AARL

State Library of Queensland Indigenous Library Services: overcoming barriers and building bridges

Sandi Taylor

Abstract The State Library of Queensland's Indigenous Library Services Strategy has led to the establishment of Indigenous Knowledge Centres, in close consultation with the communities and with support and training provided. It has also improved service delivery through public libraries as well as the State Library; and ensured that Indigenous collections and culture are represented in public library spaces.

When Queensland Library Board Member Lilla Watson opened the first National Forum on Access to Indigenous Records at the State Library of Queensland in 2003, her words highlighted the extent of differences between Aboriginal Australian heritage and identity, and the traditions of the dominant white majority of Australians:

Some of you probably came here along Melbourne St and Grey St,
And will visit the John Oxley Library.
But for Aboriginal people,
history has never been located in individuals,
in something as fragile as human beings;
because we all know that we are vulnerable beings -
we tell lies, we get sick, we die.
So for us, something as important as history had to be located in the land,
The well of our physical, material, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.[1]

As the State Library of Queensland embarked on the implementation of its Indigenous Library Services Strategy[2] in 2002, it was essential firstly to acknowledge that there are many barriers to overcome, and many bridges to build to engage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and draw them into the library world in ways never thought of before. Equally important was an understanding that past social and political histories and events denied, excluded, and/or discouraged access for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people wishing to participate in the simple pleasures of reading a good book, or seeking to find knowledge in the written word in a library, and this has impacted negatively on individuals over many years. The breadth of this gap is clearly expressed in the words of Lilla Watson:

Land was just taken.
Our women were taken.
Many of our children were taken.
The bones of our ancestors were taken, often as curios,
Without any record of their names or country.
Artifacts and sacred objects were taken, displayed in public here and overseas.
Stories were taken, and often embellished, modified and published without acknowledgement, without respect or confidentiality, or protocols of their secret status.
Photos were taken, again many as curios, and often published without any consideration of the feelings of people featured in them.[3]

Nine years ago, the Library Board of Queensland, recognising the need to provide library services for all Queenslanders, established an Indigenous Advisory Committee. This committee, chaired firstly by Ms Jackie Huggins,[4] and currently by Ms Lilla Watson,[5] provides advice to assist the development of policies and programs leading to inclusive services and equitable access to information for all Queenslanders.

The Indigenous Advisory Committee was instrumental in developing and implementing a number of reconciliation initiatives within State Library. One significant project was the Gift of Presence - The Spirit of Reconciliation exhibition, which was supported by Commonwealth Government Centenary of Federation funding.

Launched in 2001 and currently touring throughout regional Queensland, the exhibition is a series of black and white photographs of Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples from different working and community backgrounds. The photographs are accompanied by the subject's comments on their perceptions of reconciliation and what it meant to them as individuals within the context of societal relationships and a better future for all.

These people come from many different walks of life, are of different ages and life experiences and so encompass a broad range of views including those of Murrndoo Yanner, Evelyn Scott, Leah Purcell, David Malouf, Herb Wharton and Pauline Hanson. Visitors to the exhibition also had the opportunity to comment, and one of the many, many heartfelt comments recorded on a postcard reads:

I am sorry! But more than this, I want to make a future for everyone in Oz. We need to be responsible for the past and present; accept all cultures and share our common dreams of a united future. I don't think the Spirit of Australia can grow until we work out all that is wrong and give acknowledgment and respect to the real owners of the land. That is the essence I think.

Over the years, this exhibition and other in-house initiatives have formed the platform for the State Library of Queensland to progress further their position on developing strategies to improve access and equity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The Indigenous Library Services Strategy focuses on the improvement of library and information services to Indigenous peoples in Queensland. The five goals which make up the strategy are:

1. Establishment of Indigenous Knowledge Centres in Cape York and the Torres Strait Regions.
2. Improved service delivery to Indigenous peoples through public libraries across Queensland.
3. Increased employment and training opportunities in libraries for Indigenous peoples.
4. Inclusion of services for Indigenous peoples in the Millenium Library Project.
5. Ensuring that Indigenous collections and culture are represented in public library spaces.

