UQ Library enriching the experience for

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• UQ Library enriching the experience for
• INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIAN STUDENTS

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Higher Education Equity Support Program
(HEESP) Project 2007-2008

• 1)Liaison outreach and information skills
  training for Indigenous students (Helen Cooke)
• 2) Raising awareness of Indigenous issues amongst
  Library staff (Joanne Rutherford)
• Project Aim/Background/Key drivers
• Process/Strategies
• Indigenous Students
• Library Staff
• Evaluation/Outcomes/Learnings
• Further Learning, discovery, engagement

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Project Aim

• 1) To enhance the Librarys existing Liaison
  outreach and information skills training programs
  and focus on some personalised library support
  for new Indigenous Australian students, in
  particular the students who were accepted into
  the Alternative Entry Program.
• 2) To increase the level of awareness amongst
  library staff about Indigenous Australian
  Culture, issues and perspectives.

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Background/Key Drivers

• Indigenous Higher Education Advisory Council
  (IHEAC) report 2006 as well as UQ and UQ
  Librarys ongoing strategic and operational focus
  on a diversified inclusive institutional
  culture.
• UQs Education Principles on Indigenous
  Australian Matters (2007) to provide basis to
  develop policy and strategies to improve
  understanding of students and staff of Indigenous
  issues and recognize the importance and
  contribution of Indigenous Knowledge.
• First Year Experience impact of
  transition/first few weeks is significant on
  retention and overall performance of students.
• Perception of library as scary and daunting
  place both physically and psychologically and
  an untapped resource library surveys,
  anecdotal feedback and research experience of
  several other academic libraries and their
  Indigenous students.
• .

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Process

• To provide legitimacy, relevance and currency in
  terms of Indigenous needs and issues, the Library
  consulted with the UQ Aboriginal and Torres
  Strait Islander Units Director and Co-Directors
  as well as other Unit staff, both Academic and
  Support staff.
• Literature review, contact (in person and email)
  with a number of other academic libraries.
• Informed by the ATSILIRN Protocols, in
  particular
• Accessibility and Use
• Staffing
• Awareness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
  Islander People and Issues
• Education and Training for Professional Practice
• And Australian Indigenous Knowledge and Libraries
  by Martin Nakata Marcia Langton Canberra,
  ACRL, 2005

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Strategies for Indigenous Students

• A First Steps training opportunity IT
  Library Essentials _at_ UQ followed by afternoon tea
  SSH Library Tour to contextualise the
  information and experience the library as
  welcoming place. Scheduled in an afternoon of
  the ATSIS Units 3 day Orientation camp.
• AskMeTellMe Librarian in residence for drop
  in advice, assistance and training at weekly
  nominated times (3x2hr sessions). A face in
  their place strategy aimed at enhancing
  relationship building and developing mutual
  trust, respect, and reciprocal two-way
  conversations (a co-learner model) on how the
  Library can add value to student learning.

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• Meet Greet your Course Liaison Librarian and
  Unit staff conversations/consults/updates were
  part of this AskMe,TellMe
• strategy.
• Collaboration with Indigenous Tutorial Assistance
  Scheme (ITAS) Coordinator and Tutors
  collaboration with this group seen as important
  leveraging opportunity.
• Promotion and Marketing
• Predominantly via Birra News, the newsletter of
  the Indigenous Australian students at The
  University of Queensland
• Goorie Berrimpa (gathering place) Indigenous
  students collective _at_ UQ Student Union
• The ATSIS Unit and Library web pages
• Distributed posters through Faculties supported
  by the Social Sciences and Humanities Library

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Strategies for Library Staff

• That guest speakers be invited to address the
  Library staff about issues facing Indigenous
  students.
• ATSIS Unit Director Mr. Michael Williams
  gave a presentation to Library staff that
  highlighted the EPIAM policy and Indigenous
  knowledge generally. The Universitys Indigenous
  Employment Strategy Coordinators have also spoken
  to Library managers about the UQ Indigenous
  Employment Policy and how best to contribute to
  its progress.
• That a workshop be developed for Library staff
  to increase their awareness of Indigenous
  issues and culture.
• A working party of Indigenous and
  non-Indigenous Library and UQ staff developed a
  workshop titled Sharing spaces and stories
  Indigenous culture and libraries. Facilitated by
  Yvette Holt, an Indigenous writer researcher,
  Indigenous and non-Indigenous speakers from
  across the University covered topics including
  cultural protocols, education, health,
  employment, activist campaigns, visual art and
  stories and experiences of Indigenous students
  utilising library services.

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• That the Librarys Induction materials be revised
  with a view to emphasising the Indigenous culture
  as part of the diversity and cultural awareness
  materials contained in the existing Induction
  program.
• Revision-in-progress to the UQ Library
  staff induction kit (distributed to all new
  staff) to reflect important and current
  information about Indigenous issues, including
  Protocols. Cross cultural awareness training is a
  mandatory part of the induction and training
  program for all staff in their first year at UQ
  Library, with regular refreshers for existing
  staff.
• The Library as Welcoming Place
• Planned development with ATSIS Unit of
  posters that acknowledge the traditional owners
  of the land on which UQ Library branches are
  located.
• Program of Indigenous art acquisition with a
  recent purchase.

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Evaluation/Outcomes/Learnings

• Evaluation Interim Semester 1, follow up end
  Semester 2.
• Student responses -greatly helped me settle
  in being cared for thank you very much for
  being here/there drop in at Unit really good
  as gave students that extra personal assistance
  with library advice appreciate the extra
  guidance nurturing
• Unit Staff responses you are one of us now
  very positive fantastic and thankyou now how
  can we work to take this further Helens
  consistent availability, wealth of knowledge and
  presence in unit has benefited the students
  immensely, thankyou for the ongoing
  conversations
• Outcomes
• Library as Place for the students and
  enhancement of dialogue and collaborative
  activities with Unit staff solid foundation for
  further progress all round
• Learnings
• Crucial role played by Indigenous Support Units
  and relationship building Relationship comes
  first, task comes second. Nature of the
  interaction foremost, then content Novak
  Robinson (1998)
• Significant role of networking, reciprocity/
  sharing among Indigenous students helping one
  is helping many.
• Student diversity Collective Aboriginal and
  Torres Strait Islander students are
  Individuals with their own unique
  experiences/needs/issues.
• How highly contextualised Indigenous knowledge
  is in regard to relevance, application and
  accessibility

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Further Learning, Discovery and Engagement

• No quick fix, no easy prescription to address
  the issues, but only the hard work associated
  with understanding the issues, listening to
  needs, innovating ideas and improving regimes of
  practice Nakata Langton (2005) .
• UQL committed to building on the genuine sharing,
  cooperation and community trust with the ATSIS
  Unit and maintaining the focus and momentum of
  2008 by..

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• Continuing the customised Orientation and AskMe
  Tell Me service model to new and continuing
  Indigenous students
• Build on Sharing spaces and stories Indigenous
  culture and libraries workshop with further
  activities planned
• Posters in-progress acknowledging traditional
  owners for all library foyers
• Ongoing use of Library space for celebrations
  such as NAIDOC and Harmony day/Diversity week
• Development of a Library Traineeship Program for
  Indigenous Australians
• Proactively seek potential collaborative
  opportunities to contribute to empowering
  Indigenous students and the emerging Indigenous
  knowledge discipline _at_ UQ.
• Thank you
• Helen Cooke Joanne Rutherford
• t 07 334 63673 t(07) 336 52420
• e h.cooke_at_library.uq.edu.au e
  j.rutherford_at_library.uq.edu.au

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Further Learning, Discovery Engagement