Skip to Main Content
Main site homepage

Inclusive Reading List Toolkit

Crowd of different coloured silhouettes on textile background

Welcome to the Toolkit

The Inclusive Reading List Toolkit has been created to support the ongoing work around inclusive education at King’s, set out in Vision 2029 and reinforced through focused objectives in Strategy 2026.  

While reading lists cannot do this alone, we know they have a part to play in the creation of an inclusive educational environment and can impact a student's overall experience of a module. 

This Toolkit will develop over time as the information landscape, our data capabilities and services change. If you have any feedback or suggestions please contact us at King's Libraries & Collections.

Purpose of the Toolkit

The purpose of the Toolkit is to bring together the information, tools and support required to create a reading list representative of a range of views and perspectives in the most accessible way possible.  

Critically reviewing and pulling in diverse voices on reading lists is one action you can take to foster a sense of belonging with your students, enabling them to not only see themselves in their curriculum but also encouraging your whole cohort to think critically about who is legitimised as an authority on a subject and why. We recognise it can be difficult to find alternative sources of information, especially in particular disciplines, so the Toolkit provides practical suggestions for resources.  

In the future, we will introduce metrics to apply to our reading lists which will examine inclusivity. Currently there are several ways in which we can work towards this, starting by examining each reading list’s resources in terms of diversity across: race, LGBTQIA+, disability, gender, religion, and age. We can work on improving inclusivity in our resources by using a diverse range of sources, providing contextualising material, and acknowledging course content demographics. 

Another way to facilitate inclusive education is through the inclusion of open access resources on reading lists therefore the Toolkit also focuses on OA content recommendations, advice to King’s Authors wishing to publish in a more accessible way, and the creation and inclusion of Open Educational Resources. 

Content Overview

The Toolkit is divided into 4 sections:

This section provides an introduction to the toolkit and its purpose.

This section provides information about how reading lists can support the work around inclusiveducation, the challenges we face due to academic publishing practices and highlights the connection between them.

This section highlights our commitment to the pursuit of openness and how inclusion of OA resources on reading lists can actively support inclusive education. It also includes information on Open Educational Resources and guidance on creating your own.

This section provides the tools and support to create an inclusive reading list including a self-assessment tool, content recommendations and further support.