Following on from Mental Health Awareness Week last week, we wanted to highlight the importance of providing equal access and support to all our students in order to make them feel recognised, valued and respected within the whole school community and in particular our school libraries. We believe that it is crucial that students are able to see themselves represented and reflected within our book collections, displays and activities, as this has an impact on their self worth and in turn their mental health and wellbeing.
By diversity we mean understanding that everyone is unique and recognising and respecting our differences, even when they are hidden or undiagnosed. These differences may include race, ethnicity, culture, gender, sexual orientation, physical abilities, religious beliefs and neurodiversity.
Below are some examples of how we celebrate and promote the diversity of our school community through reading and activities, to help foster empathy and understanding, with the aim of providing a welcoming, calm and safe space for all our students:
- We mark and celebrate key events across the year through library displays, on the Library blog and through social media posts. These include: Mental Health Awareness week, Black History Month, Pride Month, Holocaust Memorial Day, Dyslexia Awareness Week, Deaf Awareness Week, World Autism Acceptance Week, Refugee Week, International Women’s Day, Diverse Book Awards, Jhalak Prize and Empathy Day.
- We organise and host a diverse range of author visits. These include visits from award winning YA authors Alex Wheatle MBE, Patrice Lawrence and Marcus Sedgwick. Previously, we have also facilitated virtual visits from Sally Gardner, dyslexic champion and author, and Robin Stevens, author of the phenomenally successful Murder Most Unladylike, as part of the Authors Aloud World Book Day 2021 celebrations. As well as historian and writer David Olusoga, as part of the Bishop Stortford College Online Festival of Literature.
- We regularly review and add to our collections to ensure that they are diverse and inclusive. We curate and promote these through reading lists on OLIVER, our Library Management System, on the Library Insta (@ephs_library) and our blog. For example, our ‘diverse voices’ list and our ‘mental health and wellbeing’ list.
Our parents and PTA are very supportive of the Libraries and have contributed over 307 books since 2019. This year we received an additional donation of diverse books from an EPHS parent, Mrs Chinniah, purchased by her from This is Book Love.
This is Book Love are an independent collective who aim to educate and celebrate multiculturalism and inclusion through the supply of the best diverse books sourced from around the world. These books are available to borrow from the libraries and have been promoted on social media and the Library blog.
By continuing to make our libraries more diverse, we can ensure that they are a safe space for all.
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