Conferences on tribal cultural preservation

Tribal Cultural Preservation at the Heart of Three-Year Conference
Project
<URL:http://www.tribalconference.org>

    **** Moderator's comments: This is an abbreviated announcement.
    For details see <URL:http://www.imls.gov/profiles/Jun08.shtm>

Through a series of national conferences, institutes, and workshops,
Native American archivists, librarians, cultural directors,
educators, museum staff members, and elders are creating communities
to support tribal cultural preservation. The project was funded, in
part, by a three-year grant to the Western Council of State
Libraries from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)
under its Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian program.

"Many tribal cultural centers include museums, libraries, and
archives, with the work of staff and volunteers frequently
overlapping in all three areas," said Susan Feller, project and
conference director, development officer for the Oklahoma Department
of Libraries, and a person of Choctaw descent. "The conference
strives to provide practical approaches, as well as abundant
take-home materials, that are useful to both professional and
non-professional staff."

In 2007, 560 individuals from 46 states, 3 Canadian provinces, and
203 tribes gathered in Oklahoma City October 22-25, 2007, for the
national conference, which built on two previous IMLS-funded
conferences that were held in Arizona in 2003 and 2005.

Conference organizers encouraged collaboration among tribal entities
and non-tribal institutions; presented contemporary issues related
to the development of tribal libraries, archives, and museums; and
provided an opportunity for institutions and individuals to network
and build support for tribal cultural institutions and programs.

This year, the Oklahoma Department of Libraries is hosting the 2008
National Institutes for Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums with
one-day pre and post-conference workshops in April, 2008, July,
2008, August, 2008 and October, 2008 at the Cherokee Casino and
Resort in Catoosa (Tulsa), Oklahoma. The Institutes provide
information and hands-on instruction regarding the care and
management of archival, library, and museum collections, with
emphasis placed on the special considerations involved in American
Indian materials. Topics include:

    How to Recognize and Prevent Threats to Your Collection
    April 14, 2008

    Skills and Strategies for Managing Tribal Records
    April 15-17, 2008

    Field Trips to Museums with Major American Indian Collections
    July 14, 2008

    Displaying and Caring for American Indian Objects
    July 15-17 2008

    Digitization Projects: From Planning to Implementation
    August 11, 2008

    Collection, Use, and Care of Historic Photographs
    August 12-14, 2008

    Training for American Indian Library Services
    October 21-23, 2008

    Building and Managing Culturally Responsive Library Collections
        and Programs
    October 24, 2008)

The 2008 Institutes are receiving scholarship support drawn from
funding through "Oklahoma Tribal Heritage," a $218,369 grant from
the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC),
part of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

The last planned conference will take place Oct. 18-22, 2009, in
Portland, Oregon.


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 21:64
                   Distributed: Sunday, June 8, 2008
                       Message Id: cdl-21-64-012
                                  ***