Last year, Brookes Union published Mind the Gap, a report that summarises the results of two online surveys. The survey results offered insight into the experiences of Black and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour) students on campus. 

The report recommended:

implement(ing) diverse and representative reading lists… adopting a lens outside of Eurocentric academia

In response, Learning Resources staff who are part of the Library’s Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Group have worked to diversify our collections. We want more students to have access to more content that fulfils the report’s recommendations.

We have also produced a document that supports teaching staff wanting to explore diversifying their module reading lists. 

Our new Ways to Diversify a Reading List guide suggests a number of points to reflect on when choosing literature for a reading list. There are also links to other useful resources.

If there is a resource that comes from an underrepresented group that we don’t have in the library, let us know if you think we should buy it.

If you’d like to know more or have any questions, please email us on lr-equality@brookes.ac.uk

— Aaron Worsley,  Research Liaison Lead