Indigenous librarianship is a distinct field of librarianship that brings Indigenous approaches to areas such as knowledge organization, collection development, library and information services, language and cultural practices, and education. The Encyclopedia of Library and Information Sciences (3rd ed.) states that Indigenous librarianship emerged as a "distinct field of practice and an arena for international scholarship in the late twentieth century bolstered by a global recognition of the value and vulnerability of Indigenous knowledge systems, and of the right of Indigenous peoples to control them."
Indigenous librarianship is supported by a number of professional associations, a growing body of research, and both professional and educational initiatives. Indigenous librarianship can be practised by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous librarians and exists all over the world, including across Aotearoa (New Zealand), Australia, Hawai'i, Sápmi (Northern Europe and Russia), South America, Sudan, Turtle Island (North America), and Udmurtia. To date, the largest centres of activity for Indigenous librarianship are in Aotearoa and in what are now known as Australia, Canada, and the United States.
Indigenous librarianship prioritizes the interests, practices, needs, and support of Indigenous peoples. Indigenous culture and concerns are therefore used to guide and implement library and information practices, as well as to ensure that the practices of Indigenous librarianship advance Indigenous interests, such as sovereignty and self-determination. Frameworks such as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) are other key mechanisms for ensuring that practice and research are ethical and for centring Indigenous rights. For example, using appropriate and respectful cultural protocols for the handling of Indigenous knowledge, including traditional knowledge, is one way Indigenous librarianship is practised.
Indigenous Librarianship can contrast with or be in conflict with non-Indigenous librarianship practices and research, which are often heavily influenced by colonialism. As Indigenous librarianship is connected to the advancement of Indigenous rights it has been deemed to be one of the more political forms of librarianship.
Education programs for Indigenous librarianship
North America In North America librarians are typically expected to have a master's degree from a program accredited by the ALA. Some universities offer specialized programs in Indigenous librarianship. The University of British Columbia offers a First Nation Curriculum Concentration for both their Master of Archival Studies and Master of Library and Information Studies. At the University of Arizona School of Information, M.A. Library and Information Science students can apply to the Knowledge River Program, which focuses on the information needs of Latino, Native American and Black communities. In 2021, the Bridging Knowledge program was announced, which will support 15 American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian students in earning their Masters of Library and Information Science through San José State University School of Information.
Other educational bodies and programs related to Indigenous librarianship and Indigenous knowledge practices include:
Alaska Native Knowledge Network First Nations University of Canada (University of Regina) iNative Research Group (University of Washington Information School) iPortal: Indigenous Studies Portal Research Tool (University of Saskatchewan) Indigenous Library and Information Studies in a Canadian Context (University of Alberta) Indigenous Nations Library Program (University of New Mexico) Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center National Breath of Life Archival Institute for Indigenous Languages (Miami University) The Sustainable Heritage Network (Washington State University) Tribal College Librarians Professional Development Institute (Montana State University)
Indigenous peoples and Indigenous librarianship Indigenous peoples hold unique languages and ways of knowing, often including their relationship to and stewardship of their lands. According to the United Nations (UN), there are "more than 476 million Indigenous peoples living in all regions of the world" and the UN emphasizes the importance of understanding the term Indigenous to be based on "self-identification as Indigenous peoples" at both individual and community levels. As such, no single official definition of the term Indigenous has been adopted by the UN.United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. "Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Voices factsheet"https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/5session_factsheet1.pdf Moreover, the term Indigenous is not acceptable to all peoples and there are many other terms that may be used instead of, or alongside, the term Indigenous by individuals, communities, or groups.
The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) reflects a similar approach to understanding the term Indigenous as that of the UN. IFLA chose to adopt Loriene Roy's stance that "Indigenous people know who they are" rather than trying to define Indigenous peoples monolithically.
Indigenous librarianship recognizes the need to protect Indigenous ways of knowing. It resists colonizing and other oppressive practices that historically and currently exclude Indigenous knowledges or push them to the margins in institutions such as libraries. Moreover, due to these same forces of colonization and oppression, Indigenous individuals and their expertise are often drastically underrepresented in LIS professions.Lee, Deborah (2017). "Indigenous Librarians: Knowledge Keepers in the 21st Century". The Journal of Native Studies. 37: 175–199.
Part of the work of Indigenous librarianship is to create more space and advocate for Indigenous peoples within Indigenous librarianship itself, and in the field of LIS more broadly. Indigenous librarianship also works to ensure that Indigenous peoples have access to information organizations that accurately and respectfully reflect their cultures, knowledges, and protocols.
