1. Donald D. Lynch, Feather Maracle, Dr. Sabrina ER Saunders
Settler Colonization & Decolonization in Ontario Public Libraries: A Road Forward
OLA 2019
January 30, :30 am MTCC 206F
Donald D. Lynch, Feather Maracle, Dr. Sabrina ER Saunders

2. Truth & Reconciliation
The TRC was established in 2008
Commission was to investigate Indian Residential School in Canada
The 2015 multi-volume document included 94 Call to Actions and concluded the Canadian government, via residential school, participated in Cultural Genocide
Subcategory reports were published on Child Welfare, Education, Language & Culture, Health and Justice. Library actions were included throughout.

3. CFLA’s TRC Recommendations
CFLA-FCAB TRC 10 recommendations
Sample motion to endorse the CFLA-FCAB TRC Report
3-Encourage libraries, archives and cultural memory institutions to implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada 94 Calls to Action, several of which have been identified as having a direct impact on libraries and archives and are prioritized in this report, and to implement a status report on a yearly basis to monitor their implementation;
We have selected a number of the 10 recommendations which all libraries can assist with

4. TRC Recommendations
4-Ensure accessibility moving forward by continually reminding stakeholders that material produced and programming planned in the future should be accessible to all Canadians. CELA (the Center for Equitable Library Access) and NNELS (the National Network for Equitable Library Service) are positioned to support these efforts

5. TRC Recommendations
5-Decolonize Access and Classification by addressing the structural biases in existing schemes of knowledge organization and information retrieval arising from colonialism by committing to integrating Indigenous epistemologies into cataloguing praxis and knowledge management;
6-Decolonize Libraries and Space by recognizing and supporting Indigenous cultures, languages and knowledges through culturally appropriate space planning, interior design, signage, art installations, territorial acknowledgements of geographic-specific traditional territories and public programming in collaboration with local Indigenous stakeholders

6. How can we decolonize OPLs?
Consultation & Networking
Governance & Policy
Services
Collections
Decolonized Spaces

7. Consultation & Networking
Who are the people of your traditional territory?
What service agencies are in your region?
Moving beyond stereotypical partnerships
Duty to consult as a library mandate?
Who can you speak with if unsure?
TRC is about respect
Don’t focus on negatives when considering partnerships such as women’s shelter, rehab, --Indigenous people are everywhere.
While a municipality has a duty to consult, libraries can do this as well—consulting with and gathering feedback from all sectors of the community, including Indigenous peoples and agencies.

8. Governance & Policy Board Establishes Policy Policy Informs Plans
Plans Receive Allocations
Allocations Develop Collection & Services
Governance-Board; Operation-CEO/Staff are a joint effort. Board has key role in this by informing staff through policy and Strategic Plans. Budgets must accompany any directions. Board has Fiduciary Responsibility. Library’s good name is an asset, always consider the good name and identify of library.

9. Governance & Policy
SOLS Indigenous Acknowledgement Statement Lib-Guide
Ontario Public Library Guidelines [14.11 Policy]
BMPL Indigenous Policy
How to answer respond to municipal concerns about Indigenous Statement
Places to look for assistance or guidelines in implementation.
An Indigenous Statement does not have to bind any legal groups such as the municipality. The Library’s statement is about respect, not taking a side in any legal matters. OLA/FOPL have statements as well. Every university/college has a statement—if in question, look to see what is in your area and speak with them and consider their statement.

10. Services
Include Indigenous content and interest throughout services [For Indigenous People and all Canadian's to experience].
FNPL Week activities
National Aboriginal Day/Month
We have attached an article which may be of interest. There are key times such as FNPL Week, National Aboriginal Day, and FN Communities Read, but be sure to have services through year and embed Indigenous content throughout your program plan.

11. Collections Collections must represent all segments of the community
Collections inform Citizenry
FNMI is more than children’s materials
First Nation Communities Read as a reading list
Have a book vendor with FNMI experience

12. Decolonizing Spaces
Libraries are institutions which have barriers for marginalized peoples
Gates (security, RFID)
Carnegie stairs & entries
Circulation Desks as guard stations
Way Finding
Décor and lack of self in facilities
Annual Institute on the Library as Place 2018

13. Questions

14. What can we do when we return to our home libraries?
Build collections which will serve the Aboriginal population AND the general users. Add Indigenous content about that people to the local collection.
Identify the local territory of your library, give acknowledgement of the people of the territory.
Offer programs that will grow Canadian citizenship including those of an Indigenous topics (e.g. speaker/author series).
Create policy which include acknowledgement, collections, services, and space needs as priorities of the Board.
Represent these Policied Priorities in Plans.

15. Contacts
Donald D. Lynch, Six Nations Public Library Chair Feather Maracle, Six Nations Public Library CEO Dr. Sabrina ER Saunders, The Blue Mountains Public Library CEO