Thriving in Your Career 2026 - a free face-to-face event for UK Ethnic Minority colleagues

This free face-to-face event will build on the collaborative and supportive events of the last few years.

It continues to explore how we can thrive in our careers, whether we are looking to progress into a new role or want to develop in our current one, and includes a safe space for us to discuss navigating around or constructively challenging structural barriers that may stand in our way.

We encourage staff at all career stages to attend.

Lunch and refreshments will be provided during the event.

Further details will follow, but this is the outline of the programme:

10:00 - Arrive
10:15-10:30 - Welcome and Introductions
10:30-11:30 - Keynote Speaker TBC
11:30-11:45 - Tea Break
11:45-12:45 - Lightning Talks 
12:45-1:45 - Lunch
1:45-2:45 - Networking session - details TBC
2:45-4:00 - Library / ‘Stitch & Bitch’ craft session
4:00-onwards - Event social - Venue in Manchester TBC

Lightning Talks Contributions
We are looking for contributions to the lightning talks section of the programme. We want this to be an opportunity to celebrate and showcase the work and projects that you are involved in. You can share anything you’re interested in and it can be about ongoing, completed or planned work, on any aspect of your practice as an information professional. Please submit your proposal (a title and brief description) via this form. The presentations should be around 10-15 mins, with an opportunity for questions at the end (but can be shorter if you prefer). The session will be informal so there is no need for in-depth preparation (off-the-cuff will be fine). The deadline for responses is Friday 10 July 2026. 

Financial Support for Travel
We can offer some financial support packages to those who may otherwise be prevented from attending. If this would assist you to attend, please contact us to discuss further – academiclibrariesnorth@sconul.ac.uk.