Page updated: Thursday 6th August 2020

The CILIP Board has unanimously approved five new proposals for a comprehensive programme to diversify our leadership and governance.

Specifically, the Board unanimously approved the following:

• That CILIP will be creating an Anti-Racist Policy and action plan in close collaboration with our BAME Network.
• To amend the elections process for the Board to promote greater representation of BAME professionals in our leadership and governance, with an aspirational target of 20% representation on the CILIP Board by the end of 2020. Further details on how to put yourself forward for a place on the Board can be found here.
• To support all of CILIP’s Regional Member Networks, Special Interest Groups, CILIP Cymru Wales, CILIP Ireland and our delegated panels to diversify their boards and committees to reach our organisation-wide goal of 20% BAME representation on all of our committees by the end of 2022. To facilitate this, we are offering up to 150 complimentary memberships to library and information workers from BAME backgrounds who are selected to join a committee before the end of 2022.
• To work with our Diversity Networks and our Community, Diversity and Equality Group to establish an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Oversight Committee to accelerate the embedding of diversity and inclusion throughout CILIP.
• To implement an annual Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Audit.

We will be offering help, advice and clarification about the measures that can be taken to support our Member Networks to proactively diversify their committees whenever a vacancy arises from January 2021 onwards. A support package will be launched in September.

This programme forms an essential part of our commitment to proactively advocate for and promote inclusive, participatory and socially-engaged knowledge and information services as outlined in our Libraries, Information and Knowledge Change Lives paper published last year.

Further Information

I am a library and information worker who identifies as BAME, where can I find out more about committee vacancies?

Current vacancies are advertised on Information Professional Jobs here.

What are the aims and objectives of the anti-racism policy?

In close collaboration with CILIP’s BAME Network, CILIP will develop a clear and unequivocal anti-racism policy and action plan. Aims and objectives of the policy are:

• A commitment to stand in solidarity with BAME people in our community.
• An affirmation of CILIP’s undertaking to oppose structural racism.
• Provide clear leadership in terms of helping library, knowledge and information professionals to understand their role in dismantling structural racism.
• An acknowledgment and action on the lessons learned from the reaction to the article about Dominic Cummings.
• Ensure that CILIP embeds in its organisational structures, processes and policies clear mechanisms to measure progress on dismantling structural racism.

When will the policy be published?

The policy and action plan will be presented to the Board for approval and adoption in November.

How is CILP ensuring a company-wide commitment to diversity and inclusion so that the burden does not fall to new BAME members of the board and committees?

CILIP is embedding equality, diversity and inclusion in our new 5-year strategy that will require all members of our staff and community to act according to the commitments set out in our anti-racist policy and in accordance with our code of ethics.

It is important to emphasise that we are committed to both a diverse CILIP and an inclusive CILIP. As well as measures to diversify our Board and committees, we must ensure that all Board and committee members feel they belong without having to conform, that their contribution matters and they are able to perform to their full potential, no matter their background, identity or circumstances.

We recognise that there is a lot of work to do to overturn systemic barriers that we know exist in CILIP. All CILIP staff are undergoing a programme of training that seeks to address unconscious bias and understanding of white privilege and systemic racism. Research to develop this programme begun at the beginning of the year and the first training session took place in June when staff returned from a period of furlough.

We are carrying out research and working with our colleagues from the BAME Network and Community, Diversity and Equality Group to embed inclusive and participatory practices into our board meetings and as part of our EDI audit we will be inviting external observers to attend and provide feedback on how these meetings are run.

From the induction training for all board members to a shared commitment to knowledge sharing it will be the responsibility of every member of the board to proactively advocate for and promote inclusive, participatory and socially-engaged knowledge and information services.

What support will CILIP provide its committees and panels as they work toward meeting this target?

CILIP will be working with our BAME Network and CDEG to review existing strategies for committee recruitment to identify any systemic barriers. Everyone involved in the committee nomination and appointment process will have access to online training resources and other guidance.

In early September a support package will be launched to help committees undertake positive action to diversify their committees during recruitment for committee posts. This will be followed by a series of webinars and other opportunities to seek help, advice and clarification about the measures that can be taken to fill vacancies.