Equality, diversity, and inclusion in the
research library. An analysis of RLUK
institutions’ job descriptions
Christina Kamposiori
Programme Officer, RLUKEQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION IN THE RESEARCH LIBRARY. AN ANALYSIS OF RLUK INSTITUTIONS’ JOB DESCRIPTIONS© 2022 Research Libraries UK
Published: December 2022

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Suggested citation:
Kamposiori, C. (2022). Equality, diversity, and inclusion in the research library. An analysis of RLUK institutions’ job
descriptions
Contact the author:
RLUKRoom 257, Senate House Malet Street
LondonWC1E 7HU
Christina.Kamposiori@rluk.ac.uk

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EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION IN THE RESEARCH LIBRARY. AN ANALYSIS OF RLUK INSTITUTIONS’ JOB DESCRIPTIONSCONTENTS

Acknowledgements......................................................................................2
Introduction........................................................................................3
Methodology..........................................................................................3
Job description analysis............................................................................3Interviews.......................................................................................4International landscape analysis...............................................................5
Limitations..................................................................................5
EDI in job descriptions..................................................................................5
Statements and values..............................................................................5
EDI-focused roles.....................................................................................6
Role responsibilities and person specifications...........................................7
Beyond job descriptions................................................................................8
EDI structures and the role of the library.................................................8
Recruitment and retention practices...........................................................9
Looking at the broader landscape...................................................................10
Conclusion...................................................................................13
References.............................................................................................14
Appendix..................................................................................................15

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSRLUK would like to thank all member institutions who have alreadysubmitted job descriptions in the RL PD Bank and, thus, have made thisresearch possible. Also, huge thanks to our interviewees who gave theirtime to contribute to this project and provide useful information about
institutional practices and procedures with regards to achieving greater
equality, diversity, and inclusion in research libraries.

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EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION IN THE RESEARCH LIBRARY. AN ANALYSIS OF RLUK INSTITUTIONS’ JOB DESCRIPTIONSINTRODUCTION
Research libraries across the world are striving to become more inclusive and diverse places wherescholarship and learning can thrive. Over the past few years, efforts have focused not only on developing
and presenting library collections in more engaging and inclusive ways, but also on creating a diverse
workforce which can be representative of the multicultural communities that libraries serve today.
According to the Research Libraries UK (RLUK) strategy 2022-25 The Library Transforming, RLUK
institutions ‘are committed to creating and maintaining inclusive organisations, structures, and spaces
which celebrate diversity, welcome difference, and embed positive change’. However, regarding thelibrary workforce, previous research has shown that this is still overwhelmingly white (e.g. Schonfeld andSweeney, 2017; Ishaq and Hussain, 2019) and many institutions are struggling to recruit and retain staff
from a range of protected characteristics (e.g. Kung, Fraser, and Winn, 2020).
Thus, this piece of focused research aimed to investigate how issues around equality, diversity, andinclusion (EDI) are represented in the job descriptions of RLUK member institutions as well as how
libraries apply EDI values to their recruitment practices. It also looked at whether new roles, including
leadership positions, are being created to drive EDI initiatives and contribute towards culture change
within institutions. Finally, the representation of EDI initiatives and roles amongst RLUK members wasplaced within an international context through a comparison to initiatives being undertaken by US andCanadian research libraries. The goal was not to single out the practices of specific institutions but toidentify current and emerging trends amongst the RLUK community compared to elsewhere.

METHODOLOGY
Job description analysis
For the purposes of this study, an analysis of 319 job descriptions submitted by RLUK members to the
Research Libraries Position Description Bank (RL PD Bank) was conducted between July-August 2022.
The Research Libraries Position Description Bank (RL PD Bank)- previously ARL (Association of Research
Libraries) Position Description Bank- was launched in 2013 and is a collection of position descriptions(PDs) from major academic and research libraries in the US, Canada, and the UK. RLUK joined as a partner
consortium in 2021.
The roles submitted by RLUK members come from across the different areas of the library. These include
leadership and senior roles as well as middle management and junior positions. The below institutions(Table 1) have actively contributed to the RL PD Bank so far and, thus, their position descriptions
constituted the main sample of this research.

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EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION IN THE RESEARCH LIBRARY. AN ANALYSIS OF RLUK INSTITUTIONS’ JOB DESCRIPTIONSRegarding the approach employed for the analysis of the RLUK member position descriptions, the focus
was both on direct and indirect references to EDI. Examples of direct references to EDI can be:•

Roles which include language directly linked to EDI (e.g. anti-racism; equality, diversity and inclusion;
LGBTQ+; disabled/ disability; decolonisation) in their title, often indicating that they have beencreated as part of or to drive EDI initiatives.

