Introduction

A school library needs to engage with the whole community by providing a supportive and inclusive environment in which diversity is valued and respected; where no student feels excluded, either through a lack of appropriate resources or activities; and where there is an ethos of equal access and participation. This chapter details why a diverse and inclusive library is important by looking at:

• ■ both its intrinsic value and the legal aspects that impact on provision

• ■ what a diverse collection consists of

• ■ other areas of the physical library and library services that need to be considered

• ■ how to analyse the needs of your school community and audit your collection

• ■ sources of resources and information.

The Cambridge online dictionary defines diversity as ‘the fact of many different types of things or people being included in something; a range of different things or people’ and inclusion as ‘the act of including someone or something as part of a group, list, etc.’ (2022). From these simple definitions, we can see that a diverse and inclusive library is one that has a wide range of resources and services containing many differing elements that have been selected with consideration to the needs of the whole school community.

Equity is an interesting concept and is different from equality. Equality means giving all students the same support regardless of need, but this does not reduce inequality. The only way to do this is by giving students what they require to bring them up to the same level as others. An example of equity is ensuring disadvantaged students have the same opportunities to access online information as others, regardless of their individual circumstances.

It is impossible to support every student individually with regards to their specific cultural and ethnic needs, individual abilities and interests, so we group our students according to particular characteristics and endeavour to support the priorities of each group. There is nothing wrong with this, but it is important to remember that not all diversity is visible or obvious. Black and Asian minority ethnic students tend to be easily identified, but white ethnic groups such as Irish Travellers are not and so are included within a homogenous mass with other white students, despite having a dissimilar culture and distinct needs.