Library Lists - Staff Guide: Diversifying reading lists - New

Consider any voices, narratives and perspectives that might have been excluded and how they can be identified. For example, have you considered searching grey literature to discover a potentially wider set of alternative voices? This type of material has not been published for commercial purposes nor published using traditional publishing channels, for example reports, conference proceedings, working papers, or newsletters.

When looking for new sources to include in your reading list, you could start by searching publishers’ websites for topics you want to cover and check the ethnicity of authors using resources such as social media, their institution’s web pages and profiles on Scopus or Google Scholar.

The University of Kent has curated a Padlet featuring publishers and booksellers that focus on works by women, LGBTQ+ authors, and authors from the Global Majority.

Consider why your reading list might be focussed on one specific area. Are there issues with providing access to resources from different areas? Bear in mind both the place of publication and the geographic coverage of a source.

To find sources, try a topic search in a database such as Scopus where you can filter results to those published in under-represented territories or to institutional affiliations.

The Web of Science database also includes several area- specific databases:

• KCI-Korean Journal database: covers multidisciplinary journals published from 1980 onwards
• Russian Citation Index: indexes core Russian science, technology, medical and education journals published from 2005 onwards
• SciELO Citation Index: covers leading open access journals in science, social science, arts and humanities from Latin America, Portugal, Spain and South Africa published from 2002 onwards

Consider using sources published in the physical area that you are studying. The University of Leeds has curated a crowd-sourced list of databases to showcase and highlight research produced by underrepresented groups, with particular focus on the Global South.

Be aware that translators may not directly reflect the same views or meaning as the original author. If you are using an English language textbook, has it been translated into other languages that might be helpful for your students?

Start by exploring the following resources and reach out to colleagues across the University to gain a deeper insight.

• Learning and Teaching Hub: Decolonising the curriculum 
• Library List: Decolonising curricula and higher education 
• Centre for Decolonising Knowledge in Teaching, Research and Practice (DECkNO) 

For example, the process of peer review is common in the Global North but might not exist in a similar format in other countries. Consider including non-journal academic outputs in your reading list, for example preprints, working papers and policy documents. Reach out to your Subject Librarian to learn more about finding a greater variety of sources. Alternatively, try limiting a general web search to academic or organisational domains.

Ask your students whether, and to what extent, they see themselves reflected in the reading list. For example, do the resources challenge or inspire students - particularly those who are female, non-binary, non-white, or from working-class backgrounds - to undertake research projects that reflect their own experiences? This approach may help to better identify the most significant gaps to address.

Have you considered inviting suggestions from your students? Additionally, Subject Librarians can offer support in developing students’ skills to find more diverse sources during a literature searching workshop.

Try to include multi-media resources for sensory-impaired or neurodiverse students where possible and relevant. This could include podcasts, YouTube videos, TED talks, blogs, and many more. Have you explored our streaming service Kanopy or Box of Broadcasts (BoB)?

When considering new books for your reading list, work with the Library to establish if books you want to recommend are available in a suitable format. Read more about e-book provision in our guide.

Remember that the Library also offers support to individual students with disabilities.