Decolonisation in Cambridge libraries relates to all collections and most services and – existing examples of decolonisation work notwithstanding – there is a huge and arguably endless amount of work to be done. 

The Decolonising through Critical Librarianship Group have done a great deal of practical work on decolonisation. They regularly organize events with speakers from the Cambridge libraries network as well as external speakers. They have also put together a wide range of case studies and resources on Cataloguing and Classification, Collection Development, Special Collections and Information Literacy.

The remit of the Decolonisation Working Group (DWG) is “to formulate guidance and policy for decolonisation work within Cambridge libraries and commission specific pieces of work to help encourage and embed best practice” (from the group’s Terms of Reference).  A good deal of practical work has already been undertaken in Cambridge libraries, much of it captured by the Decolonising through Critical Librarianship group, and the DWG aims to work with that group and with existing practitioners to help grow decolonisation across University collections.

The DWG is made up of library staff from across collegiate Cambridge.  It also has among its member representatives from outside the library section; their presence as critical friends is crucial to help identify problems and identify solutions.  The DWG currently has one representative each from the BAME staff network and from University of Cambridge Museums, two student representatives, and three academic representatives.

The group first met in September 2020 and meets regularly. The DWG aims to lead by example by identifying and openly acknowledging areas of work while commissioning related projects that can at least start to tackle the issues identified.