OPEN PRINCIPLES AND EQUALITY

Imagine2030
Annual report 2023-24

Student on laptop leaning against a wall in Blue 1

Library Access and Membership

This year, significant changes to the Library's membership procedures made access more straightforward and inclusive, enabling us to welcome a broader and more diverse community and in greater numbers than ever before.  

Over 2,000 schools and colleges members accessed the Library in the 2023-24 academic year, following the new streamlined application process. Additionally, we introduced a new Community Membership, replacing the previous External Membership. By removing membership fees and simplifying the application we have welcomed over 260 new community members. 

Visit the Community Membership website

Life at University

At the forefront of the Library’s collaboration with students is the key resource, Life at University, sent to all offer holders as part of The University of Manchester's pre-arrival communications. 

Developed in partnership with the Library Student Team, the open educational resource is shaped by real student needs and responds to current challenges. This year key themes focused on belonging, coping with turbulent societal changes, and the cost of living. The Library Student Team led every aspect of creation, including scripting, recording and editing, ensuring the resource authentically reflects our student voice.  

An innovative ‘to-do list’ functionality allows students to personalise their engagement, via a bespoke set of resources which serve as a supportive anchor throughout the first semester.

With features such as reflective blogs, podcasts and ‘top tips’ from the ‘First 100 days…’ to the unspoken rules of the game, Life at University empowers students to be the best they can be, with the support they need.

Improved production quality has resulted in a professional, sustainable resource, with over 14,000 views since its launch and over 80,000 uses of its to-do list functionality.  

The resource is a success story of student partnership. Now firmly embedded into the University’s communications, shaping the first impressions of students, it ensures that the Library has a strong voice in this area.  

Some of the feedback received:  

"I have loved being part of the team working on the pre-arrival resource the last couple of years. It has been so amazing to be able to think about what I would have found useful when I first started university and use that to help shape the messages going out to new students.

I wish I’d have had something like this to make getting ready to start my degree a bit less overwhelming. Hopefully this year’s students have felt reassured from having some messages from current students who have been in their position."

Lily, History

"[Regarding the 100 Days Blogs] I can’t stress enough on how helpful it is ... It might probably be the only genuine resource that gets into the exact things"

Vinayak, Mechanical Engineering with Management      

Supporting anti-racist thinking and action

Summer 2025 saw shocking racist and Islamophobic riots in across the country, including in Manchester.

The Ahmed Iqbal Ullah RACE Centre published an 'Anti-Racism and Anti-Fascism: Then and Now' reading list in response, to support thinking about how to take action against these disturbing events. While not minimising the seriousness of events nor the legitimate fears of Muslims and Global Majority people, it is important to recognise that communities have a long history of resistance and taking care of each other. Just as the RACE Centre's collections document racism in its many forms, they also document the long and unbroken histories of anti-racist and anti-fascist activity, and of community resistance and resilience.

In October the RACE Centre, with its sister organisation the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Education Trust, launched Working Ethically with Black Histories: A Manifesto. Award-winning author, broadcaster and Professor of Sociology, Gary Younge, and young leaders from the fantastic youth-led organisation 8% Club (Equal Education Chances), spoke at the launch which was attended by over 80 people from Manchester’s Global Majority communities and from Arts Council England, many of Manchester’s cultural institutions and academics from The University of Manchester.

Illustration depicting anti-racist protesters listening to a woman speaking into a microphone

The Manifesto was the culmination of conversations with the Centre’s many community partners and a consultation session with over 40 young people. It aims to guide those working with Black histories, showing how we can do this ethically and respectfully.

The Manifesto was extremely well-received and a number of heritage organisations in Manchester (and beyond) have already started using it to inform their work with Black histories and communities.

Embedding EDI across the Library

The University of Manchester Library is committed to embedding Equity, Diversion and Inclusion (EDI) in all our activities, services and workforce. 

We have a well-established Library EDI Group of committed individuals whose work has brought about lasting improvements. 

Inclusive recruitment toolkit

This year, we have made significant progress in developing an Inclusive Recruitment Toolkit, designed to promote diversity and equity in our hiring practices within the Library.

