Library Service for Indigenous People: Provincial Update

2016 Survey on Library Service to Indigenous Populations Public Library Services Branch

Overview 2 surveys: public libraries, and library systems June-July 2016 Grant recipients required to respond, all libraries invited to participate Surveys: about a dozen open ended questions, free text responses 101 library responses, 6 system responses

Libraries

“Do people from nearby reserves and/or settlements use your library?” Yes (44 responders)

“Describe your FN library programs, collections and services” Services/activities mentioned: authors, language, displays, events, onsite visits, partnerships, computers, resume/employment, school visits

Do you see a need for FN programs and services at your library? No (59)

Do you plan to offer FN oriented services in the future? Maybe (23) Yes (22) No (30)

Partnerships Yes (15) No (33) Native Friendship Centres, band council, on-reserve schools and colleges, Indian Affairs, Aboriginal Interagency Committee, Rotary Aboriginal Committee Also: AB Culture Days, Open Door, FCSS, Stat Oil, AHS

If funding wasn’t an issue… None (17) New Services (37) Unsure (12) Programs (13), Collections (5) , on reserve collections and programs (7), language support (2) community needs assessment (2), outreach (2) elder or artist in residence (2), books for babies, in library social worker, reserve system membership, housing availability

Barriers Also: fear, non-return of materials, bad Internet, wrong services, language

How to improve service?

Systems

Card policy for OR/OS people? Majority response: non-resident fees were sometimes charged and sometimes waived.

FN services (or service support) Also: cultural training, on-reserve library, outreach, book donation

FN service needed?

Future services? All said Yes (depending on budget) Also:Indigenous staff, partnerships, collections, marketing, staff training and encouragement

If money wasn’t an issue… Also: services for off-reserve indigenous people, more support to libraries, full system membership / services, needs assessment, Indigenous governance, vehicles, oral collections, OR/OS Internet access

Barriers Also: staffing, other priorities, libraries not desired by oral culture, splitting of reserve populations between systems, library buy-in, band council support, political complexity, systemic prejudice

How to improve service? Also: needs assessment, updated legislation, prevent system funding from going to libraries, electronic resources, TAL assistance, on reserve service, OR/OS funding for non-indigenous reserve residendents (subdivisions), library flexibility and outcome focus. Recognize that many barriers still exist and most OR/OS residents still don’t have access to a public library.

General observations Perhaps the most common reason for not offering services: no nearby reserves / settlements High correlation between recognized need for services and presence of OR/OS people in community and library. A common “principled pushback” comes from library value of equality, serving everyone (and not distinguishing between groups).