Avoid meetings in ‘racist’ buildings, librarians told, as part of £130,000 'critical witness' training
20 August 2024, 09:43
Librarians have been told to avoid holding meetings in 'racist' buildings as part of a crackdown on Colonialism.
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The directions, put in place by decolonisation experts, appear in training guidelines for librarians in Wales.
The librarians have now been tasked with becoming “anti-racist” as part of the initiative, aligning with the devolved Labour government’s pledge to “eradicate” systemic racism by 2030.
The guidelines form part of the core "decolonialism" training for local librarians in a project costing a staggering £130,000.
The measures form part of “critical whiteness studies”, with librarians instructed to deal with issues, including what it describes as the “dominant paradigm of whiteness”.
Created by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (Cilip) in Wales, the document explains that librarians should check training for “harmful” content - notably links to colonialism.
It follows a 2021 report set out by the Welsh government entitled 'The Slave Trade and the British Empire: An Audit of Commemoration in Wales' which outlined problematic locations for anti-racism trainers.
The guidelines cover a host of establishments - from pubs to schools to cafes - warning librarians not to hold meetings against historically racist backdrops.
The Goronwy Owen primary school in the Isle of Anglesey, North Wales, was one such building outlined in guidelines.
It was highlighted because its namesake was found to have owned slaves.
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The guidance comes after dozens of buildings in Wales, from pubs to community centres, were added to a 2021 government-backed dossier of sites linked to slavery and colonialism.
A warning in a “venue booking” guide says: “Be mindful of the venue and if you have a choice, do not choose a venue that represents a racist legacy.”
The guidelines add: “If you have to use a venue that has a racist past, acknowledge this as early as possible to demonstrate your commitment to systemic issues."
The previous Welsh guidelines highlighted a host of notable locations - including monuments and statues - which had links to slavery and empire, including Admiral Nelson, Francis Drake and the Duke of Wellington,
It also featured an entire village, Nelson in Caerphilly, which has a population of 4,600 people, alongside Picton Community centre in Haverfordwest.