Indigenous libraries
There are several libraries throughout the world that focus on serving Indigenous communities and that centre Indigenous knowledge practices. These include:
The Xwi7xwa Library, which is a branch of the University of British Columbia Library, in Vancouver Canada. The Xwi7xwa Library has a collection focusing on First Nations in British Columbia and organizes its collection with a modified version of the Brian Deer Classification System. The State Library of Queensland created kuril dhagun, which was the first Indigenous Knowledge Centre in a State Library in Australia. Kuril dhagun is staffed by a team of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff and acts as a meeting and learning space for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. A variety of Tribal Libraries in America including Haines Borough Public Library in Alaska, the James E. Shanley Tribal Library, and the Kinyaa'áanii Charlie Benally Library. Tribal Libraries act as libraries as well as archives, language repositories, and community gathering places. Tribal Libraries are also a source of grassroots development that gave rise to the field of Indigenous Librarianship. American Indian Resource Center (LA County Library) Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Collections Blackfoot Digital Library Bruce Parisian Library (Victoria Native Friendship Centre) Chief George Manuel Memorial Indigenous Library Institute of American Indian Arts Library National Center for Truth and Reconciliation (University of Manitoba) National Indian Law Library (Native American Rights Fund) Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs Library & Archives
Notable Indigenous librarians and researchers Brian Deer, Tionerahtoken (Mohawk) librarian, creator of the Brian Deer Classification System Camille Callison, member of the Tsesk iye (Crow) Clan of the Tahltan Nation, Indigenous librarian, archivist, academic, cultural activist, University Librarian at the University of the Fraser Valley. Gene Joseph, Wet'suwet'en Nadleh'dena First Nations librarian, founding librarian of the Xwi7xwa Library Cheryl Metoyer, Eastern Band Cherokee researcher and professor of library and information science Anahera Morehu, Māori librarian Lotsee Patterson, Comanche librarian, educator, and founder of the American Indian Library Association (AILA) Lessa Kananiʻopua Pelayo-Lozada, multiracial Native Hawaiian raised on the Continent, American librarian Bernard Makoare Loriene Roy, Anishinabe, a member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, and is enrolled on the White Earth Reservation, American scholar of Indigenous librarianship, past president of the ALA Velma S. Salabiye, Dine (Navajo) librarian, founding member of AILA Dr Kirsten Thorpe, Worimi from Port Stephens and a researcher in Indigenous protocols and decolonising practices in the libraries and archives from Australia. Rebecca Bateman, Weilwan and Gamilaroi from North West New South Wales, Australia, and Director Indigenous Engagement at the National Library of Australia. Nathan “Mudyi” Sentance, Wiradjuri from the Mowgee clan in Australia and a librarian who works across cultural and memory institutions. Ryan Stoker Wiradjuri from Dubbo, Australia, and librarian at the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Data Archive (ATSIDA) at the University of Technology, Sydney. Tui Raven, Yamaji Nyungar from Western Australia and the creator of the Australian Guidelines for First Nations Collection Description a joint project between AIATSIS, ALIA, CAUL, CAVAL and NSLA. Raelee Lancaster, Wiradjuri and Biripi librarian and writer. Kua Swan, Gomeroi from Moree and Wiradjuri from Cowra, and a special collections librarian from Australia. Damien Webb, Palawa from South-East Tasmania, Australia, and an Indigenous engagement librarian.
Professional associations, organizations, and committees A number of national and international professional associations, organizations, and committees exist that support and otherwise intersect with the work of Indigenous librarianship.
International
Expert Group on Indigenous Matters (International Council on Archives) Global Indigenous Data Alliance (GIDA) International Indigenous Librarians' Forum (IILF) International Federation of Library Associations Indigenous Matters Section Local and Indigenous Knowledge Systems (LINKS) Recommended Practice for Provenance of Indigenous Peoples' Data working group (IEEE)
Aotearoa New Zealand
Te Rōpū Whakahau - a national body that represents Māori engaged in Libraries, Culture, Knowledge, Information, Communication and Systems Technology in Aotearoa New Zealand. Te Whakakaokao working group (Ngā Upoko Tukutuku)
Australia
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Library, Information and Resource Network Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Special Interest Group (Australian Society of Archivists) Indigenous Archives Collective
Canada
Indigenous Advisory Circle (Library and Archives Canada) Indigenous Matters Committee (CFLA-FCAB) Indigitization: Tools for Digitizing and Sustaining Indigenous Knowledge First Nations Information Governance Center First Nations Interest Group (British Columbia Library Association) Manitoba Archival Information Network - Library of Congress Subject Heading (MAIN-LCSH) Working Group (Association for Manitoba Archives) National Indigenous Knowledge and Language Alliance (NIKLA) Response to the Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Taskforce (Steering Committee on Canada's Archives)
United States
American Indian Library Association (AILA)