and libraries at the heart of their communities”.
We have put forward a proposed new mission statement for CILIP to become an activist organisation, inspiring librarians and information professionals to change lives.
We have committed to the values of librarianship as defined by the new Ethical Principles - 'Human rights, equalities and diversity, preservation of access to knowledge, public benefit, intellectual freedom, impartiality & confidentiality'.
We have set out the ambition to publish a manifesto - building on the work of CDEG and Libraries Change Lives – sharing and celebrating the multiplicity of ways in which all types of library and information service can support diverse communities. We will publish this manifesto for a new role for CILIP as an activist organisation at the beginning of April."
Speech published 8 Feb 2019.
Blogs you might be interested in
- Anne Harding Training - Anne blogs on reading, literacy, working with young people, and the courses she runs across the cultural sector.
- DCN - Disability Co-operative Network for Museums - "We are working with national charities, organisations, people with disabilities, academics, groups, disability networks in other sectors, curators and managers to promote and embed inclusive practice in the heritage and cultural sector."
- Heritage Lottery Fund has started a new series of blogposts - one of the first celebrates LGBT History Month
- Leon's Library Blog - the blog is up-and-running again!
- LGBT people and the UK cultural sector - this blog builds on the content of the book, LGBT people and the UK cultural sector, and aims to add new developments and missing stories of LGBTQ people in the cultural sector.
- Museums and Autism - "A blog about how museums can improve support for autistic spectrum visitors, with practical advice and examples from museums and autistic people"
- Race Matters, the Runnymede Trust blog
- Speak Out London – Diversity City the LGBTQ Oral History project based at London Metropolitan Archives
- SpeakUP - blog "run by IFLA’s Advisory Committee on Freedom of Access to Information and Freedom of Expression, for exploring how the work of libraries is shaped by, and can promote, human rights around the world"
- Travelling Librarian 2015 - a blog of Frances Tout's study tour of community engagement projects in US public libraries
- ViMLoC - Visible Minority Librarians of Canada Network
Resource categories
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Black, ethnic minority and mixed-race people
Includes background resources and examples of work with BME (Black and minority ethnic) people.
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Carers
Includes information about the needs of the UK's estimated 6.1m carers, and how the cultural sector is working to meet these.
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Children & young people
Resources to support work with children & young people (and their parents and carers).
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Class
Resources reflecting the impact of social class on life in the UK, and work to recognise and rectify this.
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Digital inclusion
Resources supporting work to overcome the four main barriers to people being able to go online: access, skills, motivation, and trust.
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Disability
Resources about different disabilities, and the role that the cultural sector is playing to help overcome barriers.
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Domestic abuse
Domestic abuse (and domestic violence) is a major issue in the UK, and this Category highlights some of the positive work being carried out by the cultural sector.
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Good practice
Examples of good working practice in the cultural sector.
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Homeless people
Includes resources to support homeless people.
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LGBTQIA people
Includes resources about – and the cultural sector’s response to – people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer/questioning, intersex, or asexual.
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Learning
Includes resources about the ways in which the cultural sector can respond to the changing learning ‘landscape’.
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Migration
Includes resources about and for new arrivals, including refugees, asylum-seekers, and migrant workers.
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Older people
Highlights initiatives by the cultural sector to work with and support older people.
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Poverty & low income/Unemployment/Recession/Foodbanks
Includes resources that showcase and support work by the cultural sector to support people hit hard by the recession.
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Prisoners and their families
Includes resources to support reading, literacy, learning and other initiatives with prisoners and their families.
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Social policy
Resources on social policy, particularly as it affects the cultural sector.
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The Network
Includes news and information about our own work, plus responses to consultations.
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Travellers, Gypsies, Roma people
Includes resources about work by the cultural sector with Travellers, Gypsies, and Roma people.
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Working with communities
Includes resources on some of the methods used to engage with communities.