We work closely with Global Link, a local charity dedicated to supporting refugees and asylum seekers. This partnership allows individuals to use our library resources. Recently, our events space proudly hosted 'Escape to Safety,' an interactive exhibit that powerfully depicts the journeys of three asylum seekers finding refuge.

Our Special Collections and Archives arrange exhibitions and events to highlight various awareness days including LBGT+ History Month, Women’ History Month, and UK Disability History Month. Please look at our what's on page for more information: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/library/whats-on/exhibitions-and-displays/past-displays/

The library has also partnered with local groups such as the Lancaster Black History group, to create a community collection of books, the Global Collection; and the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community to screen the film Romany Rai. The library’s engagement with race and anti-racism has also fed into its thinking about policy and process with significant changes being made to the recruitment and selection strategy as well as a Black and Ethnic Minority Careers event both aimed at attracting job applicants from underrepresented groups. The Library committed staff time to the Race Equality Charter Teaching and Learning Committee and Institutional Self-Assessment Team and are currently working to incorporate the Bronze award action plan into their refreshed Library vision.

A large focus of this role is delivering EDI activities, with the freedom for the graduate trainee to explore different personal interests within EDI, such as commemorating White Ribbon Day, creating an event to highlight neurodiversity in careers across the university, and helping create bookstands. Both graduate trainees have successfully moved on from their time with us, one into further education and the most recent to another engagement-based role external to the university. Both spoke highly of the confidence and the skills that they developed through their time here. It has been remarkable how each graduate trainee has contributed something entirely different, highlighting the rich diversity we encourage within our library.

An area the team has been developing and building on is the support available for postgraduate students such as ‘Dissertation Conversations’ and ‘Presenting your Research’. The dissertation conversations are a series of small group sessions where PG students can connect with others about their experiences of undertaking a dissertation in English. Each session looks at a different stage of the dissertation process and provides a space to explore approaches. The ‘Presenting your Research’ course provides a space for students to reflect on their experiences of giving presentations in English plus students have the opportunity to give a presentation on any aspect of their research or studies and receive feedback from the tutor and peers. The presentations showcase the richness of the research our postgraduates are involved in, spanning a range of topics, contexts, and countries.

In the library we look to consider the wellbeing of our students. The Feel Good hub is where students can take a break from their studies, look at craft, cookery or travel books even do a jigsaw. There are books supporting mental health and other conditions that our user may want to explore or find out more about. It is also a space where students can find out about other services on campus.

We have also introduced a board game collection to the Library which was introduced as part of a course along with a regular board game evening during term time. The games can be used by all students in the library for some time away from their studies.

Perhaps our biggest SDG undertaking each year was our Celebrating Success event. Colleagues were nominated under categories that highlighted individual and team contributions, nationally and internationally. Celebrations of conference talks, events organising, publications, specialist training, awards and more. From taking on the new role of LGBT+ Staff Network Chair to gaining ALDinHe funded research project exploring the experience of peer writing mentoring in Higher Education and the impact on writing, teaching and the emotional impact, staff shared showcases of their work, inspiring others and demonstrating what an outstanding Library Team we have at Lancaster.