Strengthen your teaching with the Reading List Diversification Toolkit
New staff resource shows you how and why to diversify your reading lists.
The Libraries have created the practical and user-friendly Reading List Diversification Toolkit to support academic colleagues in diversifying and enriching their reading lists. This allows course leaders to present a more authentic picture of their field and introduce fresh perspectives to their teaching.
The toolkit aims not to provide simple answers around diversification of reading lists but rather provides thought-provoking questions to start discussions around the University.
Students want more diverse reading. They want to see better representation that not only speaks to and empowers members of minoritised groups, but also sharpens all students’ critical thinking skills by taking global perspectives and a more holistic approach to learning.
Diverse reading lists enable educators to better reflect and connect with students across all disciplines by broadening the range of voices, knowledge and lived experiences in a subject: whether that’s new challenges and approaches to the Western canon in the arts and humanities or reclaiming and reframing marginalised histories in STEM subjects.
The toolkit is a valuable and innovative way to promote inclusivity, diversity and equality in academia. It helps bring attention to marginalised voices and supports the effort to decolonise the curriculum.
The toolkit explores:
- The importance and impact of diverse reading lists for students and staff.
- The challenges and opportunities of engaging in diversification and decolonisation work, helping you to reflect on current and future practice.
- How the Libraries can work with you to support diversification.
- The practical tools needed to begin or continue this work.
The Libraries have also run successful training sessions with OD&PL to help course leaders understand how to use the toolkit and the benefits of diversifying their reading lists ahead of the new semester.
More sessions will be running in 2026. If you are interested in attending future sessions, please email the Reading Lists team via readinglistsdiversification@leeds.ac.uk.
