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Inclusivity Bookshelf

A simple way to build inclusion in workplaces and shared spaces

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Prefer to listen? This is a spoken version of the text below (approx. 1 min 20 sec).

This idea is quick to set up and gets people talking. Find a space in your department, your shared kitchen space, or even in the corridor, and start populating it with books on inclusion.

We started doing this a few years ago. We were kindly given £100 by our group to ebay some books (see our list below) and a colleague's partner kindly built a shelf. And we had our shelf!

And new books starting appearing, gifted by the community. As well as other inclusion-based items, such as a flyer for "Andy's Man Club (opens in new tab)".

The shelf grew so popular we got another £150 to buy more books.

We chatted with friends around campus about what we'd set up. Later, other bookshelves starting popping up in different departments.

Is this the start of a plague of inclusive bookshelves? We hope so!

We would dearly love it if you would consider setting up your own bookshelf. Send us a photo and your location and we'll add it to the gallery below. There's also a section of ways of persuading your leaders on why this is a good idea.

Book suggestions

Why this is a good idea

  • Simple and low cost to set up
  • Lives in shared spaces, so is noticed
  • Sparks conversations and recommendations
  • Grows organically through donations and interest
  • Looks good when guests come around (ugh)
  • There is pride about the bookshelf
  • Self replicants, von-Neumann style
  • We make the world a tiny tiny bit better

Draft email (copy/paste)

Feel free to copy, paste, and edit: 

Dear [Name],

I'd like to propose that our department get an Inclusivity Bookshelf in one of our shared spaces.

It typically costs around £100 to start (buying books second-hand to reduce waste), and it lives in a communal area, so it's naturally noticed. It sparks discussion and helps us level up in terms of inclusion.

You can see the idea here: https://inclusivitybookshelf.com/

Would you be open to allocating a small seed budget of £100 so we can set one up?

Best wishes,

[Your name]

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