•

Relevant EDI language (e.g. anti-racism; equality, diversity and inclusion; LGBTQ+; disabled/ disability;
decolonisation) in the main body of the job description either as part of a positive statement, the role
duties and description, or a person specification.

Examples of indirect references to EDI can be:•

Language and expressions as part of the role title, description, duties, and person specification that
does not directly refer to EDI but can be considered supportive of EDI. For instance, the statement ‘tosupport a wide range of users and work with people from different professional backgrounds’ can beconsidered supportive of EDI.

Interviews
The job descriptions research was complemented by semi-structured interviews with one or two
representatives from six RLUK institutions which helped build a broader picture of the EDI initiatives
that are being led by members, as well as how these relate to recruitment practices of which the designand development of roles and position descriptions is a part.
The participating institutions (Table 2), which gave their permission to be cited in this report, are:

The questions directed to the interviewees aimed to facilitate conversation on the below issues:••••Institutional policies or strategies around EDI
What or who drives change in the institution
Roles that have been particularly created to drive EDI initiatives
Representation of EDI issues in the RL PD Bank job descriptions, including direct and indirectreferences to EDI• Recruitment practices and how they support EDI• Collection and use of statistics in support of EDI• Interest in the development of a programme for emerging leadersInterviews were conducted virtually between July-August 2022 and each one lasted up to an hour.
Discussion during the interviews helped to clarify some of the issues raised through the analysis of thejob descriptions as well as provide background information about relevant institutional practices andinitiatives. Collecting contextual information was particularly valuable as the job descriptions in the RL
PD Bank did not always reflect the most current institutional practices around EDI and recruitment (e.g.
older job descriptions in templates that are no longer used).
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EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION IN THE RESEARCH LIBRARY. AN ANALYSIS OF RLUK INSTITUTIONS’ JOB DESCRIPTIONSInternational landscape analysis
The results of the analysis from both the RL PD Bank job descriptions research and the interviews wereplaced within an international context. This was achieved through examining relevant job descriptions
submitted by research libraries in the US and Canada to the RL PD Bank.
Given the large number of position descriptions in the database- 4900 in total from ARL, ASERL, CARL,
and RLUK (as of 26th August 2022)- a more targeted approach through keyword searching was conductedto bring up any relevant roles. The aim was to look for relevant positions, especially leadership roles, thathave been created by institutions in the US and Canada as well as gain an insight on how issues around
EDI are represented within the body of the position descriptions (e.g. duties, person specification, positive
statements).
The terms used to conduct the keyword searches were chosen based on the terminology used to refer
to EDI issues and initiatives in the RLUK job descriptions in the RL PD Bank. However, these were also
informed by the interview discussions and the type of terminology generally associated with EDI in the UK
and beyond. A discussion of the results of this research looking at the practices of institutions in the US
and Canada and how these relate to RLUK institutional practices as revealed through the job descriptionsin the RL PD Bank and the additional interviews is presented later in this report.

Limitations
Before presenting the results showing aspects of the practices around EDI and recruitment of RLUK
members, it should be noted that these may not necessarily be representative of the practices of all
RLUK institutions as the analysis was based on the limited sample of RLUK job descriptions in the RL PD
Bank submitted by 10 institutions. Moreover, as several of these job descriptions are older, they do notreflect the most up to date EDI practices within institutions, something that became apparent throughthe interviews. Finally, the targeted approach (keyword search) employed to explore the volume of job
descriptions uploaded in the RL PD Bank by research libraries in the US and Canada enabled us to get an
overview of some of the main practices around the representation of EDI issues in the position descriptionsof these institutions. However, it did not allow for a detailed examination of related practices in ARL,ASERL, and CARL institutions and, thus, it may have not revealed all possible aspects of these practices.

EDI IN JOB DESCRIPTIONSStatements and values
The majority of RLUK job descriptions submitted to the RL PD Bank include some type of EDI or positive
statement. These are most often found at the bottom of the job description template and refer to thestrategic plan and values of the library’s home institution around EDI; the presentation of this information
varies, and it can range from a few sentences to a table listing the values of the institution. Some ofthese statements referred to the fact that the university or college is an equal opportunities employer
and others included information about the institution’s participation in the Athena Swan Charter (forgender equality) initiative. As it became apparent through the interviews, the templates used by the RLUK
research libraries are in most cases provided by the human resources department (HR) of their home
university or college or followed relevant guidance.
However, the template is possible to be adapted depending on the role and the type of employee thelibrary is looking for. For example, if the need to increase the diversity of the workforce has been identified
by the library, then it is possible to include a positive statement encouraging candidates from a specificbackground (e.g. ethnic or cultural) or with another protected characteristic (e.g. disability, LGBTQIA)
to apply. This also applied in the cases when employees with particular skillsets (e.g. specific technicalexpertise) were sought for the purposes of a role; if it was deemed that the candidate with the right skillset
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EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION IN THE RESEARCH LIBRARY. AN ANALYSIS OF RLUK INSTITUTIONS’ JOB DESCRIPTIONS