The toolkit provides comprehensive guidance across four key stages: pre-recruitment, preparing for interviews, the interview itself, and post-recruitment. It supports all involved in recruitment in fostering a more inclusive, equitable, and diverse workforce that reflects the richness of the University's community.  

Progress highlights:

Extensive Research on Inclusive Practices:  We worked closely with University Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) colleagues and conducted thorough research to identify and incorporate best practices for inclusive recruitment.

Staff Survey: Feedback from a staff-wide survey was instrumental in shaping the toolkit's recommendations, ensuring alignment with staff experiences and needs.

Recommendations Across Recruitment Phases: We developed targeted recommendations for each of the four recruitment stages to enhance inclusivity and fairness.

Staff Consultations: Extensive consultations were held with staff members to refine the toolkit, ensuring it is practical, effective, and well-received by those who will implement it.

The toolkit is a vital resource in our mission to foster a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion, helping the Library attract, select, and retain a diverse workforce. 

Fostering Inclusivity: New Library staff multi-faith prayer and contemplation space

In March 2024, the Library took a significant step towards creating a more inclusive and supportive environment for its staff by opening a dedicated Multi-Faith Prayer and Contemplation Space for Library staff.

Key highlights are detailed below.

Location and Accessibility: Situated in Main Library, the space is easily accessible for Library staff during regular Library opening hours. 

Inclusive Design: The room is equipped with chairs, prayer mats, reusable shoe covers, and a PC with a headset for online worship, catering to diverse faith practices and personal reflection needs. 

Respect and Belonging: The space emphasises inclusivity, encouraging all staff to feel a sense of belonging, regardless of their faith background or need for quiet contemplation.

Pilot Program: Launched as a year-long pilot, the initiative includes a feedback mechanism through QR codes and online forms, allowing for continuous improvement and potential future developments. 

Supporting Wellbeing: This space aligns with the Library's broader commitment to staff wellbeing, recognising the importance of spiritual and personal needs in the workplace. 

Collaborative Development: The project was developed through consultation with the Library's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Group and the University's Multi-Chaplaincy Group, ensuring a comprehensive approach to meeting diverse needs. 

The creation of this space supports the University's broader goals of creating an inclusive environment that attracts and retains global talent, enhancing our reputation as a forward-thinking, diverse institution. 

It also demonstrates the Library responding to the changing needs of its workforce, with recent data showing an increase in staff disclosing their religious affiliations.  

As we progress and learn through the pilot year, we anticipate that this initiative will serve as a model for similar spaces across the University, further strengthening our commitment to inclusivity and staff wellbeing. 

Sikh Community Heritage project

The Rylands continued its collaboration with local Sikh communities on a series of events. These events included a digitisation day at the Sri Guru Gobind Singh Gurdwara in Whalley Range, Manchester, instigated by the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah RACE Centre and Education Trust. During this event, materials from the community were digitised to expand our growing digital collection and support the upcoming Manchester Digital Exhibition. The RACE Centre provided necessary training to Library colleagues.

The Library worked closely with community representatives to facilitate the transport of the significant Sri Guru Granth Sahib to the Gurdwara for the annual Vaisakhi festival and to the Guru Nanak Dev Ji Gurdwara in Moss Side, Manchester, for their 70th anniversary celebrations. This sacred historic text is considered by Sikhs to be the living embodiment of the Guru.

Gurtek Singh, the Rylands' community partner, has been awarded an Honorary Research position with the John Rylands Research Institute and Library for his ongoing work on the Sikh collections. The Library is committed to continuing this invaluable project and strengthening our relationships with local Sikh communities.

Rylands celebrates 70th anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji Gurdwara

Working with young people

As part of its work with schools and youth groups in Manchester, the RACE Centre worked with Eden Leadership Academy students from Years 7 and 8, who had set up an Archivists' Club. Throughout 2023-24 staff delivered sessions about archives and local histories at the school, and hosted sessions at the RACE Centre.

Pupils were able to visit the Centre and Strong Room and explore some of the RACE Centre's collections. The Archivists' Club showed students that archives are interesting, relevant and accessible and that people they might identify with work in archives and libraries too.