The document discusses decolonizing university curricula by reevaluating reading lists. It notes that decolonization calls for acknowledging Western dominance in knowledge production and dismantling oppressive structures. Exclusion from reading lists can signify who is considered unimportant or as not contributing, while inclusion signifies authority and relevance. Decolonized reading lists would feature more diverse voices and narratives, consider authors' identities and perspectives, and address systemic inequalities in scholarly publishing.

1. “Decolonising the university is an all-encompassing project, which calls
for us to truly reckon with our complicity in the dominance of western
knowledge production and dismantle oppressive power structures.”
- Sue Lemos, University of Warwick 1
1. HTTPS://SOCIALHISTORY.ORG.UK/SHS_EXCHANGE/DECOLONISE-NOT-DIVERSIFY/

2. Today’s session:
• Explore the purpose and
perception of reading lists and
what a ‘good’ list might look like
• Develop our understanding of
decolonisation and the role
libraries and library resources play
• Learn how to audit your own lists
for diversity and inclusivity

3. Derby’s
awarding gaps:
ethnicity
(2019/20)
Level Points Gap White Black
Instutition-wide
Science & Engineering
Arts, Humanities &
Education
Business, Law and Social
Sciences
Health, Psychology &
Social Care
UDOL

4. What is decolonisation
and why does it matter?

5. What is a reading list for?

6. What is a reading list for?
To help students
identify and find
resources?
To provide guidance
and structure to
students’ reading?
To demonstrate the
breadth of material
available?
To improve students’
literacy?
As a communication
tool between lecturers
and the library?

7. What do your students think
a reading list is for?

8. What does
inclusion on a
reading list
signify?
Who is important
Who holds authority
Who is relevant
Who matters
Who contributes

9. So what does
exclusion from
academia canon
signify?
Who is not important
Who does not hold authority
Who is not relevant
Who does not matter
Who does not contribute

10. “When we offer white male-
dominated reading lists we
also teach students the
wrong lessons about who is
an intellectual authority and
deserves our attention.
BAME students need to see
themselves reflected in the
curriculum as legitimate
creators of knowledge.” 2
2. HTTPS://WWW.THEGUARDIAN.COM/EDUCATION/2019/MAR/20/ACADEMICS-ITS-TIME-TO-GET-BEHIND-DECOLONISING-THE-CURRICULUM

11. “Decolonising the university is an all-encompassing project, which calls
for us to truly reckon with our complicity in the dominance of western
knowledgeproduction and dismantle oppressive power structures.”
- Sue Lemos, University of Warwick

12. What might a
decolonised reading list look like?

13. Question
your
reading list
What are the dominant voices and narratives in your areas of study?
What voices and narratives are excluded, and how can they be identified?
Are the texts Western-centric, or Euro-centric?
Are bodies of knowledge distorted? Can discourse affect the way that we
look at groups of people?
Who is the author of the work? Are the majority of the authors the same
gender and ethnicity?
What is the relevance of the author’s identity in this context?
Who is talking about whose experience and/ or culture?
What is the place of publication and geographic coverage of the text?
What is the language of the text? Is it a translation or in its original
language?
What kinds of sources do we perceive to be of most academic value and
why?

14. Consider
accessibility and
open access
Many publishers do not make
all texts available as ebooks, or
price them beyond the ability
of the library to provide.

15. Find the
marginalised
voices
Traditional academic
publishing is dominated by a
small group of Western-centric
publishers4.
So go beyond…
4. HTTPS://WWW.PUBLISHERSWEEKLY.COM/PW/BY-TOPIC/INDUSTRY-NEWS/PUBLISHER-NEWS/ARTICLE/78036-PEARSON-IS-STILL-THE-
WORLD-S-LARGEST-PUBLISHER.HTML

16. Recognize the
systemic inequality in
the scholarly
publishing system
66-80% of peer reviewers are
white.
Majority of published
research focuses on WEIRD
societies.
Draw on grey literature…

17. Work in partnership with your students
Ask students to critique the reading list and suggest new content from their own research and
experience.
Talk to your students about the disciplinary canon, areas of exclusions, and alternative narratives.
Who is excluded, and why?
Why are these authors the
authorities?
What is the context in which
this research was undertaken?
How was this knowledge
generated?

18. Contextualise

19. Reading list audit tool

20. In summary…
Talk to your academic librarian.
Audit your reading lists.
Explore alternative publishers, open access sources.
Work with your students.
Edit your reading lists.

21. What are your next steps?