could not be found within the existing library or higher education community, professionals from beyond
these sectors were encouraged to apply. Approval is often required, though, by the home institution
to make relevant changes to the template which can make the role more attractive and the library an
appealing working place to potential employees. In some institutions, teams within the library, such as
customer services or EDI-focused groups, played an active role in the decision-making process around thetype of EDI information to include in a job description and how this should be presented.
Based on the job description analysis, RLUK members had, sometimes, relevant policies which impliedthat EDI is part of a library’s goals, values, and working practices. These were mostly found within the
body of the job description (e.g. responsibilities and person specification) rather than at the beginning or
end of the template. The statements including the home institution’s or library’s ambitions, values, andwork ethics were considered direct references to EDI as the language used could be directly associatedwith EDI. However, in some instances, there were statements which did not refer directly to EDI or include
relevant language but could be considered supportive of EDI and revealed inclusive recruitment practices.
These included: the lack of requirement for a criminal record check for some roles; the fact that the homeinstitution, including the library, offered policies that were family friendly or supported flexible working;or the fact that anonymised shortlisting for a post was undertaken. Even though such statements may not
be directly linked to EDI, they encourage a wider pool of candidates to apply for a position and, as a result,
are more inclusive and can increase diversity.
Regarding the format of job description templates, it is worth noting that this varied widely not only across
RLUK members but also within a particular institution. RLUK members can upload both older and recent
job descriptions which means that the templates and the way information is presented can vary; thisdirectly relates to the presence of EDI statements as it is less likely to encounter EDI references (especiallydirect) in older versions of templates. Research across the RLUK submissions to the RL PD Bank revealed
only one template which seems to have been created to communicate very explicitly the commitmentof the home institution to EDI. This included statements from a senior officer of the institution at thevery top, followed by a description of the institutional strategy around EDI and information on the staff
benefits. Then, the actual job description began with the library’s EDI statement and, at the end of the
document, there was more information about relevant institutional policies (e.g. flexible working) anduseful information about EDI initiatives and statistics.
Through the interview discussions, it became apparent that many research libraries are undergoing aprocess of reviewing their practices around recruitment as well as the way information is presented in job
descriptions, which includes the development of new versions of templates. This process is often led bya department in the home institution (e.g. HR or EDI office) or a team within the library (e.g. customer
services) and can involve: relevant training around the language to use in a job description’s template andthe position to place EDI statements (increasingly at the top of the template); the places to advertise theposition to reach candidates from diverse backgrounds; and training around inclusive recruitment, suchas around interviewing, and retention practices. Thus, it is very likely that there will be a shift in the way
information is presented in the job descriptions by RLUK members in the immediate future, including theones which will be submitted to the RL PD Bank.

EDI-focused roles
The RL PD Bank analysis of the RLUK job descriptions showed that there are 7 roles with direct references
to EDI (e.g. specific terminology) in the title of the job description, often an indication that the role has
been created, primarily, to lead and support EDI initiatives. Regarding the terms or short phrases used inthese roles, these were: ‘disability’, ‘race’, ‘anti-racism’, ‘LGBTQ’, and ‘inclusive practice’ (also see Table 4
later in this report). The positions varied in terms of their seniority; they ranged from relatively junior (e.g.
at internship level) to managerial and leadership positions (1 leadership position). The duties associatedwith these roles included working with and supporting communities from specific ethnic backgrounds orwith other protected characteristics, or aiming to make collections more inclusive through decolonisation.

