Academic Libraries North 2022
The time is now: active approaches to inclusivity
#ALN22 will be held online on the afternoon of Wednesday 6th and the morning of Thursday 7th July 2022
As libraries we pride ourselves on the friendly, welcoming and inclusive nature of our services and staff, but increasingly recognise that this may not be the experience for all members of our library and university communities.
This conference is an opportunity to highlight the positive actions that are being taken to promote equity and tackle inequities within libraries and adjacent services. But also a chance to look critically at whether our libraries are really inclusive and supportive, considering whether we are avoiding enacting meaningful change to maintain the status quo. How can we be the change that we want to see?
Recordings and Presentations
You can now view the recordings of all the sessions plus take a look at the slides from them all too. Please let us know if you have any questions about any of the content or any feedback on the formats - alnconferenceteam@gmail.com
Feedback
Our sponsored place recipients have given us their thoughts on their experiences during the conference - you can read and hear their interesting insights here.
You can also see how much everyone was enjoying the conference by looking at the Twitter Moments we have created from the tweets over the two days.
Delegate Handbook
The delegate handbook provided all the information needed for delegates over the two days of the conference.
Sponsors - Silver & Bronze
Thanks again to all our sponsors for their input into the success of the conference.
Silver Sponsors Bronze Sponsors
Anybook Library Services Adam Matthew Digital OCLC EBSCO IGI Global ContentOnline
Keynotes
We are very pleased to announce our two keynotes for this year:
Dr Kit Heyam (they/them or he/him) will provide our day one keynote. Kit is an academic, trans awareness trainer and queer history activist. Since 2015, they have been delivering trans awareness workshops and consultancy at organisations across the UK, specialising in the practical aspects of trans inclusivity in higher education. Their academic research focuses on finding new ways to approach transgressive gender and sexuality in the past, and on inclusive pedagogy.
Josh Sendall (he/him) will provide our day two keynote. Josh joined University of Nottingham Libraries as Associate Director for Research in November 2021, having previously worked at Lancaster University in various roles. He works within and beyond the institution to develop libraries' role as a research service provider, partner, and pioneer. He leads collaborative and enterprising teams who enable open research environments which maximise the reach, impact, and integrity of research. Josh is a member of the SCONUL BAME Workforce Group, Diversity in Libraries of the North, and the EDI Lead for University of Nottingham Libraries. He promotes equality, diversity and inclusion leading to productive, healthy, and resilient cultures and communities.
Further information about #ALN22
Context
As libraries we pride ourselves on the friendly, welcoming and inclusive nature of our services and staff, but increasingly recognise that this may not be the experience for all members of our library and university communities. This conference is an opportunity to highlight the positive actions that are being taken to promote equity and tackle inequities within libraries and adjacent services. But also a chance to look critically at whether our libraries are really inclusive and supportive, considering whether we are avoiding enacting meaningful change to maintain the status quo. How can we be the change that we want to see?
We have identified the following subthemes:
Partnerships & Connections
- Community engagement and widening participation particularly in the context of declining social mobility
- Addressing the student ethnicity awarding and attainment gap
- Working with university and external partners to overcome barriers to student success in HE
- Addressing inequalities amongst students highlighted during the pandemic
People
- Voices from the frontline, experiences of staff working on reception and help desks
- Barriers to professional development & advancement
- The importance of allyship within the profession
- Examples of work that amplify minority and marginalised voices
- Taking an intersectional approach to EDI
Content & Collections
- Decolonising and diversifying our collections, reading lists and curriculums and ensuring the representation of diverse perspectives
- Digital accessibility within collections
- Supporting researchers to make their work more accessible, reusable, diverse and inclusive
Services & Workflows
- Inclusive approaches to information literacy teaching
- Innovations in the development of accessible spaces
- Using UX to inform inclusive strategies
- Bridging the gap between EDI theory and practice in library spaces
Cancellation Policy
Please note the terms of our cancellation policy:
- Cancellations made more than 14 days prior to the event date will be offered a full refund.
- Cancellation(s) made 14 days or less before the event date will be liable for the full registration fee. However, you may transfer your booking to a colleague at any time at no extra cost.
- Delegates wishing to cancel a booking must confirm this by email to alnconferenceteam@gmail.com.
- Delegate 'no shows' are liable for the full event fee.
Sponsored Places
We have awared our sponsored places for this year. Recipients of the sponsored places have now been contacted. If you wish to discuss anything about our process of awarding sponsored places, please get in touch: alnconferenceteam@gmail.com