Library Services to Indigenous Populations: Case Studies
Segenat Children and Youth Library, Mekelle, Ethiopia
This online book was developed with the following goals:
- To provide librarians around the world with a reference guide that they can use to guide their services for and with indigenous peoples.
- To establish strong networks of indigenous librarians so that international efforts are inclusive and reflective of good policy.
The majority of this book consists of a collection of case studies that describe work being done around the globe within the field of indigenous librarianship. Preceding the case studies, and providing them with context and background, is an essay written in response to the question, ‘who is indigenous?’
The case studies in this collection offer descriptions of library-related programs, collaborations, and resources that serve indigenous populations all over the world.
Two Qiang Girls Reading in the Library; Qiang Autonomous Prefecture of Beichuan County Library
This compendium of case studies is by no means comprehensive or complete, but it is an exciting start. It is the editors’ hope that this project will continue to be expanded in the coming years, as more initiatives are developed, documented, and shared.
The case studies were collected by means of a call for submissions, sent out to libraries and programs that had demonstrated a commitment to the following IFLA principles: Supporting the Role of Libraries in Society; Promoting Literacy, Reading, and Lifelong Learning; Preserving Our Intellectual Heritage; and Promoting Standards, Guidelines, and Best Practices.