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EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION IN THE RESEARCH LIBRARY. AN ANALYSIS OF RLUK INSTITUTIONS’ JOB DESCRIPTIONS

However, there were some job descriptions amongst the ones submitted by the RLUK community which
included terminology in their titles that did not directly refer to EDI, but could be considered supportiveof EDI (e.g. ‘access’, ‘participation’); the duties listed as part of these roles and the attributes sought inpotential employees were often directly related to EDI, e.g. aiming to achieve equality of access, widen
participation, or work with underrepresented communities, demonstrate commitment to equality anddiversity.
The interviews with RLUK member representatives shed further light on the reasons for creating theseroles, especially the ones directly associated with EDI initiatives, and the conditions within which these
operate. As it was reported, staff in member institutions and their communities (e.g. students) increasingly
call for more diversity in the institutional workforce as well as a culture of inclusivity to generate andgovern relevant initiatives and practices. However, research libraries often find it difficult to justify thecreation of roles, especially senior ones, that focus solely on EDI initiatives as the home institutions
already have EDI offices or other teams and groups that oversee EDI initiatives across the institution.
Based on the interview discussions, it is more likely that libraries are able to create more junior roles,
often with a focus on collections or community support, rather than leadership roles, especially with afocus on the workforce.
Some of these EDI-focused roles are short-term internships or graduate traineeships and are targeted tothe student community of the home institution; supporting the employability of students is part of thegoals of Higher Education institutions and, thus, the creation of roles that support this goal is more easily
justified and funded. Despite the limitations (e.g. short term roles), these types of roles which are targeted
to new professionals can constitute great opportunities to increase the diversity of the workforce startingfrom the profession’s ‘pipeline’, an issue that was highlighted during the interviews.
Yet, the importance of having leadership roles which can champion EDI and influence cultural change
was also underlined by interviewees, as more junior roles (even with a focus on EDI) do not often havethe power to drive cultural change. This, in turn, can have an emotional toll for those involved, especiallyfor people with lived experiences or in the cases where EDI is the responsibility of one person and not ateam. Finding ways to involve leadership while also allocating EDI responsibilities to a group of people (ifnot everyone) is considered a more effective and fair method of driving change and sharing responsibility
around EDI. Institutions can sometimes be hesitant in creating leadership roles that will very explicitly
and openly champion EDI initiatives due to various challenges and concerns (e.g. limited funding, fearof reputation damage); however, failing to actively pursue EDI can sometimes be regarded as failure ofallyship by institutional communities.

Role responsibilities and person specifications
Even though there were few RLUK job descriptions with direct references to EDI in the title, the majority
of RLUK members had submitted position descriptions that included direct or indirect references to EDI
in the role responsibilities and person specification sections (beyond the home institution’s or library’s
EDI statements). Yet, the frequency and consistency with which these references appeared across thejob descriptions submitted by institutions as well as the presentation of the relevant information varied.
In many cases, relevant duties and responsibilities were linked to the type of the role; for example, acollections-focused role could entail responsibilities around decolonisation or a role focusing on
widening participation could have duties related to increasing access to collections or engaging with
underrepresented communities. Understanding of the Equality Act (2010) was also frequently included asa responsibility for various roles.
Apart from EDI-related duties and responsibilities that could be considered role-specific, some institutions
preferred to include more general EDI-related responsibilities across many (if not most) of the job
descriptions they had submitted to the RL PD Bank. For example, these could relate to the responsibilityof an employee in following and respecting institutional strategies and policies around EDI and in actively
supporting and promoting inclusivity and diversity in professional practices and behaviours. Moreover,person specifications often included statements referring to a candidate’s commitment to EDI as an
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EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION IN THE RESEARCH LIBRARY. AN ANALYSIS OF RLUK INSTITUTIONS’ JOB DESCRIPTIONS

attractive quality. Regarding the presentation of this information, especially around the more general EDI
duties and personal attributes, institutions employed different approaches; most listed these together
with other duties or personal attributes in the relevant sections, while some included EDI duties as ‘other’duties. In the case of one institution, the employed approach was to include 3 statements around EDI at
the top, middle, and end of the key responsibilities section.
It was also very common to include some type of EDI duties in the portfolio of responsibilities of senior
roles (such as Associate Director roles or other managerial positions with specific EDI duties). As it became
evident through the interviews, it is often easier for research libraries to add relevant responsibilities
when recruiting for an existing role (e.g. after it has been recently vacated), than create a new one,
especially a leadership role, due to the administration and funding challenges associated with this. EDI
responsibilities attached to more senior roles were often related to championing and promoting EDI
across a range of initiatives as well as actively contributing to the diversity and wellbeing of the workforce.
However, thinking about the pool of RLUK job descriptions as a whole, it was usual to encounter roles,
such as senior roles or roles requiring specific expertise, which did not have any EDI duties under their
responsibilities’ portfolio despite expectations to the contrary. To some extent, this is because many of
the job descriptions are older and, thus, the way they are written does not follow the most up to daterecruitment practices and EDI policies.
Finally, information related to the qualification requirements included in the person specification sectionof the job descriptions reveal aspects of members institutions’ recruitment practices and the extent
to which EDI has been taken into consideration. The majority of RLUK roles submitted in the RL PD
Bank do not list advanced degrees or degrees on specific disciplines or other qualifications as essential
requirements for applying unless these qualifications are considered necessary for the role; in that way,
people from various backgrounds can apply. Yet, some institutions have incorporated EDI better thanothers in this part of the position descriptions and there is space for improvement when thinking about
what is considered an essential requirement for a role while, at the same time, aiming to increase thediversity of the workforce.

