Disclosure Log

Councils public art and museums (FOI/7437)

Message from Nottinghamshire County Council - 31 March 2026

Dear *********                                                             

Freedom of Information Request – Ref: FOI/00007437

Thank you for your email of 4th March 2026 where you requested information about Councils public art and museums. The response to your request is provided below.

In your request you asked:

Public art*

What is being done to make the town hall space more inclusive in terms of race, and LGBT inclusion

What artworks have been installed or removed to help with this Paintings linked to empire and slavery for example/

What public art more generally, has been commissioned to improve diversity and inclusion

What public art more generally, has been removed, or given greater context, or reviewed for links to offensive or outmoded issues - statues linked to empire and slavery, for example

Local museums*
 
What is being done to make local museums (if applicable) more inclusive in terms of race, and LGBT inclusion

What displays have been added or updated to help with this For example, have outdated displays been taken down

What research is being undertaken

What tours are available

What advice on racial inclusion and LTGBT issues is provided to staff

*Public Art and Local Museums fall under the remit of the district and borough councils. If not already done so, please contact:
 
  • Ashfield District Council, Urban Road, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, NOTTINGHAM, NG17 8DA or [email protected].
  • Bassetlaw District Council, Queen’s Buildings, Potter Street, WORKSOP, S80 2AH or [email protected].
  • Broxtowe Borough Council, Council Offices, Foster Avenue, Beeston, NOTTINGHAM, NG9 1AB or [email protected].
  • Gedling Borough Council, Civic Centre, Arnot Hill Park, Arnold, NOTTINGHAM, NG5 6LU or [email protected].
  • Mansfield District Council, Civic Centre, Chesterfield Road South, MANSFIELD, NG19 7BH or [email protected].
  • Newark and Sherwood District Council, Castle House, Great North Road, NEWARK, NG24 1BY or [email protected].
  • Rushcliffe Borough Council, Rushcliffe Arena, Rugby Road, West Bridgford, NOTTINGHAM, NG2 7YG or [email protected].
  • Nottingham City Council, Loxley House, Station Street, NOTTINGHAM, NG2 3NG or [email protected].

Libraries 

If applicable, what is being done to make local libraries more inclusive in terms of race, and LGBT inclusion

Diverse books are mainstream and are regularly listed on our Your Next Good Read poster which goes out to all libraries.  We also have specific recommendations on our online catalogue here; https://nottslibraries.inspireculture.org.uk/equality-diversity-inclusion

What books have been added to stock in relation to this

We cannot give an exact number of diverse titles which have been added to stock, as we purchase these as a matter of course, as mainstream items.   They are not treated differently from other subjects or categories or stock. We follow this guidance in the Nottinghamshire County Council Library  stock policy.

Within the budget and space available, we will provide a balanced and comprehensive collection.  Stock will include a wide range of material to suit people of different ages, abilities, needs, backgrounds, views and interests, including those with protected characteristics as specified in the Equalities act of 2010, and to reflect the diversity of life in the UK.

What books have been removed or moved to a reserve stack, or a less prominent place, because their content might be problematic; for example, outdated, racist, homophobic, transphobic, Islamophobic

The Library service as a matter of course withdraw stock or move it to the fiction reserve if it no longer meets our stock standards, which includes age of stock/use of stock/condition of stock/continued relevance. The service has never withdrawn stock in response to a complaint, as the following guidance on censorship is followed :

The British public library tradition is built on the principles of intellectual freedom, free access to information, ideas and knowledge, free expression and democratic dialogue. Libraries operate within the law to provide this in a safe and hospitable environment. The Ethical Framework maintained by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP), sets out the commitment of librarians and information professionals to uphold, promote and defend intellectual freedom, including freedom from censorship.

In order to do this, Nottinghamshire County Libraries follows the guidance on Managing Safe and Inclusive Public Library Services produced by CILIP in 2023 with funding from Arts Council England.  This states that “Librarians, library staff and decision-makers are expected actively to oppose censorship for any purpose other than material that is proscribed by law, which risks the incitement of illegal acts or which constitutes ‘hate speech’ as defined by the Public Order Act 1986, the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 and the Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006.

Nottinghamshire County Libraries will therefore not censor items of stock which have not incurred any legal penalty because they are thought to be controversial but will evaluate them according to the selection criteria listed in this policy.  We acknowledge that older works will reflect the morals and social attitudes of their day, and also that on occasion individuals may find items in Nottinghamshire Libraries personally offensive.  However, we expect that customers can make their own judgements on what they would like to read and make reasonable and critical evaluation of the views and opinions expressed.  It is the responsibility of parents and carers to ensure that library stock their children access is appropriate according to their own views and the age of the child.

Can you provide details of any complaint received in the timeframe relating to the above issues

The library service had a complaint late last year from a customer wishing us to remove items for children and young adults which have positive transgender content.  In February 2026 the service had a complaint about a book for parents about children who say they are transgender – the complainant said that this book was transphobic. 

Your privacy: we use your personal information such as name and address so that we can comply with our legal obligations to respond to FOI requests.  For further details about the use of information about you, please see the information handling privacy notice on our website at https://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/media/4323566/informationgovernanceandinformationrightsprivacynotice.pdf.

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the right to ask for an internal review.  Internal review requests should be submitted within 40 working days of the date of receipt of the response to your original request and should be addressed to: Complaints and Information – Team Manager, Nottinghamshire County Council, County Hall, Loughborough Road, West Bridgford, NOTTINGHAM, NG2 7QP or [email protected].

Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications. 

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision.  The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, WILMSLOW, SK9 5AF or https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/foi-and-eir-complaints/.

Yours sincerely

The Complaints and Information Team
Nottinghamshire County Council