Post-Institute thoughts

This year's Tribal College Librarians Institute had 33 participants and a good number of people who presented a variety of things. The day and a half that I was there, I heard about some good, free medical sites and learned a bit more about PubMed; had a presentation about the Montana Indian Law Portal that is in its infancy; and found out about early literacy programmes and books for babies programmes at the Bozeman Public Library (which is new and beautiful and has a brilliant children's library space). I think had I gone earlier in the week, I would have learned a lot more, but that's how it always goes.

I met tribal college librarians from all over the U.S. and Canada. In particular, I was happy to meet Mary Weasel Fat from Red Crow Community College in Cardston, Alberta. She showed me what's going on with RCCC and TAL - The Alberta Library. Her college library was the first of the tribal college libraries in the province to be included in TAL's Lois Hole Campus Alberta Digital Library. The digital library provides access to 100s of resources for students at many libraries around the province. It's amazing.

I think it would be neat to try to organise something like this institute for librarians around BC and Alberta. I wonder if anyone has done this before?

Finally, a huge thank you to Mary Anne Hansen and Jim Thull who did a great job organising the institute and in particular, to Mary Anne for her hospitality. Congratulations to them for securing sufficient funding to invite librarians to the institute for the next three years. Here's the announcement from the Institute of Museum & Library Services website:

Montana State University - Bozeman, MT
Award Amount: 251,695; Matching Amount: 86,640
Category: Continuing Education

Contact: Ms. Mary Anne Hansen
TCLI Coordinator

Project Title: "Tribal College Librarians Institute"
Montana State University’s Tribal College Librarians Institute (TCLI) is an annual week-long conference of continuing education and professional development experiences for information professionals serving Native American communities. IMLS support over a three-year period will support the TCLI during the summers of 2010, 2011, and 2012. TCLI will offer travel stipends to participants and will not charge registration fees. This financial support will encourage more tribal college librarians to attend TCLI. Funding also will allow 20 tribal college librarians to attend the 2011 National Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums Conference. These activities will benefit tribal college librarians and the communities they serve.

Well done!

Yellowstone in Spring Time

You would think it's summer, but in the high passes in Yellowstone Park, it still looks like winter. The snow is still beside the road and in some places, the snow is piled higher than the car!

Down low it was good though...warm-ish and greening up. After a half day at the Tribal College Institute, we took off for a quick trip to Yellowstone and did a check on the wildlife -- grizzlies - check; moose - check; elk, eagle, mountain sheep -- check, check, check; bison - check and ditto to a trumpeter swan and a heap of Canadian geese.

It was a banner wildlife visit and it was also wonderful to visit the park again. It truly is a majestic and beautiful place.

Presentation for Tribal College Librarians

Well, my presentation is complete and now all I need to do is deliver it to the librarians next Thursday, June 11 -- the same day as my 8 year anniversary of being at UVic. I'll be updating the blog while on the road. Stay tuned.

Camosun visit

I met with Sybil Harrison at Camosun College library the other day. We talked about what the library is currently doing to help their First Nation, Metis and Inuit students. The librarians have put together a couple of really good subject guides for First Nations Studies and First Nations Literature; they visit communities to do library orientations; they are involved with the people in Aborignal Education and Community connections office; and they are conscientious and thorough with their collection for First Nations courses and related courses. Sybil said that in spite of budget cuts and shortfalls for collections, the First Nations materials collection is excellent and thriving. Well done, Camosun librarians!

Sybil and I agreed that we should consider collaborative efforts for students given that many students start at Camosun and then transfer to UVic. We will be talking about this some more when we get together later this month for the Camas Harvest and Pit Cook to be held at Camosun College.

Pre-Institute thoughts

I am almost ready to go to Montana for the Tribal College Librarians Professional Development Institute. I've had to think long and hard about what to present...just going through a list of what I did and who I saw seemed tedious to me, when the study leave was supposed to be so much more. I decided that it has to be part show and part share and in a way, it's a story about what I've had to do for my professional development - as the 'all-of-a-sudden' subject librarian for Indigenous governance and Indigenous studies. The institute is yet another chance for me to continue my learning, so I think it's going to be interesting, informative, and a lot of fun.

Aboriginal History Month

The Province of Saskatchewan has proclaimed June 2007 as Aboriginal History Month in recognition of First Nations, Métis and Inuit people's contributions to Canada -- thanks to the notice on the Saskatchewan government web site for this information. The initiatiation comes from RAPA - Regina Aboriginal Professionals Association. I know that in B.C., June 21 is recognised as National Aboriginal Day as it is across the country, but why not a whole month nation-wide?