Diversifying and Decolonising Collections within the UAL Library Services

1. Diversifying and Decolonising Collections within the UAL Library Services Pat Christie (Director of Library and Student Support Services) and Lucy Panesar (Academic Support Lecturer)

2. Context Library Services Our core values include celebrating diversity and respecting individuality The principles of accessibility and inclusivity underpin all that we do Not something new, but something that has heightened importance now..... Keen, M. & Ward, L. (1996) Recordings: a select bibliography of contemporary African, Afro-Caribbean and Asian British Art. London: London Institute and Iniva.

3. Context The University • Increase in BAME students enrolling on undergraduate degrees • Persistence in differential attainment between BAME and white students • Development of research initiatives and an institutional change programme to address this Infographic and more information from Equality Diversity and Inclusion Report (UAL, 2018)

4. Context Terminology From Duna Sabri’s UAL Workshop on Attainment and the Curriculum 2018

5. Research Project Part of the solution or part of the problem?: Reflections on library collections, diversity and intersectionality. (Book chapter by Jess Crilly based on a research project undertaken in 2016/17) Hatton, K. (ed) (2019) Inclusion and intersectionality in visual arts education. London: UCL Institute of Education Press

6. Research Aim and Methodology • Overarching Aim: • To investigate the role of library and archive collections in contributing to an environment in which all students are able to use their cultural capital in realising their full potential. • Methods Used: • Literature search of the theoretical perspectives (critical race theory and critical librarianship) and semi-structured interviews with library staff and students. Crilly, J. (2019) 'Part of the problem or part of the solution?: reflections on library collections, diversity and intersectionality.' In: Hatton, K. (ed) Inclusion and intersectionality in visual arts education. pp. 162-183.

7. Research Findings • Key Findings: • Students perceive a lack of diversity within library collections and course reading lists as micro-aggressions, eroding their confidence and sense of belonging • Standard collection management processes are a barrier that needs to be overcome if we are to diversify our collections • Library staff are committed to developing diverse collections and can play a key role in influencing and supporting inclusive curriculum and pedagogy • Library staff are actively involved in the critical re-contextualisation of our collections • Importance of partnership working with academics and students • Passivity versus proactivity…our students do not view libraries as neutral spaces: “... The library has a serious impact on students because without the library students wouldn’t be independent…to get up and go to the library – you’re serious about what you want so the library holds a lot of power …” [Student quote] Crilly, J. (2019) 'Part of the problem or part of the solution?: reflections on library collections, diversity and intersectionality.' In: Hatton, K. (ed) Inclusion and intersectionality in visual arts education. pp. 162-183.

8. Current Activities • Collection Development: Mainstream and Special Collections Arts SU & Library Services Collaboration: Liberate My Curriculum Campaign, 2017/18

9. Current Activities • Profiling Collections: Celebrating Diversity Zine Display in LCC Library Library Guide on Religion and Belief

10. Current Activities • Reading Collections: Exploring Marginalised Voices The African-Caribbean, Asian and African Art in British Archive, Reading Groups, 2017 – present day

11. Current Activities • Student Projects and Workshops: Generating New Content Tell Us About It Archive and Student Workshop Zine Archive and Zine-Making Student Workshop

12. Current Activities • Staff + Student Workshops: Challenging Library Conventions Art + Feminism Wikipedia Edit-a-Thon, 2018 Hack The Library Workshop, 2018

13. Collaboration Case Studies

14. Decolonising the Arts Curriculum Teaching & Learning Exchange Arts Student Union Library Services Front cover of the Zine (2018) – illustration by Abbas Zahedi Available online at: https://decolonisingtheartscurriculum.myblog.arts.ac.uk/

15. Decolonising the Arts Curriculum ‘…the project of decolonisation is less about seeking out authentic culture as such but more about the opening up of creative spaces to facilitate the production of culture informed by indigenous thinking and doing’ (Dr Gurnam Singh, 2018, p.1) Academics leading decolonising book talks in the Chelsea College of Art Library https://decolonisingtheartscurriculum.myblog.arts.ac.uk/chelsea/

