Download to read offline
CALS presentation
- 1. Multitype Library Board AnnualGeneral Meeting April 15, 2015
- 2. Who is CALS? •CALS is a provincial public library committee that assesses the progress made in improving public library services for First Nations, Métis and Inuit people in Saskatchewan and identifies and works towards addressing the challenges and barriers that remain.
- 3. CALS Members Library SystemCALS Representative(s) Chinook Regional Library Jean McKendry, Rural Branch Manager Lakeland Library Region Eleanor Crumblehulme, Library Director Palliser Regional Library Arwen Rudolph, Rural Branch Supervisor Parkland Regional Library Carol Marriot, Literacy Coordinator Southeast Regional Library Ruth Barker, Community Services Coordinator Wapiti Regional Library Tony Murphy, Regional Director and CEO Wheatland Regional Library Sean Brooks, Branch Manager Pahkisimon Nuye?áh Library System Harriet Roy, Assistant Director Regina Public Library Wendy Sinclair, Branch Head Saskatoon Public Library Trudy Harder, Manager, Central Library Public Services Provincial Library and Literacy Office Julie Arie, Public Library Planning Director Lonette Pelletier, Aboriginal Library Services Coordinator
- 4. • MAC Report •CALS, est. 2006 • 46 Recommendations – Universal Access – On-Reserve Public Library Service Points and Agreements – Government Relations and Funding – Public Library Relationships with First Nations and Métis People – Employment and Training – Development of First Nation and Métis Public Library Programs and Services
- 5. Saskatchewan Aboriginal People •Saskatchewan’s population of self-identified Aboriginals is 157,740 or 15.6% of the total population. • 290 self-identified as Inuit • 54,450 self-identified as Métis – 10,695 or 4.2% of the population in the City of Saskatoon – 7,720 or 3.7% of the population in the City of Regina – 6,170 or 15.1% of the population of the City of Prince Albert • 103,205 self-identified as First Nation – 54,950 or 53.2% lived on reserve – 16,000 or 6.2% of the population of the City of Saskatoon – 13,745 or 6.6% of the population of the City of Regina – 9,605 or 23.5% of the population of the City of Prince Albert • 2011 National Household Survey
- 6. Aboriginal Library Services •Saskatchewan public libraries ensure universal access for ALL residents of Saskatchewan, including First Nation people living on-reserve. • This includes the development and provision of collections, programs and services inclusive to First Nation, Métis and Inuit people. • In 2015-16, the Government of Saskatchewan will provide approximately $293,000 to the 10 public library systems for Aboriginal Library Services as a component of the resource sharing grants.
- 7. What are AboriginalLibrary Services? • Providing Welcoming Atmospheres in public libraries for First Nation, Métis and Inuit people. • Establishing, building and maintaining relationships with First Nation, Métis and Inuit people, organizations, and communities. • Engaging and consulting with First Nation, Métis and Inuit Elders and Resource people to participate in the planning and delivery of library programming. • Supporting the preservation and promotion of oral traditions, Aboriginal languages, cultures and histories of First Nation, Métis and Inuit patrons. • Offering programming for non- Aboriginal patrons to increase awareness of the histories and cultures of First Nation, Métis and Inuit people. • First Nation, Métis and Inuit involvement and training in the public library workforce and governance. • Training for public library staff on providing services and outreach to First Nation, Métis and Inuit people.
- 8. Achievements • 4 ProvincialRound Dances • 2012 “Many Faces, Many Stories” Cultural Day • Information booths at Back to Batoche Days and Awasis • Training videos and Libguide http://sils.sk.ca.campusguides.com/CALS • Promote and host Saskatchewan Aboriginal Storytelling Month events
- 16. CALS Focus 2015 •Strategic Alliance with the Office of the Treaty Commissioner (OTC) • Outreach initiatives such as: – Host OTC Session at SLA, 2015 – Back to Batoche, shared initiative with LSSAP • Province-wide service continuum initiatives – Sharing Sound Practices
Editor's Notes
- #4 All 10 library systems have representatives on the committee. I know there are some former committee members in the room. Can I please ask you to come up here and share some of your experiences, just kidding please just give us a little wave.
- #5 Here is a little background on how the committee got it’s start. In 2001, a Minister’s Advisory Committee was assembled to examine the issues that prevent Aboriginal people from using public library services. The advisory committee produced a final report entitled Information is for Everyone, commonly referred to as the MAC Report. The MAC report details 46 recommendations that reflect the results of the province-wide consultations and provides a framework for Aboriginal Library Services in Saskatchewan today. One of the recommendations of the MAC Report was to review progress on the implementation of the recommendations, to meet this recommendation CALS was established in 2006 to review progress and continue implementation of the recommendations.
- #6 I would like to share with you some interesting statistics from the 2011 National Household Survey.