BEYOND JOB DESCRIPTIONS
Even though the analysis of the job descriptions provided a view of how RLUK members incorporate EDI
elements in the job descriptions as well as the creation of any relevant roles to support EDI initiatives
within the library, it was not always possible to gain detailed information about the most up to date EDI
practices of libraries. However, the interviews with representatives of some member libraries enabled
us to collect further information not only about the position descriptions in the RL PD Bank, but also
about existing EDI structures within the home institutions and the libraries, any inclusive recruitment
and retention practices, and any relevant metrics collected by institutions to support EDI.

EDI structures and the role of the library
Based on the interview data, RLUK member libraries often have internal policies or codes of ethics to guide
professional practices and encourage inclusive behaviour, but they tend to align their general approach
to EDI with the home institution’s strategic goals and ambitions in the area. Although this may be arequirement in some cases, aligning the research library’s approach to EDI with that of the university’sor college’s (when applicable) can have certain benefits. For example, it can be easier to argue for theimportance of specific EDI initiatives or the need to create a role to support EDI, if these also contributetowards meeting the EDI goals of the home institution. Increasing awareness of the library’s relevant
initiatives and gaining recognition can also be easier to achieve through this approach. Other types of
initiatives, such as relevant campaigns led by the library, can also contribute towards this goal, while also
involving and uniting the library’s community, something that may be more difficult to achieve throughan EDI strategy or policy.
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EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION IN THE RESEARCH LIBRARY. AN ANALYSIS OF RLUK INSTITUTIONS’ JOB DESCRIPTIONSGenerally speaking, senior officers within the home institution are responsible for the university’s orcollege’s EDI strategy or agenda which, in turn, influences the library’s approach. Some universities orcolleges have EDI offices, but it is more common to have EDI committees and groups where representatives
from across the institution can participate, including the library. More specifically, the Library Director
often participates in relevant discussions that take place within the university or college and advocate forthe library and its role in making Higher Education institutions more diverse and inclusive places for workand learning. Other members of the library senior management team have frequently EDI responsibilities
and act as EDI champions within the library and beyond.
Regarding the factors that drive this cultural change towards more inclusive practices and behaviours inresearch libraries and their home institutions (when applicable), these are both external and internal.
Certain events, such as the death of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter protests, and societal change
can trigger further EDI activity within Higher Education and cultural institutions, while pressure fromtheir stakeholders and communities can also lead to urgent action. Moreover, funding bodies increasingly
require institutions to provide evidence of inclusive practice, something that contributes towards culturechange as well. However, as it became evident during the interviews, library grassroots groups andother internal committees where staff members from across the library can participate have the power
to shape the library’s approach to EDI, through developing and leading relevant initiatives and making
recommendations for change. Engaging staff from across the library in EDI (senior and junior staff)
and allocating relevant responsibilities to a group of people instead of having one person take on the
responsibility of EDI seems to be a more effective way to drive change within an institution and it is theapproach that many are currently employing.
Finally, the interviewees of this research reflected on the relevance and potential importance of aprogramme aiming to encourage people from diverse backgrounds to undertake leadership training andbecome prepared to secure more senior positions; the ultimate goal would be to increase diversity atleadership level. Although it was agreed that such a programme would be of interest, certain issues should
be taken into account during its development in order for this to have a transformative effect. The key
points for consideration, as raised by the interviewees, are: the programme should be open to library staff(ideally beyond RLUK) from different career levels who showcase leadership potential; the programme’s
content should be developed accordingly to be beneficial to people from different career levels andbackgrounds; while aiming to increase diversity at leadership level, the ‘pipeline’ of the profession should
not be neglected; groups who are underrepresented in the library and who may constitute the target
audience of the programme should ideally be involved during its development (e.g. through providing
feedback); any support for those participating (e.g. mentoring, sponsoring) should preferably continue
beyond the end of the programme; ensuring that any existing work is not duplicated by, potentially,joining up with other groups working towards a similar goal.

