The afternoon session started with John Kelly from JISC Legal talking about the “Framework for a fairer future: the new legislative landscape”. The equality landscape is changing and with the new equality bill on the horizon we must ensure that as employers and service providers our services are inclusive and that we make certain that best practice is followed. The new duties within the Equality Bill will affect all of us working in or for public/private bodies. The new legislation will ban pay secrecy or ‘gagging clauses’ on pay, reporting on gender pay gaps will be required and public authorities will report to ministers on equality. The influence of public procurement – using our purchasing power to improve equality by encouraging suppliers to promote equalities.
However, could a new government change priorities? John mentioned that this Equality Bill will be the present Labour Govt’s last manifesto pledge to be completed. After the election however will the Bill receive the same attention?
We try as services to be as inclusive as we possibly can when delivering our library services; this has been shown at the event by the amount of initiatives running throughout the country in the area of equality and diversity. However to my mind there are invisible minority groups that I feel we still don’t fully cater for in public libraries or where we don’t realise we are still not fulfilling our role as equality providers.
The second presentation of the afternoon was from Margaret McKay from JISC RSC Scotland SW, who Introduced Access Apps. Margaret discussed our role in libraries and how we hold a critical role in accessibility, she introduced Access Apps which can be used by people who have specific difficulties with reading and writing and may have sensory or physical problems, these apps give individuals the freedom to use any PC within a library and not one set aside specifically for those who need support. The ability to have this information on a pen drive increases the freedom and flexibility.
The final session of the afternoon was from Clair Scott and Claire Elliot fromEast Renfrewshire Libraries and Renfrewshire Association Mental Health, they discussed Positive Mental Health & books on prescription. They talked on the joint venture between the two, the libraries initial funding of 10k from the Health Board to fund 42 titles covering areas such as, stress, anxiety and low mood, they were given recommendations for tittles by local health professionals, the selection of books has been a success within East Renfrewshire and they have worked with the RAMH to ensure that the section is maintained and have encouraged partnership working between library and RAMH. The collection is geared more toward the adult learning however in the future they are hoping to include more titles for a younger audience.
The day ended with closing remarks from Margaret Forrest, Margaret focused on the good demonstrations of partnership working throughout the day and remarked that no library was an island and that we had to work with other agencies to keep libraries moving forward.
I’m glad I had the opportunity to attend the event and listen to the work that has and is being done continually by Scottish Libraries on the issues of equality. I found the stories from Edinburgh inspirational. Having the ability to use Access Apps will help so many individuals have more confidence when using public libraries. The influence that partnership working has had in East Renfrewshire, would the project been so successful without the work done by both the libraries and RAMH. Like Margaret Forrest, I have areas of equality that I feel are underrepresented by libraries at times, the customers that we tend to overlook or feel that we represent using other avenues. The day was full of good practice and ideas however for the future we should look at the equality groups that aren’t so PC, where we need to think outside our comfort zones without prejudice or ignorance to their needs. In Scotland this year alone I am only aware of one authority covering LGBT month however many more covered black history month, is this equality?
However I’m not trying to take anything away from what was an interesting day held at the Mitchell Library in Glagsow and it was also good to catch up with an old friend from the past.
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