The Indigenous Library Services Strategy directly supports the State Library's corporate goals and links to its policy Smart Libraries build Smart Communities: Future Directions of the State Library of Queensland,[6] endorsed by the Queensland Government in 2001. A key program identified in this policy document is improving library and information services to indigenous people and communities in Queensland by establishing libraries in indigenous communities and developing appropriate collections throughout the Queensland public library network.

Queensland's population of 3 561 028 includes a significant proportion of Indigenous Australians. The total number of people identifying as Indigenous in the 2001 census is 110 584, which is 3.1 per cent of the total. However, the percentages vary from 1.5 per cent in South East Queensland to 50.1 per cent in the Cape York Region, and 76.8 per cent in the Torres Strait area.[7]

Although the Indigenous Library Services Strategy was only adopted in 2002, the State Library of Queensland had been delivering a range of services across the State since the establishment of the Indigenous Libraries Unit in Cairns in December 1997. The initial primary function of the unit was to provide Internet and multimedia technology and training to Indigenous communities in nine remote public library services in Far North Queensland: Yarrabah, Kowanyama, Mornington Island, Laura, Coen, Weipa, Dajarra, Cloncurry and Thursday Island. The work of the unit expanded after its establishment, extending training courses to many communities, constructing web pages such as Footprints Before Me, and providing advisory and information services.

In 2000, the primary focus of the unit shifted to the establishment and maintenance of library services in remote Indigenous communities and a realignment of State Library resources ensured the recurrent funding to undertake the new role. In 2002, the Indigenous Library Services Strategy was endorsed by the Honourable Matt Foley, Minister for Employment, Training and Youth and Minister for the Arts. In its first year of implementation many deliverables have been achieved within the Strategy.

[8][9]

Establishment of Indigenous Knowledge Centres in Cape York and the Torres Strait Regions

Indigenous Knowledge Centres (IKCs) are being established in 31 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in the Cape York Peninsula and Torres Strait region. Eight IKCs have been established so far in Wujal Wujal, Lockhart River, New Mapoon, Aurukun, Erub (Darnley Island), Mabuiag Island, Pormpuraaw, and Poruma (Coconut Island). IKCs in Woorabinda, Dauan and Injinoo are currently being planned.

The IKC model enables each community to shape its IKC to meet particular knowledge needs. A partnership between the Queensland Government and the local Community Council, IKCs offer free community wide access to the resources of a traditional library, supplemented with materials to support the oral and visual traditions of Indigenous peoples. The IKCs help capture the rich local history and traditions of communities and provide a repository of knowledge and information for future generations.

IKCs are established in close consultation with the community. When a community decides to proceed, the State Library of Queensland uses community development processes to engage the council and community to work with them to develop plans for their IKC. Local staff are recruited at this stage, so that they are involved in the entire planning and establishment process.

Communities often give their IKC a local language name to reflect their aspirations for the IKC. For instance, the Wujal Wujal community has called their IKC the Binal Mungka Bayen Knowledge Centre. Sixty-eight percent of the community is using the centre, and a literacy and numeracy program has commenced. This program is targeted at early school leavers, who are using their centre to develop their adult skills and re-engage with education.

To ensure sustainability of the established IKCs, the State Library of Queensland is currently implementing a range of projects to provide support and training. At the beginning of June 2003, twelve indigenous staff members from seven IKCs attended an orientation week at the Cairns campus of the Tropical North Queensland TAFE. The orientation week commenced an eight month accredited training program, Certificate II in Library and Information Services. A number of partnerships and agreements support this training program. Funding for employment costs comes from the Queensland State Department of Employment and Training, Cairns TAFE covers the training component, and travel for the students is sourced through the Commonwealth ABSTUDY program.

All IKC staff are employed under the Commonwealth Community Development Employment Program (CDEP), and therefore the establishment of permanent, full time positions in the IKCs is one of the real challenges for the State Library.

