Tribal Library Resources - American Indian Library Association

Tribal Library Resources

Alaska Native Resources for Librarians – compiled by Valarie Kingsland. “A guide for librarians and library staff seeking to understand the indigenous people of Alaska in order to provide better services and programming for them.”

American Indians in Children’s Literature Blog by AILA member Debbie Reese. “Established in 2006, American Indians in Children’s Literature (AICL) provides critical perspectives and analysis of indigenous peoples in children’s and young adult books, the school curriculum, popular culture, and society.”

American Library Association Office for Diversity, featuring information on ALA’s Spectrum Initiative, offering library school scholarships for Native and other underrepresented graduate students seeking the MLS degree.

American Native Press Archives – “… collecting and archiving the products of the Native press and materials related to Native press history, collecting and documenting the works of Native writers, and constructing bibliographic guides to Native writing and publishing.”

AIATSIS – Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies is a world-renowned research, collections and publishing organization. (from Australia)

ATALM (Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries and Museums) – “a non-profit organization that supports the growing field of indigenous cultural institutions.”

Bibliographies of Northern and Central California Indians – Bibliography project from University of California, Berkeley, discontinued in 1995.

Children’s & YA Books by Native Authors & Illustrators and Children’s and YA Books With Contemporary Native Themes – from Muskogee Creek children’s author Cynthia L. Smith.

A Community Guide to Protecting Indigenous Knowledge (pdf), by Simon Brascoupe and Howard Mann, for Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, 2001.

Culturally Responsive Guidelines for Alaska Public Libraries (2001) – from the Alaska Native Knowledge Network.

Digital Technologies and Indigenous Communities (2002) – a special issue of D-Lib Magazine.

Real Life Indian This project encapsulates the fears, issues, aspirations, emotions and dreams of what it means to be a human being but in particular a “Real Life”………Indian…

Examining Multicultural Picture Books for the Early Childhood Classroom: Possibilities and Pitfalls” – a 2001 article from the journal ECRP – Early Childhood Research & Practice.

E-Rate Funding for Tribal Libraries and Schools– The National Congress of American Indians Resolution Support for the Creation of a ‘Tribal Priority’ in E-Rate Funding for Tribal Libraries and Schools

FCC Tribal Initiatives – “A resource for tribal governments, organizations and consumers in expanding telecommunications services in Indian Country.”

Native Knowledge 360 Native Knowledge 360° (NK360°) provides educators and students with new perspectives on Native American history and cultures. Created by Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian

Project 562 Project 562 develops a body of imagery and cultural representations of Native Peoples to counteract the relentlessly insipid, one-dimensional stereotypes circulating in mainstream media, historical textbooks and the culture industry

“From Oral Tradition to Digital Collectives: Information Access and Technology in Contemporary Native American Culture” – an article by Kari R. Smith of Columbia University, that appeared in the December 15, 2002 (vol. 6, no. 6) of the RLG Digi News.

Guiding Principles for IFLA’s position concerning international treaties relating to Traditional Cultural Expressions (2012), from The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA).

Labriola National American Indian Data Center – a special collection at Arizona State University.

Librarianship and Traditional Cultural Expressions: Nurturing Understanding and Respect – This 2010 statement (Version 7.0) endorsed by AILA.

Maori Subject List – originally compiled by Robert Sullivan, and now part of the Te Puna Web Directory from the National Library of New Zealand.

Mashantucket Pequot Research Library and Tribal Archives – see their e-book and blog

National Indian Law Library – “a public law library devoted to federal Indian and tribal law.”

Native American Studies Collection at UC Berkeley’s Ethnic Studies Library.

YALSA Teen Book Finder– includes recent AILA Youth Literature Award winners and honor books

Native Voices: Native Peoples concepts of health and illness online exhibit from the National Library of Medicine that explores diverse Native Peoples’ concepts of health and illness, past and present. Lesson Plans for K-12 and Primary sources

Native American Heritage Month– The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans.

Native Health Database – “Contains bibliographic information and abstracts of health-related articles, reports, surveys, and other resource documents pertaining to the health and health care of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Canadian First Nations” from the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Library and Informatics Center.

American Indian and Alaska Native Health is a central source for information about the health and well-being of Native Americans and Alaska Natives from the National Institutes of Health and National Library of Medicine.

Native American Health from MedlinePlus– Information for individuals, healthcare professionals, and educators.

American Indian/Alaska Native Profiles Provides statistics on various diseases and IHS contact information.

New Mexico State Library’s Tribal Libraries Program “The New Mexico State Library’s Tribal Libraries Program (TLP) mission is to promote and support information access in tribal communities with emphasis on current technology and tribal library development.”

New Mexico Digital Collection of Native American Children’s Books

Public Library Association (PLA)– PLA offers professional development and networking, transformative public library initiatives, and a conference that welcomes public library staff into meaningful partnership.

Pathways to Excellence: A Report on Improving Library and Information Services for Native American Peoples The U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science initiative to study library and information services for Native American peoples. This 1992 report is the culmination of the evaluation, which included site visits and field hearings.

Protocols for Native American Archival Materials – “These Protocols describe, from a Native American perspective, best practices for the culturally responsive care of American Indian archival collections held in non-tribal repositories.” From the First Archivists Circle.

Te Rōpū Whakahau – “an organization which unites Maori librarians and information specialists in Aotearoa New Zealand.”

TLAM Project – Tribal Libraries, Archives, and Museums Project at UW-Madison SLIS, “an experimental project to bring indigenous information topics to LIS education through service-learning, networking, and resource sharing with Wisconsin’s tribal cultural institutions.”

TRAILS: Tribal Libraries Procedures Manual, 3rd ed. This manual was revised in 2008 through the American Library Association’s Office for Literacy and Outreach Services (OLOS) and Committee on Rural, Native, and Tribal Libraries of All Kinds.

The American Indian Higher Education Consortium-, a 501(c)(3) organization governed by a board of directors composed of the presidents of the accredited United States-based Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), is the collective spirit and unifying voice of our nation’s 38 TCUs.

National Congress of American Indians– The National Congress of American Indians, founded in 1944, is the oldest, largest and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native organization serving the broad interests of tribal governments and communities

Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) federal programs supporting museums and libraries under this agency. IMLS provides Basic Grants for which all federally recognized tribes are eligible and competitive Enhancement Grants of up to $150,000

Tribal College Librarians Institute (TCLI)– TCLI is designed to provide continuing education, professional development and networking opportunities for tribal college librarians and librarians who have mandates to serve tribal college students.

Association for Rural & Small Libraries, Inc. is a network of persons throughout the country dedicated to the positive growth and development of libraries.

The National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA) is dedicated to the well-being of American Indian and Alaska Native children and families.