Sorting Libraries Out: Decolonizing Classification and Indigenizing Description - Vancouver, March 2019
"Sorting Libraries Out: Decolonizing Classification and Indigenizing Description" will be taking place in Vancouver in March 2019. This event seeks to build upon the discussions that occurred at the Making Meaning Symposium that took place in Edmonton in February 2018 and the In Our Own Words summit that took place in Toronto in June 2018. Through speaker presentations and focused time for group conversations, participants will engage with questions and generate ideas about changing current practices to more accurately represent Indigenous knowledge systems, worldviews and cultures.
On March 11, 2019, participants will have the opportunity to take part in a day of cultural programming at Musqueam and UBC, as a grounding in this meeting’s location on the unceded traditional territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations. The conference itself will take place March 12 & 13 at SFU’s Harbour Centre campus in downtown Vancouver. The program will include speaker presentations and focused time for group conversations. Featured speakers include Deanna Reder, Treena Chambers, Camille Callison, Sandra Littletree and Gene Joseph. Indigenous scholars from a variety of fields will anchor our first panel discussion; other panels will focus on Collections & Community and Metadata Solutions. The program will include opportunities for personal connections, discussion and reflection. Building on past events, we hope to gain momentum toward solutions.
Western Canadian Indigenous cultural heritage workers, Indigenous researchers, Indigenous information professionals and Indigenous scholars will be particularly interested in this event and should be encouraged to attend. Indigenous and non-Indigenous graduate students, academic/public/school librarians, museum curators, archivists and records managers who work closely with Indigenous metadata and knowledge organization systems should also be encouraged to attend. The event will focus on Western Canadian contexts but delegates from other areas of Canada are welcome to attend. Participants will leave with a broader perspective on respectfully working with Canadian Indigenous Peoples towards a shared goal of indigenizing and decolonizing metadata.
Registration will be available early in 2019. Please visit the meeting website now to sign up for our email list; we will notify subscribers as soon as registration is open. Hotel and air travel information is already available. If you plan to attend, we encourage you to book your hotel room now, as we have been advised that downtown hotels are expected to be busy at this time.