A second supporting project which is being established is the Librarians in Communities project. The objective of this project is to place qualified librarians or very experienced library workers in IKC communities for up to six months to act as mentors to the local IKC staff. The role of the librarians will be to work alongside the local staff, transfer the skills to successfully manage a small library, provide assistance to the local staff with their study program, and to assist the IKC staff to develop a range of programs in consultation with the community. These programs could range from children's school holiday programs to Internet training programs for senior community members.

This program has received funding support from the Commonwealth Department of Workplace Relations, and is being developed in partnership with Indigenous Community Volunteers (ICV), an organisation dedicated to providing volunteers to live in Indigenous communities and assist them by supporting skills transfer projects that have lasting value. ICV takes a partnership approach that helps communities identify their needs, acknowledges their priorities and respects their values.[10]

ICV is currently recruiting people with appropriate qualifications and experience to spend a minimum of one month and a maximum of six months in a community with an IKC.

Once an IKC is established with trained staff, the next phase of development will include a broad range of programs to develop facets of each IKC chosen by the local community to meet their knowledge needs. Programs focusing on children may be popular as all communities have a high proportion of young people. An example of the kind of program which might be selected is the program If I can read I can do anything.[11] Aimed at increasing children's literacy levels while preserving Indigenous identity through a transferable model of a school-year-long promotion program, similar programs have been used with successful outcomes in libraries in Native American communities.

Another possible program could be to engage a noted Indigenous storyteller, sports hero or artist to tour IKCs in a number of remote communities delivering a message of empowerment to community members. Through their own endurance and success in personal and professional endeavours, stories can be given the chance to be told and retold to our young people and adults in each IKC. These programs have the potential to lay the foundation to capacity build each community around their own life long learning needs and aspirations for the future. This program could also be used to encourage participation in utilising the range of services, eg books, online services, pictorial, and in some cases, access to video conferencing in each IKC.

Yet another opportunity could be for a community to access information through an IKC to develop business feasibility studies to support economic development in remote communities.

Improved service delivery to Indigenous peoples through public libraries across Queensland

Over the next twelve months, the State Library will negotiate a range of Service Level Agreements with local councils throughout Queensland to create the framework for advancing this strategic aim in every public library in the state. Public libraries in regional towns such as Thuringowa, Townsville, Mossman and Caloundra are already working in partnership with the state library to develop strategic plans and initiatives that will lead to an improvement in indigenous service delivery. Capacity building with the Queensland public library network will ensure that indigenous collections are managed and represented appropriately in public libraries.

There are also opportunities to explore and develop a range of models that could position public libraries to be more proficient at engaging local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Increased employment and training opportunities in libraries for Indigenous peoples

The state library is currently developing an Indigenous Employment and Training Strategy to increase employment and training opportunities in libraries for Indigenous peoples. The strategy will be the overarching document under which a range of projects will deliver the required outcomes for training and employment for Indigenous peoples at the State Library and throughout the Queensland public library network.

In 2003, the State Library commenced an Indigenous Library Scholarship Program to develop a pool of qualified Indigenous librarians. Two Indigenous students are currently participating in the program and are undertaking tertiary qualifications in librarianship at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT). This program is being supported with funds from the Commonwealth Department of Employment and Workplace Relations through the National Indigenous Cadetship Program. Under the Indigenous Library Scholarship Program, each year cadets attend university and receive an allowance for 40 weeks and are employed by the State Library for the remaining twelve weeks.

Inclusion of services for Indigenous peoples in the Millennium Library Project

The Millennium Library Project (MLP) is a $57 million redevelopment of the State Library of Queensland South Bank building in Brisbane. MLP is incorporated within the Millennium Arts Project, a $260 million project involving the Queensland Museum, the Queensland Art Gallery, and a new Queensland Gallery of Modern Art.

There is an established Indigenous reference group to provide advice to architects involved in MLP. The group has focused on the schematic plans associated with the design and function elements of culturally appropriate social spaces within the redeveloped State Library.

An IKC will be included in the redeveloped State Library. It is envisaged that this IKC will serve as a hub to the IKCs throughout Queensland, offering support and services in the same way that the State Library acts as a hub to the Queensland public library network.