Recruitment and retention practices
As it became evident through the interviews, RLUK member libraries are taking steps to make their
recruitment and retention practices more inclusive. This begins by changing the approach throughwhich job descriptions are developed. Previously, it was often the responsibility of one person (e.g. ina managerial position) to write a job description and prepare it for advertising; however, the processthat institutions tend to employ currently involves gathering useful feedback on a job description fromdifferent staff members to ensure that the role description and person specification are as inclusive as
possible. Regarding vacancy advertisements, libraries are also looking to list these in places beyond theinstitutional website to reach a more diverse audience or target potential candidates from a specificethnic, cultural, or professional background.
Additionally, and as mentioned earlier, it is common for library staff involved in recruitment to undertake
relevant training with regards to job description development as well as interviewing. Regarding interview
panels, these aim to be gender-balanced and bring together a variety of views (e.g. professional services
and academic) based on the type of the role for which recruitment is conducted. Also, job applications
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EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION IN THE RESEARCH LIBRARY. AN ANALYSIS OF RLUK INSTITUTIONS’ JOB DESCRIPTIONS

tend to be anonymised to remove unconscious bias while, before an interview, the needs of potential
candidates are increasingly taken into account; for example, some have started or consider sharing
interview questions in advance in the cases where there is a specific disability (e.g. neurodivergence).
During the interview, candidates are asked about their awareness of or involvement in EDI initiatives aswell as their plans to contribute to the area depending on the seniority of the role for which they applied.
It is worth noting that the various grassroots groups and other EDI committees within the library play
an important role in the area of workforce development and retention as through their feedback andrecommendations they were found to shape relevant practices within the institution. Open days canalso support inclusive recruitment and retention practices as candidates from diverse ethnic, cultural,and professional backgrounds are encouraged to attend to find out more about working in a researchlibrary. Apart from this, there are different projects that aim to understand the views and experiences ofcertain members of the library’s workforce and broader community (e.g. students from a particular ethnic
background) and gather relevant metrics with the aim of making the library a more inclusive and diverse
place to work.
Thinking about statistics and metrics, some libraries launch their own surveys and assessments with theaim of gathering useful information that will inform their EDI practices and strategic direction, whileothers use data provided by the home institution or external organisations and initiatives (e.g. Athena
Swan Charter). However, for some libraries, it has been challenging to gather data around the diversityof applicants or their workforce, especially when this is provided by the home institution; due to thesensitivity of the data, this type of information has never been shared previously and, thus, new practices
need to be established to facilitate the gathering, sharing, and use of this information. According to theinterviewees, more activity is planned in this area in the immediate future with the aim of supporting therecruitment and retention of a diverse workforce.

LOOKING AT THE BROADER LANDSCAPE
An examination of the job descriptions submitted by research libraries in the US and Canada to the RL
PD Bank revealed a variety of roles from all areas of the library and from different levels of seniority withdirect references to EDI. As noted earlier, a targeted approach through keyword search was employed tonavigate the large amount of job descriptions currently in the RL PD Bank. For this purpose, a selection ofterms often used by RLUK members to refer to EDI or which are widely associated with EDI were used tobring up entries which include relevant elements.
Table 3 Number of entries including the listed terms anywhere in the job description per consortium

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EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION IN THE RESEARCH LIBRARY. AN ANALYSIS OF RLUK INSTITUTIONS’ JOB DESCRIPTIONSAs shown in Table 3, as of 26th August 2022, there were 984 entries by ARL, ASERL, and CARL which had
all three terms ‘equity’, ‘diversity’, and ‘inclusion’ anywhere in the job description. It is worth noting thatno RLUK job description submitted so far to the RL PD Bank includes all these three terms. A keyword
search with the terms ‘diversity’ and ‘inclusion’ anywhere in the job description, brought up an evengreater number of entries, including several RLUK entries.
Searches with single terms revealed that the word ‘diversity’ is the most popular and widely adopted
by all consortia; thus, it is found in 2331 from the 4900 entries in the RL PD Bank (as of 26th August2022) uploaded by ARL, ASERL, CARL, and RLUK. The terms ‘inclusion’, ‘equity’, ‘disability’, and ‘race’also brought up a significant number of entries, especially by ARL institutions, which means that there
are either roles with relevant duties and responsibilities or job descriptions which include other elements(e.g. statements) with these terms. Regarding the term ‘equity’, it became evident that it is a term which
US and Canadian institutions prefer to use over the term ‘equality’ which is more widely used by RLUK
member institutions.

