Through a series of national conferences,
institutes, and workshops, Native American archivists, librarians,
cultural directors, educators, museum staff members, and elders
are creating communities to support tribal cultural preservation.
The project was funded, in part, by a three-year grant to
the Western Council of State Libraries from the Institute
of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under its Laura Bush
21st Century Librarian program.
“Many tribal cultural centers include museums, libraries,
and archives, with the work of staff and volunteers frequently
overlapping in all three areas,” said Susan Feller,
project and conference director, development officer for the
Oklahoma Department of Libraries, and a person of Choctaw
descent. “The conference strives to provide practical
approaches, as well as abundant take-home materials, that
are useful to both professional and non-professional staff.”
“I’m passionate about these conferences and
extremely proud that Oklahoma has taken a lead role,”
said Lotsee Patterson, PhD, professor in the School of Library
and Information Studies at the University of Oklahoma, a member
of the Comanche Nation, and a member of the National Museum
and Library Services Board, IMLS’s advisory body. “These
conferences and meetings are so important because they bring
together people who have no other opportunity to get together
to talk of issues of mutual concern, to network, and to learn
from each other what works. So many of these people are working
alone and these conferences give them the confidence that
what they’re doing is important and that they’re
making a difference. It also provides federal recognition
that what they’re doing is important.”
In 2007, 560 individuals from 46 states, 3 Canadian provinces,
and 203 tribes gathered in Oklahoma City October 22-25, 2007,
for the national conference, which built on two previous IMLS-funded
conferences that were held in Arizona in 2003 and 2005.
Conference organizers encouraged collaboration among tribal
entities and non-tribal institutions; presented contemporary
issues related to the development of tribal libraries, archives,
and museums; and provided an opportunity for institutions
and individuals to network and build support for tribal cultural
institutions and programs.
“The 2007 conference was unlike any other I have ever
experienced, with such warmth from the people and a real desire
to soak up information. Many valuable connections were made.
Conference attendees have indicated that the networking opportunities
were as important as the educational content,” Feller
said, noting that she and other conference organizers built
sustaining revenue streams from exhibitors, advertisers, and
sponsors.
“The 2007 National Conference of Tribal Archives, Libraries,
and Museums was a watershed event,” said Loriene Roy,
President of the American Library Association, professor at
the University of Texas at Austin's School of Information,
and a member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. “It provided
tribal library, museum and archive staff with the rare opportunity
to meet and communicate with each other, to share their plans,
dreams, and daily experiences, and to provide the promise
of meeting together in the future.”
This year, the Oklahoma Department of Libraries is hosting
the 2008 National Institutes for Tribal Archives, Libraries,
and Museums with one-day pre and post-conference workshops
in April, July, August, and October at the Cherokee Casino
and Resort in Catoosa (Tulsa), Oklahoma. The Institutes provide
information and hands-on instruction regarding the care and
management of archival, library, and museum collections, with
emphasis placed on the special considerations involved in
American Indian materials. Topics include:
• How to Recognize and Prevent Threats to Your Collection
(April 14)
• Skills and Strategies for Managing Tribal Records
(April 15-17)
• Field Trips to Museums with Major American Indian
Collections (July 14)
• Displaying and Caring for American Indian Objects
(July 15-17)
• Digitization Projects: From Planning to Implementation
(August 11)
• Collection, Use, and Care of Historic Photographs
(August 12-14)
• Training for American Indian Library Services (October
21-23)
• Building and Managing Culturally Responsive Library
Collections and Programs (October 24)
“I am excited about the Institutes because they focus
on one discipline for three days. This provides participants
with a more in-depth approach to specific topics of interest,
taught by instructors who are top in their field,” Feller
said. The 2008 Institutes are receiving scholarship support
drawn from funding through “Oklahoma Tribal Heritage,”
a $218,369 grant from the National Historical Publications
and Records Commission (NHPRC), part of the National Archives
and Records Administration (NARA).
The last planned conference will take place Oct. 18-22,
2009, in Portland, Oregon.
“Where do we go after Oregon?” Feller and Patterson
both asked. “One possible solution is to form a national
organization that will be responsible for planning and implementing
the conferences. In June, we will conduct a national survey
of tribal archives, museums, libraries, and cultural centers
to see if there is interest in belonging to an association
that will provide support for the conferences, as well as
help address other needs of tribal cultural centers,”
Feller said. “It is envisioned that the new organization
will work in partnership with the First Archivists Circle,
the American Indian Library Association, and the National
Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers."
The conferences have offered IMLS a great opportunity to
get the word out about grant opportunities, according to IMLS
Deputy Director for Libraries Mary Chute and Senior Program
Officers Alison Freese and Sandra Narva. At last year’s
conference, they made presentations on the Native American
Library Services Basic Grants, Native American Library Services
Basic Grants with Educational/Assessment Option, the Native
American Library Services Enhancement Grants, the Native Hawaiian
Library Services grants, the Native American/Native Hawaiian
Museum Services grants, and the Connecting to Collections
initiative.
All recipients of the IMLS tribal library and tribal museum
grants were included in the conference mailings and Basic
Library grantees could use their Education/Assessment Option
funds to travel to the conference. Thirty Library Enhancement
grantees gave poster presentations, which was a wonderful
opportunity to share models and best practices, Freese noted.
“It is gratifying to me when I receive phone calls
and emails from conference attendees expressing their appreciation.
The conferences and institutes are viewed by many as an important
vehicle in preserving tribal culture,” Feller said.
“The conferences and institutes hold significant value
because they are planned and presented by people who understand
the sometimes unique and specific needs of tribal archives,
libraries, and museums. I’m especially grateful for
the guidance of the National Envisioning Committee, the Oklahoma
Planning Committee, and the hundreds of presenters who help
make the opportunities available.”
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