User:Orangetangerine2000/sandbox

Indigenous Collection Development
Indigenous collection development focuses on providing culturally relevant library resources by, for, and with Indigenous people. Generally, the criteria for planning and building library collections are guided by collection development policies aimed at addressing the needs of a library's users. In Indigenous contexts collection development practices and policies aim to provide barrier free access to culturally relevant materials for the communities they serve, which can range from Indigenous community libraries to Indigenous collections within public libraries. To give some examples, the First Nations University of Canada library collection policy focuses primarily on the materials written by, for, and about the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples of Canada; the Blackfoot Digital Library is dedicated to creating a Blackfoot-centric collection; the New South Wales (NSW) State Library Indigenous Collecting Strategy broadly serves to focus on "developing its collections of material created by Indigenous people, who have contributed, and continue to contribute, to the life of NSW and its communities." Additionally, Indigenous collection development may be guided by Indigenous protocols that address the specific, local needs of Indigenous communities. For example, the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) collection is guided by the AIATSIS Collection Development Policy as well as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Library Information and Resource Network (ATSILIRN) Protocols for Libraries, Archives and Information Services. Though Indigenous collection development strategies are defined by the specific library contexts and communities they serve, some shared considerations emerge across diverse Indigenous collection development processes:


 * Make space for the collection of materials by Indigenous authors, and "ensure that authentic Indigenous voices are represented." Indigenous histories, cultures, experiences, and voices have largely been omitted from libraries. Thus the location, selection, and acquisition of materials by and for Indigenous peoples is a key task for Indigenous collection development. In a North American context, scholar of Indigenous librarianship Loriene Roy's article, "Keeping Up: Building Your Indigenous Collection," offers practical strategies for locating Indigenous materials and staying aware of new publications by publishers and Indigenous authors.
 * Appropriate handling of offensive, historically inaccurate representations of Indigenous people and culturally insensitive materials. The history of libraries is intricately tied to colonialism, and thus library collections need to be evaluated for institutionalized racism and inaccurate representations of Indigenous peoples. For example, "How to Tell the Difference: A Guide for Evaluating Children’s Books for Anti-Indian Bias" offers a set of evaluation criteria to assess for negative depictions of Indigenous people through devices such as stereotypes, loaded words, and distortions of history. However, as ATSILIRN Protocol 7 states, appropriate handling of offensive materials does not mean merely censoring these materials, pretending they do not exist, but consulting with the peoples represented to deal with them sensitively and effectively.
 * Develop collections that respond to the importance of oral traditions and storytelling for many Indigenous peoples. The crucial importance of storytelling in the resurgence of Indigenous many cultures challenges libraries to find relevant ways to include storytelling in their collections. For example, the Saskatchewan Aboriginal Storytelling (SAS) project, a month-long annual event in Saskatchewan, Canada, promotes First Nations, Métis & Inuit oral storytelling traditions. Organized by the Library Services for Saskatchewan Aboriginal Peoples committee, the SAS project brings Indigenous storytelling into libraries across the province and also maintains a web archive of past SAS projects. In a South African context, Maned Mhlongo makes the point that "African societies are oral societies," and therefore this must be reflected in the selection of media and formats of materials included in public library collection development strategies.
 * Support Indigenous language rights through the collection of relevant, local, language specific materials. The suppression and attempted erasure of many Indigenous languages is tied to settler colonial practices of assimilation of Indigenous peoples. Through collection development libraries can support Indigenous language revitalization. For example, the New Zealand libraries have developed specific strategies to help revitalize the te reo Ma-ori language. In a Canadian context, "Supporting Indigenous Language Revitalization: Strategies for Public Libraries" offers a guide for libraries to support Indigenous language revitalization, including collection development strategies.
 * Support Indigenous health practices through library collection development. The ongoing effects of colonialism has led to poorer health conditions for many Indigenous peoples. The Indigenous Health Collection located at the University of Manitoba’s Neil John Maclean Health Sciences Library was developed to support a holistic approach to Indigenous health based on First Nations, Métis, and Inuit ways of knowing. The National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health hosted by the University of Northern BC in British Columbia, Canada, offers an online collection of resources aimed at supporting Indigenous health renewal and health equity through through knowledge translation and exchange.

External Links: Indigenous Collection Development Resources

 * American Indian Library Association: Resources
 * American Indians in Children's Literature Blog
 * Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) "Communication through effective collection management" presentation
 * Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS): Collection Development Strategy 2017 - 2021
 * Canadian Federation of Library Associations (CFLA-FCAB) Indigenous Resources and Databases
 * Collection Management Journal, October 2017, Special Issue: Sharing Knowledge and Smashing Stereotypes: Representing Native American, First Nation, and Indigenous Realities in Library Collections
 * Culturally Safe Libraries: Working with Indigenous collections - resource to provide culturally safe public spaces and services in libraries for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
 * IFLA Journal, October 2021: Special Issue on Indigenous Librarianship
 * Indigenous Collecting: New South Wales State Library
 * MacEwan University Library Indigenous Collections Policy
 * Oyate: Native American Stories and Songs
 * Strong Nations Publishing
 * Supporting Indigenous Language Revitalization: Strategies for Public Libraries A Resource Guide for Library Boards, Administrators, and Staff
 * University of British Columbia: Indigenous Librarianship - Collections Management
 * University of Toronto Library Guide: Indigenous Book Club & Discover Indigenous Authors