16. Decolonising the Arts Curriculum ‘Decolonising collections is one part of a broader critical practice with which we aim to ensure collection development is as diverse and inclusive as possible’ (Anocheet al, 2018, p.2) ‘Practice’ pamphlet produced by London College of Communication Librarians https://decolonisingtheartscurriculum.myblog.arts.ac.uk/lcc/

17. Decolonising the Arts Curriculum Padlet wall initiated by London College of Fashion Librarians https://padlet.com/lcflibrary/decolonising_the_arts

18. LCC Liberate the Curriculum Course Leaders Students Subject Librarians Arts SU Liberate My Curriculum campaign and LSE Student Union auditing template https://www.lsesu.com/campaigning/student-reps/liberate-my-curriculum/

19. Students can submit expressions of interest here or contact z.sukabill@lcc.arts.ac.uk The project is funded by LCC’s Teaching and Learning Innovation Fund and is inspired by the Arts Student Union campaign which seeks to ensure a fair representation of ethnically diverse, queer, disabled and feminist thoughts in all courses

20. LCC Liberate the Curriculum Example of one unit audit from Liberate the Curriculum Project 2019

21. LCC Liberate the Curriculum Example outcome from Liberate the Curriculum Project 2019

22. Learning Points Opportunities: Making A Difference • Transformational learning through critical reflection and risk-taking • Stimulating and empowering for many of our staff • Creative collaborations with staff and students, and greater engagement in academic developments • Leading as well as supporting a key university initiative • Profile-raising internally and externally • Achieving greater diversity in our collections and developing our inclusive practices

23. Learning Points Challenges: Disruptive Criticality • Engaging with complex and contested territories • Asking difficult questions of ourselves, including reflecting on the lack of diversity within our workforce • Energizing for some, but risks alienating others • Negotiating corporate systems that are a barrier to collecting non-mainstream resources • Turning great ideas into strategy and embedding these into core activities that can be sustained is not easy

24. Discussion Points Provocations : • How do we engage with this territory effectively whilst under pressure to be efficient and save money? • How do we reconcile the traditional concept of libraries as safe/neutral places with librarians being proactive change agents for social justice? • How can we make a significant difference when our libraries are made up of western-centric collections? • What is the impact we are trying to achieve and how do we measure this impact?

25. References Anoche, J., Collingwood, R., Jordan, P. and Sajeva, M.C. (2018) Practice: special collections and decolonisation. Available at: https://decolonisingtheartscurriculum.myblog.arts.ac.uk/files/2018/10/DtA-catalogue-digital.pdf (Accessed: 27 March 2019) Crilly, J. (2019) 'Part of the problem or part of the solution?: reflections on library collections, diversity and intersectionality.' In: Hatton, K. (ed) Inclusion and intersectionality in visual arts education. London: UCL Institute of Education Press, pp. 162-183. Crilly, J. & Grandal Montero, G. (eds.) (2019) 'Special issue: critical art librarianship.' Art Libraries Journal, 44 (2). doi: 10.1017/alj.2019.2 Keen, M. & Ward, L. (1996) Recordings: a select bibliography of contemporary African, Afro-Caribbean and Asian British Art. London: London Institute and Iniva. Sabri, D. (2018) ‘Terminology’. From: Attainment and the Curriculum Workshop. (Internal) Singh, G. (2018) ‘What is Decolonisation Really About?’ In: Decolonising the arts curriculum: perspectives on higher education. Available at: https://decolonisingtheartscurriculum.myblog.arts.ac.uk/ (Accessed: 27 March 2019) UAL. (2018/19) Decolonising the arts curriculum zine. Available at: https://decolonisingtheartscurriculum.myblog.arts.ac.uk/ (Accessed: 6 April 2019) UAL. (2018) Equality, diversity and inclusion report. Available at: https://www.arts.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0024/144474/190206_EDI-Report-2018.pdf (Accessed: 27 March 2019) UAL. (2018) Towards a critical (art) librarianship. Available at:https://www.arts.ac.uk/students/library-services/stories/towards-a-critical-art-librarianship-theories-and-practices-25-may-2018 (Accessed: 6 April 2019)