Table 4 Number of entries including the listed terms in the title of the job description per consortium

Table 4 presents the number of entries from each consortium with the listed terms in the title of the job
description as of 26th August 2022. The results of the keyword searches showed that there are several
position descriptions, especially by ARL institutions, which have direct references to EDI in their title.
More specifically, there were 12 entries which included all three terms ‘equity’, ‘diversity’, and ‘inclusion’in the title of the position description; the majority of these were senior roles, including at Director,
Associate University Librarian, and Assistant Dean level. A search with the term ‘diversity’ confirmed
the popularity of the term and showed that there are several roles which have this term in their title.
A combination of the terms ‘diversity’ and ‘inclusion’ was also found in the titles of some position
descriptions, while searches with the single terms ‘inclusion’ and ‘equity’ brought up a good number of
entries as well. Thinking about RLUK institutions, there were no job descriptions with any combinationof the terms ‘equity’, ‘diversity’, and ‘inclusion’ in their title. According to the table, there were 7 position
descriptions with direct references to EDI in their title submitted by RLUK members; the terms used inthese entries are ‘LGBTQ’, ‘racism’, ‘race’, and ‘inclusive’. CARL had no entries with any of the listed terms
in the titles of job descriptions.

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EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION IN THE RESEARCH LIBRARY. AN ANALYSIS OF RLUK INSTITUTIONS’ JOB DESCRIPTIONS

Overall, this research showed that, even though RLUK members gradually incorporate EDI elements(directly or indirectly) in their job descriptions, there are not many roles focusing solely on EDI (basedon the job descriptions in RL PD Bank). On the other hand, it seems that in the US, especially, there is anincreasing number of positions being created to drive EDI and culture change more broadly within researchlibraries. At this point, it should be mentioned that, through examining a selection of the job descriptions
that were brought up through the keyword searches, it became apparent that institutions, mainly, in the
US prefer to use the abbreviation DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) compared to EDI (Equality, Diversity,
Inclusion) which is used more often in the UK.
Regarding the more senior roles that have direct references to EDI in their title, it is worth noting thatthe majority (if not all) of the responsibilities contained in their portfolio focus on EDI-related initiatives
and activities which are usually both service and people focused. Relevant duties involve participating
in a variety of groups and committees and working with a range of stakeholders to promote EDI andadvocate for the role of the library. Also, professionals in these roles are often responsible for changes inorganisational culture and workforce development and retention. Looking at the required qualifications
for many of these roles, it should be highlighted that candidates are usually required to have advanced
degrees and extensive work experience, while specific certifications on EDI are a desired qualification in
many roles.
Apart from the roles which have been created to have a strong focus on EDI, research libraries in the US
and Canada include EDI (often called ‘Diversity Statements’) and other positive statements in the job
descriptions included in RL PD Bank. Moreover, other direct and indirect references to EDI are incorporated
in the list of responsibilities of the role as well as in the list of qualifications and other criteria thatcandidates will need to meet to apply. Thus, the approach employed by institutions in the US and Canada
with regards to incorporating EDI elements into the position descriptions is not very different from what
RLUK members are gradually doing.
However, as only a small number of job descriptions from the ARL, ASERL, and CARL entries were examinedthoroughly due to the focused nature of this research, it was not possible to develop a detailed picture of
the practices employed by all consortia. As RLUK institutions progress their plans around EDI and morelibraries submit job descriptions in the RL PD Bank, it will be worth conducting further research on this
topic. This can entail a more detailed landscape analysis through a combination of different methods,
such as job description analysis with survey and/ or interviews with institutional representatives from thedifferent consortia participating in the RL PD Bank.

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EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION IN THE RESEARCH LIBRARY. AN ANALYSIS OF RLUK INSTITUTIONS’ JOB DESCRIPTIONSCONCLUSION
This piece of focused research aimed to explore how RLUK institutions incorporate EDI in the job
descriptions as well as how libraries apply EDI values to their recruitment practices. It also looked atwhether new roles, including leadership positions, are being created to drive EDI initiatives and contributetowards culture change within institutions. These objectives were met through analysing the position
descriptions submitted by RLUK libraries to the RL PD Bank and interviews with representatives of somemember institutions. A brief landscape analysis with the purpose of conducting a comparison between thepractices employed by RLUK members and those by US and Canadian research libraries also took place.
The results of this research showed that RLUK member institutions increasingly incorporate direct andindirect references to EDI into the job description templates through including EDI statements or relevant
duties and responsibilities in the role description and person specification sections. Yet, compared to
institutions in the US and Canada, there are fewer roles, especially senior roles, focusing exclusively
on EDI. At the moment, current structures within home institutions and other challenges (e.g. lack offunding) prevent many RLUK libraries from creating more roles which focus solely on EDI. However, theapproach employed currently by member libraries involves adding EDI responsibilities to existing roles(e.g. after they are vacated), especially senior ones, and launching initiatives and groups which aim topromote EDI and contribute towards an inclusive working environment which can attract employees fromdiverse backgrounds. As RLUK members progress their EDI plans and more institutions contribute to
the RL PD Bank, it will be worth repeating the job description analysis and combining it with a thoroughlandscape investigation to capture progress and understand how circumstances and practices around EDI
evolve in the UK and beyond.

