New library Indigenous Advisory Council seeking members

The Kingston Frontenac Public Library (KPFL) is creating an exciting new council. The Indigenous Advisory Council will guide the library in creating programs, resources and collections representative of local Indigenous culture.

“This is the first council of its kind at KFPL. The Council will provide input on the library’s collection development by suggesting purchases, distribution/locations of materials and the cataloging of the collection,” said Jake Miller, programming and outreach librarian for KFPL.

“The library’s programming is currently limited to co-hosting special events or working with partners on projects such as Indigenous celebrations in June. We want to develop consistent Indigenous-led programming partnerships as a way to promote cultural education and work towards the decolonization of library space. These programming and collections initiatives are avenues to approach reconciliation with our region’s Indigenous peoples.”

A meeting will be held at the Calvin Park branch of the KFPL, 88 Wright Cres, on Wednesday, Feb. 27, beginning at 6:30pm. Interested community members will learn more about the council, and have the opportunity to sign up to be a member.

The meeting itself will consist of a traditional opening if requested, self-introductions by attendees, motives for KFPL’s creation of the Council, time and frequency of future meetings, and blind-spots in library services and priority identification, Miller explained.

“There has been strong interest in having culturally appropriate space within the community since the Katarokwi Native Friendship Centre ceased operations. While community focal points such as this are hard to replace, the Council will be able to identify which library space can be utilized for Indigenous events or programs in the future,” he said.

“The Council will rely on community volunteers consisting of individuals and representatives of Indigenous organizations. We hope for diverse representation from those who self-identify as Indigenous, but also value input from others working alongside Indigenous communities in our area.”

This is an exciting opportunity to shape the future of Indigenous representation at the Kingston Frontenac Public Library.

“The overarching goal of the Indigenous Advisory Council is to maintain a consistent dialog with Kingston-Frontenac’s Indigenous communities to create welcoming spaces and relevant collections that are reflective of community needs,” said Miller.