Potentially sensitive or offensive material

Heading in Quickbase is titled 'Potential sensitivity issues.'

Any material processed as part of the inventory that invites questioning or debate regarding sensitivity or offensiveness should be flagged as ‘potentially sensitive’ using the tick box in Quickbase. Where possible add a comment in the additional notes/ queries field to denote the type of sensitivity this relates to, i.e. ‘sexually explicit’ or ‘animal experimentation’. If this is difficult to contextualise or too time-consuming, leave the material as flagged for future investigation without comment.

If any material you discover during inventory is distressing or upsetting, please prioritise your wellbeing.

If you feel any material needs immediate action i.e. restricting or closing access then please speak with the team and wider colleagues in Collections Information. See 'Access to personal and sensitive information: Internal Procedural Manual' which can be found here: https://app.gitbook.com/o/-LumfFcEMKx4gYXKAZTQ/s/eX8hTEpM6WWjXnqLnC35/

Additionally, see Appendix F for guidance on what to consider or be mindful of regarding sensitive/ offensive material for inventory purposes.

For collections or items that are sensitive/offensive or you're unsure and would like to discuss, please feel free to bring to our bi-weekly inventory team meeting or our monthly CADI meeting.

Useful resources

Terminology: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1JlZG0zmzlzPauwqJ5JxxUajf5hYkD0ta https://collectionstrust.org.uk/blog/tackling-racist-language-in-collections/