5. Develop our people

Building on the success of the talent management activities since 2006, leadership development opportunities have been extended to a wider senior management group. Development continued through running of additional leadership development centres, with personal development plans drawn up to strengthen individuals' leadership style. The Organisation Talent Review was repeated in March 2009, to a wider more inclusive staff group. This model has been piloted within a department in Operations and Services Directorate; outcomes of this pilot will help to identify how to ultimately cascade talent management throughout the whole of the Library.

The Library continued to develop and implement its strategy to build a diverse workforce and increase engagement with wider communities. It submitted a five-year report and also an Annual Report to the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland. The Gender Group published its first Annual Report and held meetings on issues such as transgender awareness and the 'glass ceiling' for gay women. A Race Group was convened, an action plan was developed and race awareness training began. The Disability Action Group completed the second year of its action plan. Training continued to have a high priority and new initiatives included the launch of online diversity training.

Top of the agenda in 2008 was to develop a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) framework. The goal: to sustain the world's knowledge. The challenge: to structure a CSR framework which enhances that which the Library does by default.

The Library has developed action plans in line with its CSR framework to ensure that it is meeting not only the public sector requirements on sustainable development, but also engaging its staff in local communities; ensuring responsible procurement and celebrating diversity. The working group provides cohesion for CSR processes and a platform upon which ideas and projects can be discussed and implemented.

More than 40 new volunteers were trained in school reading at Boston Spa and St Pancras, and a mentoring programme was also started for a local secondary school in London. A successful Book Review competition was held with a local school in celebration of World Book Day and a number of events were held at the Library to support Black History Month. A revised ethical procurement process was produced and access to the opportunities of working with the Library as a supplier (amongst other CSR information) were made via a new dedicated CSR page on the British Library website.