- #7 One stat that I think is very interesting is that in 2011 54,950 or 53.2% of the First Nation population lived on-reserve. Prior to the MAC Report recommendations, library services were not available to First Nations that lived on-reserve. Today Saskatchewan public libraries ensure universal access for ALL residents of Saskatchewan including First Nation people living on-reserve. Which includes the development and provision of collections, programs and services inclusive to First Nation, Metis and Inuit people. To help them do this, the Government of Saskatchewan provides library systems funding as a component of the resources sharing grants. For the 2015-16 fiscal year, approximately $293,000 will be provided.
- #8 What are Aboriginal Library Services? It’s providing a Welcoming Atmosphere in public libraries. The CALS committee developed signage that had “Hello” in the 8 Aboriginal languages in Saskatchewan including Cree, Dakota, Lakota, Nakota, Sauteaux, Michif, Dene and Blackfoot. There were dewey decimal posters distributed to PNLS branches. Establishing, building and maintaining relationships with First Nation, Metis and Inuit people, organizations, and communities. RPL and SPL work very closely with various aboriginal organizations, Southeast Regional Library and Parkland do a lot of this work on-reserve – providing library information to First Nation schools teachers and staff, Head Start programs, Family Literacy programs. Engaging and consulting with First Nation, Metis and Inuit Elders and Resource people to participate in planning and delivery of library programming. Southeast engaged and consulted to develop a collection of Aboriginal literacy kits to ensure appropriateness and relevancy to the Aboriginal cultures in their region. Supporting the preservation and promotion of oral traditions, Aboriginal languages, cultures and histories of First Nation, Metis and Inuit people. CALS support the Saskatchewan Aboriginal Storytelling Month – each library system hosts several numerous events in the month of February of each year. Offering programming for non-Aboriginal patrons to increase awareness of the histories and cultures of First Nation, Metis and Inuit people. CALS supports and encourages library branches to celebrate Aboriginal History Month and National Aboriginal History Day. Palliser Regional Library hosted a program on Metis Arts and Culture. First Nation, Metis and Inuit involvement and training in the public library workforce and governance. SPL hires Aboriginal Summer Students to work at its branches. PNLS has library boards that have full aboriginal representation. Training for public library staff on providing services and outreach to First Nation, Metis and Inuit people. Some library systems provide their staff cultural awareness training through consultants. CALS is working on a more cost-effective approach to raising cultural awareness, which I will discuss shortly.
- #9 Some of the achievements of the CALS committee are:
- #10 Southeast preparing for the feast Saskatoon Public Library Round Dance
- #11 Regina Public Library Round Dance The drums at the Wapiti Regional Library Round Dance – this was the final round dance to the 4 year commitment. It had the largest attendance of an estimated 400-500 people. Wonderfully put together by Ms. Suzie Bear.
- #12 In 2012, PNLS hosted the Many Faces, Many Stories Cultural Day Celebration for people of the North.
- #13 CALS in partnership with LSSAP hosted booths at Back to Batoche Days and at Awasis – one of the largest conferences for Aboriginal teachers in Saskatchewan. CALS member, Donna Wells, did a remarkable amount of work on the committee for this.
- #14 SLA Poster board session last year in Moose Jaw – we had an interesting location but we made it work and were able to pull up some comfy chairs and refreshments were close by for SLA participants to come sit and talk about CALS and watch the training videos that were developed.
- #15 Here are a couple of photos of the Aborigina.l Literacy kits from Southeast Regional Library
- #16 Aboriginal History Month originated in Saskatchewan and celebrated across Canada in June of each year. National Aboriginal History Day celebrated on June 21 of each year. By show of hands, who celebrates these days in their libraries and organizations?
- #17 CALS meets in-person each year in September, part of that meeting is to determine the Focus for the following year. Because the committee does have high-turn over – we have found this approach to be a lot more effective. The focus for 2015 includes: A Strategic Alliance with OTC The OTC will provide sessions free of charge. Sessions, workshops, discussions can run from 1 hour to 3 days and can be tailored for different needs and audiences (i.e. children, adults, etc.) as well as a variety of types of presentation styles (i.e. storytelling, academic lecture etc.). There are 25 members of the Speaker’s Bureau. Sessions can be booked by calling the Speakers Bureau at OTC. The OTC has provided 2 Treaty Kits that have been catalogued and are available on SILS. Saskatchewan Public Libraries will provide the space, audience and promotion of the sessions. CALS would develop evaluation and collect statistics on attendees and number of sessions. There may also be an opportunity to work with OTC to compile a library specific resource. CALS recommends OTC sessions be provided to: Public Library Patrons Boards and Trustees Public Library Staff Recommended opportunities for OTC sessions would be: Saskatchewan Aboriginal Storytelling Month, February National Aboriginal History Month, June National Aboriginal Day, June 21 Staff Branch Workshops and AGM’s CALS will also be hosting an OTC session at SLA in May And is joining with LSSAP to host a booth at Back to Batoche Days – last year the committees provided over 48 boxes of books to visitors. CALS will also be working on province-wide service continuum initiatives and continue sharing Sound Practices with each other and library branches.