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EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION IN THE RESEARCH LIBRARY. AN ANALYSIS OF RLUK INSTITUTIONS’ JOB DESCRIPTIONSREFERENCES
Ishaq, M and Hussain, A.M. (2019). BAME staff experiences of academic and research libraries. London:
SCONUL. Available at: https://www.sconul.ac.uk/page/bame-staff-experiences-of-academic-andresearch-libraries (accessed 22 August 2022).
Kung, J., Fraser, K., & Winn, D. (2020). Diversity Initiatives to Recruit and Retain Academic Librarians:
A Systematic Review. College & Research Libraries, 81(1), 96. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5860/
crl.81.1.96 (accessed 22 August 2022).
Schonfeld, R. C. & Sweeney, L. (2017). Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity: Members of the Association of
Research Libraries: Employee Demographics and Director Perspectives. Ithaka S+R. Available at: https://doi.org/10.18665/sr.304524 (accessed 22 August 2022).

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EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION IN THE RESEARCH LIBRARY. AN ANALYSIS OF RLUK INSTITUTIONS’ JOB DESCRIPTIONSAPPENDIX

Representation of EDI issues in job descriptions: Summary of identified practices in RL PD Bank job descriptions by RLUK & ARL

RLUK (based on detailed research)

ARL (based on keyword-search)

Using EDI or positive statements referring to the strategic plan and values of thelibrary’s home institution. Often found at the bottom of the job description template.
Presentation varies.

Using EDI or positive statements referring to the strategic plan and values of the library’s
home institution. The term DEI instead of EDI is frequently used by US institutions.

Adding positive statements to encourage candidates from a specific background (e.g.
ethnic, cultural, professional) or with another protected characteristic (e.g. disability,
LGBTQIA) to apply.

Adding positive statements to encourage candidates from underrepresented identities toapply.

Mention of policies which imply that EDI is part of a library’s goals, values, and working
practices. Mostly found within the body of the job description (e.g. responsibilities andperson specification).
Statements which include indirect references to EDI or can be considered supportive of
EDI and reveal inclusive recruitment practices (e.g. referring to family friendly policies or
flexible working, lack of a requirement for a criminal record check).

Statements which include indirect references to EDI or can be considered supportive of
EDI (e.g. referring to family friendly policies or flexible working).

Developing new job description templates that clearly communicate commitment to EDI.
Encountered less frequently in the RL PD Bank so far.

Job description templates with sections that include information around EDI and how thelibrary or university support this as well as how the candidate can contribute.

Creating EDI-focused roles. These include direct references to EDI in their title andare often created to drive EDI initiatives. Positions vary in terms of their seniority.
Encountered less frequently in the RL PD Bank so far.

Creating EDI-focused roles. These include direct references to EDI in their title and areoften created to drive EDI initiatives.
• Several senior roles were identified with responsibilities on EDI-related initiatives
and activities that are often both service and people focused. Advanced degrees andextensive work experience is usually required.

Job descriptions which include indirect references to EDI in their title (e.g. access,participation) and include relevant responsibilities in the role specification.

Job descriptions which include indirect references to EDI in their title and include
relevant responsibilities in the role specification.

Job descriptions that include direct or indirect references to EDI in the role
responsibilities and person specification sections (beyond the home institution’s orlibrary’s EDI statements). Examples are:
• EDI-related duties and responsibilities that are role specific.
• More general EDI-related responsibilities, e.g. responsibility of an employee infollowing and respecting institutional strategies and policies around EDI.
• Statements referring to a candidate’s commitment to EDI as an attractive quality.
• EDI duties in the portfolio of responsibilities of senior roles.
The frequency and consistency with which these references appeared across the job
descriptions vary.

Job descriptions that include direct or indirect references to EDI in the role
responsibilities and person specification sections.

Not listing advanced degrees or degrees on specific disciplines or other qualifications as
essential requirements for applying unless these qualifications are considered necessary
for the role.

Requiring an EDI qualification for several roles, especially senior, that have EDI
responsibilities and duties.

Note: Please consult the report for more details on the analysis and limitations

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