Decolonizing Description at the University of Alberta Libraries

Unsettling Our Practices: Decolonizing Description at the University of Alberta Libraries Sharon Farnel, Denise Koufogiannakis, Ian Bigelow, Anne Carr-Wiggin, Debbie Feisst, Kayla Lar-Son, Sheila Laroque Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2R3 · We are located on Treaty 6 / Métis Territory. Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Decolonizing Description Current Initiatives Working Group - The final report of the Truth and - Libraries, as sites of learning in “promote initiatives in all types of As part of UAL’s Academic Residency Program, Sheila Reconciliation Commission of and of themselves as well as key libraries to advance reconciliation Laroque has been hired to work on these recommendations of Canada (TRC) included 94 Calls to units within post-secondary by supporting the TRC Calls to - Fall of 2016, University of Alberta Libraries (UAL) the Working Group. Some of the things she is focusing on Action was released in 2015 institutions, have a responsibility Action and to promote collaboration struck a Decolonizing Description Working Group - These Calls to Action focus on the and opportunity to contribute to in these issues across the include: (DDWG) to investigate, define, and propose a plan of educational system, as it has reconciliation through Canadian library communities” (p. - Outreach with universities and institutions that have contributed to the negative collaborations and partnerships 1). action for how we could represent Indigenous peoples already begun or are doing similar work relationship between Indigenous - The Canadian Federation of Library and contexts through our descriptive metadata - Organizing a symposium, called Making Meaning, bringing and non-Indigenous peoples in Associations (2016) recognizes this practices. together Indigenous librarians and faculty, both within Canada role, and has created a Truth and - DDWG included Metadata and Cataloguing Alberta as well as across the country Reconciliation Committee to Coordinators, Public Service Librarians, UAL’s - Follow up to this symposium will include further coordinator of Indigenous initiatives and an relationship building among our college and community Indigenous intern (MLIS student). partners, and further a scholarly discussion - Collaborating with colleagues in adapting and making - A literature review sought out publications or changes to 2 different collections that can be used as presentations describing practical implementations. ‘proof of concept’ – updating the Peel’s Prairie Provinces - An environmental scan was aimed at discovering online database as well as a small collection of print similar initiatives proposed or under way in institutions materials for the Aboriginal Teacher Education Program. across Canada, and to seek opportunities for - Each of these collections will include their own sets of collaborations and partnerships. opportunities and challenges, as different metadata - An analysis of metadata from the ILS and local schemes, subject headings, new classification schemes and digital/digitized collections was used to estimate the knowledge and expertise is shared and reassessed. scope of work required to enhance existing metadata, - In building relationships and partnerships, we are leaving and to revise workflows for metadata yet to be created. space for other projects and initiatives that may arise, that we have not considered as of yet. Senator Murray Sinclair, Chair of the TRC Treaty 6 Recognition, Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson Key Recommendations 1. Cooperatively develop and incorporate revised subject headings that more accurately, appropriately, Community Context Library Context and respectfully represent Indigenous peoples and contexts, and which can be seen as a model for From June, 2017 there are 5,374,506 titles in the UAL change and widely implemented. database and 5,737,330 titles across NEOS (Networking Edmonton’s Online Systems) including UofA. 2. That UAL take the lead on working with Indigenous - Based on the Manitoba Archival Information Network communities and partners to develop revised subject (MAIN) - LCSH Working Group’s list of identified LCSH headings reflective of the Alberta and appropriate headings that could be either deleted or replaced, 62459 Northern contexts. records were identified in the UAL’s ILS that had matching LCSH terms 3. UAL engage an individual to coordinate and conduct Photo: Andy Grabia - From the 62459 UAL records extracted based on the MAIN consultation and outreach which is groundwork critical headings, 9149 unique headings were identified associated to the success of moving forward with this project. This with the titles, with the most common headings shown outreach must occur before developing or applying below: new subject headings. Numbered Treaties of Canada 4. UAL retroactively apply revised subject headings Alberta is home to many diverse Indigenous communities, to appropriate library resources including all categories including Blackfoot (Niitsítapi), Cree (Nêhiyaw), Dene, Nakoda covered. Going forward, the same approved subject References (Stoney), Saulteaux (Anishinaabe). There are 45 First Nations headings will be applied to new content added to our in three Treaty areas (Treaties 6, 7 and 8), as well as other library resources, whether done by UAL staff or our groups who have not signed treaties. The most commonly cataloguing vendors. Keywords: metadata, cataloguing, decolonization, LIS spoken First Nations languages are Blackfoot, Cree (mainly practice, diversity of description, inclusive description, Plains Cree but some Woods Cree), Chipewyan, Dene, information ethics Sarcee and Stoney (Nakoda Sioux). Métis people live throughout the province, including in the Métis Settlements. In References for this poster can be found here: Alberta the Indigenous languages spoken by Métis people http://bit.ly/2xfMkGU include Cree and Michif. .

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