11th IILF 2019
February 5-9, 2019
Waipapa Marae, Auckland University,
Auckland, New Zealand – 10 hours
Activity
The theme for the 2019 IILF was Tāmaki Herenga Waka (Canoe). The day started with a traditional ceremony Karakia o te ata, welcoming in the new day and welcome to the forum participants. This is my fourth IILF attendance and connections from earlier meetings were reinforced and new connections made. Immersing in the culture of the host country and learning from each other of the achievements and the passion, inspires me, and what can be done in my community.
Evaluation of activity
The presenters looked back at history but also looked forward at what is being done now. Dallas Goldtooth spoke about the need for indigenous people to be related by purpose, not blood. The action taken now will ensure the children grow up in a just and sustainable world. Dr Jackson is passionate that Maori students are given strong support from the Maori community to stay strong and be proud of who you are. A Waka (sailing canoe) was built and sailed north to be gifted to her family. Forming relationships in our library with the indigenous and non-indigenous people will help with reconciliation.
Objectives
I am passionate about indigenous history and education. I believe everyone should be given the opportunity to increase their knowledge, and a lack of resources in the homes of indigenous people can be a barrier to learning. The library would be a place of learning for students as well as older indigenous people wishing to research their family history and the local area.
Reasons for attending
By attending workshops and conferences new networks are formed and practical skills are developed that can be introduced in our library. The professional development is ongoing and networking with the information profession, at these events, gives an opportunity to engage with professional people and feel a sense of belonging. The contacts made can help you in your future career as you seek their guidance and support.
Learning outcomes
Providing study centres in our library, for our local indigenous youth, in collaboration with local stakeholders from the indigenous community, will provide support for the students to become leaders of tomorrow. Maxine and Allara talked about the State Library of Victoria and the Indigenous Research Centre, which gave an identified safe space for meeting and researching with the Aboriginal community. The library where I work would be unable to provide a specified area, but we can provide a shared space for meetings and research. After consultation with local elders, we do have an Aboriginal Collection which is identified with an A preceding the Dewey call number using red labels, with black type and the Aboriginal flag. All the community accesses this collection and finding Aboriginal non-fiction books are easy to browse. Mukurtu is an online keeping place for Indigenous material. Mukurtu would be possible in our community, and the library would be a meeting place if the local Indigenous community wished to use this platform as an archive. The State Library of NSW has adopted Mukurtu and working with them, and the local community would make this possible at our library.
Relationship of the forum to my study
Initially, I thought working in archives and research would be my chosen field, I now realise the library is a more vibrant place as I love people and networking. A library is a place where people come to source information and I feel great pleasure when I am able to help with their research. A library is also a place where creativity can be found, using the latest technology. From pre-schoolers to seniors, assisting the education of all people in the community is a passion I hope to never lose.