The IKC and other public spaces within the redeveloped State Library will actively engage in recognising the rich and diverse cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through the display of art and craft installations, paintings, murals, artefacts etc. Cultural heritage interwoven with books and collections to draw out cultural knowledge will be integrated into public exhibitions and programs and within the day-to-day delivery of service to clients. External public spaces situated directly outside the IKC will be designed to reflect the social and cultural events of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The State Library building is positioned on the Brisbane River with the South Bank Parklands to the east and Kurilpa Point to the west. Due to our proximity to the river, there will be opportunities to incorporate the physical features into cultural themes linking the river to the land. The outdoor area of the IKC will incorporate an area for traditional dancing and community cultural events, talking circles, and social spaces to cater for functions.

Ensuring that Indigenous collections and culture are represented in public library spaces

In partnership with the State Library of Queensland, public libraries such as the Townsville Library Service have already set new benchmarks relating to Indigenous collections through the efforts of the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community in Townsville to secure the Tindale Genealogies (a collection of genealogical information which was collected by anthropologist Norman Tindale in the 1930s from various aboriginal missions throughout Australia).

Access to the genealogies is now possible at three library sites within Queensland: the State Library of Queensland at Brisbane and Cairns, and at the Aitkenvale Library in Townsville.

A current major project of the State Library of Queensland is the Picture Queensland project, which involves digitising Queensland images from the photographic collections of the John Oxley Library and making them accessible via a website. There are approximately 900 digitised images which feature Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, buildings, rural and farm scenes, drawn from many communities across Queensland.

In 2003, the State Library will implement a consultation program to gain approval from Indigenous peoples for particular images to be placed on the Picture Queensland website. Through this process, the State Library will be demonstrating its commitment to:

• adhere to the protocols and policies developed by the Australian Library and Information Association and State Library of Queensland's Indigenous Protocols
• engage the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community on the Picture Queensland project, primarily to receive a response about their own images on the database to determine an appropriate strategy to manage the project in the future, and
• facilitate and develop best practice models associated with online resources, collections and digitised images, particularly relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Expected outcomes of the Picture Queensland consultation process will greatly enhance the integrity of the project and will strengthen the State Library's relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Conclusion

The State Library of Queensland has embarked on an ambitious range of programs and projects to meet the required outcomes of its Indigenous Library Services Strategy. In the first year much has been achieved, but the challenges ahead will require State Library to remain focussed if our final goals are to be met. At the same time we must never lose sight of the need to respect and support cultural identity and protocols. As Jackie Huggins has said:

Once upon a time, non-aboriginal people assumed 'everyone was the same' but we know 'everyone' is not the same. We all come with a set of values, ideals and principles which have been shaped since birth according to our respective cultures.[12]

Notes

1. L Watson Welcoming Speech at the National Forum on Access to Indigenous Records State Library of Queensland June 2003 p1
2. Indigenous Library Services Strategy State Library of Queensland 2002
3. L Watson op cit pp3-4
4. Ms Huggins, a noted academic, writer and historian, was a member of the Library Board of Queensland from 1994-2002
5. Ms Watson, a noted academic and artist, has been a member of the Library Board of Queensland since 2002
6. Smart Libraries Build Smart Communities: Future Directions of the State Library of Queensland State Library of Queensland 2001
7. Population Distribution Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians Australian Bureau of Statistics Cat 4705.0 2001
8. The map of the Cape York Communities is at http://www.apunipima.org.au
9. The map of Torres Strait Communities is at http://www.tsra.gov.au/map.jpg [not available as at 21/10/2004]
10. Working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities Indigenous Community Volunteers 2003
11. If I can read I can do anything is at http://www.ischool.utexas.edu/~ifican/ [17/02/03]
12. J Huggins in Protocols for Consultation and Negotiation with Aboriginal People Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy 1999 p5

Sandi Taylor, executive manager, Indigenous Library Services, State Library of Queensland, PO Box 3488, South Brisbane Qld 4101. E-mail: sandi.taylor@slq.qld.gov.au.nospam (please remove '.nospam' from address).