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Addresses a number of issues concerning racial discrimination in UK public libraries. It examines Black librarianship in the UK in 2001; records the development of the Quality Leaders Project which focuses on policy development, management and leadership issues in the context of Black workers and community needs; and discusses the potential contribution of this approach.

The article examines the existence of institutionalised racism in the LIS sector. The author maintains that the profession in Britain is caught in a time warp which prevents any meaningful change to the status quo. He compares British experience with that in the USA. The article goes on to examine ways in which racism can be combated. The concept of Black librarianship – as a concept and work practice – needs to be accepted as part of the solution to racism. Areas for action include empowerment of Black community and library workers. Self‐empowering Black staff, and communities need to be part of the real decision‐making process in a structured, organised way. There is an urgent need to create more friendly working conditions for Black staff, which in itself can result in improved services to Black communities. It concludes on a positive note by saying that the Government’s initiatives in addressing issues of “social exclusion” provide a new framework for the LIS workers to take a strategic approach.

Most literature available about Kenya today has been written from the point of view of imperialism or of the ruling class. Very little material representing the working people’s interests is available. There is also a scarcity of information about material on Kenya (and Africa generally) from the point of view of the working people. This is a reflection of the lack of control over the process of communication and mass media by the working class. Records literature of the other side ‐ the people’s point of view. Lists some important publications from the Kenyan underground which has been systematically issuing major documents and commentary on the ongoing struggle of the people for social justice and economic liberation. Counters the claim by some that there is no progressive material coming out of Africa. Indeed this literature is indispensable for historical research and in the struggle for true democracy. Without this material, the ideology of the ruling class remains unchallenged. Also includes other progressive material. The survey is partisan and no attempt is made to have a “balanced” view, as the ruling class point of view has adequate resources to propagate itself. Makes some recommendations for information workers.

Describes the approach taken by Merton Library and Heritage Service, part of the London Borough of Merton, to address equalities in a meaningful way. It examines aspects of service delivery and the changing staffing structure. Without appropriate structures and policies to address equality matters, no fundamental change, required for the creation of a service based on principles of social justice, can occur. The underlying vision and philosophy are examined. It has been written for use within the service and to inform others of the successes and failures to date. Based on the experience of the process of change to date, a list is provided of key requirements for creating a service based on principles of equality.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the changes in the way information management is taught at the Department of Applied Social Science (DASS) in the context of a fast‐changing world situation. It looks at the way reflective learning is being incorporated in teaching and provides some details of projects and modules which incorporate reflective learning in teaching and learning programmes. Design/methodology/approach – The paper examines the changing global situation to which a university education needs to respond. It then focuses on the information field and gives details of the way in which some new projects and modules are being developed to meet new challenges. Findings – As this is ongoing work, a final analysis is not possible at this stage. External evaluation of the Quality Leaders Project (QLP) will provide further assessment of this approach and responses from employers and students will further inform the direction of this approach. Practical implications – The paper highlights the need for change in the teaching of information management. Changes in curricula and learning practices at universities and direct intervention through pilot projects can offer one solution. The experience gained has the potential of developing a new teaching model with lifelong learning at its core. Originality/value – This paper brings ideas and practices from teaching, learning and management to the information sector. It will be of interest to a number of professions: teaching, management, lifelong learning and information as well as political activists and organisations whose learning needs are largely ignored in the mainstream education systems.

The rapidly changing nature of local government service demands new skills, but there is often a gap between the new skills needed by library authorities and the skills that “traditional” librarianship education delivers. The purpose of this paper is to show how QLP‐Y can bridge this gap and to consider the approach of the Quality Leaders Project – Youth (QLP‐Y, 2003) and its contribution to staff development within the public library sector.

Setting the project in the context of a changing global situation, the paper considers briefly the effect of this situation on local government service before moving on to consider the learning opportunities afforded by involvement in QLP‐Y. Finally, it considers the importance of sustained innovation in public service and the role of universities within this.

The paper highlights the need for a different content in librarianship courses and the need for a training approach that combines work‐based learning with an academic focus. It shows how the “management development through service development” approach of QLP‐Y can lead to significant achievements in the development of both staff and service and how QLP‐Y can develop in staff key management skills alongside an understanding of the wider policy context and the ability to shape one's work within it.

Using the latest QLP‐Y material, the paper examines how the project has helped implement new ways of working in line with changing policy requirements and will thus be of interest to the academic community, decision makers and managers in local authorities.

Describes the establishment and work of the Black and minority Ethnic Stock Group (BSG) in Hackney libraries. The BSG was an attempt to involve black staff, at all levels in the library service, in the selection of stock for the black community. As a first step, 25 per cent of the stock fund was allocated to the purchase of black stock. This helped to make up for historical underfunding and was part of a longer term strategy to match library resources to the community profile. The BSG was a successful experiment in staff empowerment and led to the selection of stock which was relevant to the black community.

The article examines a report by an expatriate librarian on the library scene in East Africa in the 1950s and 1960s. According to the author, the report misses the climate of change that was sweeping East Africa at the time. The author provides an alternative interpretation of the struggle for a relevant information service in Kenya, linking it with the political and social struggles. He asserts that the opportunity for making fundamental changes was lost. Instead of challenging the basis on which library services were built, information workers allowed themselves to be manipulated into making cosmetic changes. The classes which were served by the colonial library service continued to be served after independence. The experiences, the cultures, the very language of working people remained outside the walls of library buildings. The struggle for an information system which serves the needs of all continues today. The author urges information workers not to isolate themselves from the broader social struggles taking place in their societies.

The executive summary of the report of an 18‐month research project on public library policy and social exclusion based at Leeds Metropolitan University and conducted in partnership with the London Borough of Merton (Libraries), Sheffield Libraries, Archives and Information Services, and John Vincent, an independent consultant. Briefly describes the background to the research and gives a summary of the study findings and the main conclusions and recommendations. The study examines the context of social exclusion and the nature of the problems facing public libraries and other public institutions in tackling disadvantage.

The article examines reasons why libraries do not provide information relevant to the satisfaction of material needs. Issues examined in the context of global poverty include: what is relevant information? the relation between social poverty and information poverty; users and their information needs; the class struggle and its influence on information provision; content and language of information. It concludes that the question of relevance of information is related to the question of equality in the distribution of information between different classes. There cannot be information equality unless there is equality in ownership of economic resources and political power. The information struggle for equality and relevance is directly related to the struggle for economic and political equality. The challenge is to make all working people librarians, and to make all librarians workers. Only then will real power in the information field return where it belongs ‐ to the people. Only then will questions of relevance and equality be resolved.