The Language of Cataloguing: Deconstructing and Decolonizing Systems of Organization in Libraries

This paper analyzes the language of cataloguing because the information that librarians and other information professionals provide to others has a huge impact both on how others are viewed and how others view themselves. This ultimately comes down to the way in which words are given meaning and interpreted according […]

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Indigenization of Knowledge Organization at the Xwi7xwa Library

This paper examines the Indigenization of knowledge organization within library and information studies through conceptual analysis and a descriptive case study of an Aboriginal academic library, the Xwi7xwa Library at the University of British Columbia, Canada. We begin by locating the library in place and time, review its historical development […]

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Storing and sharing wisdom and traditional knowledge in the library

Traditional library practice focuses on print collections and developing collections of materials that have been published, which means the documents have gone through some kind of review or vetting process. This practice leaves a wide swath of potential knowledge out of the collection. For example, indigenous knowledge, beliefs, and experience […]

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Acquisition, Preservation and Accessibility of Indigenous Knowledge in Academic Libraries in Nigeria: The Place of ICT

Nigerians interact well with their natural environment, culminating in the accumulation of diverse experiences. These experiences result in a body of indigenous knowledge which though unique to a given society or culture, forms part of the information needed by researchers. In spite of the place of indigenous knowledge in enriching […]

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People, Place and Community Memory: Creating Digital Heritage Databases in Remote Aboriginal Communities

In this paper I describe the Northern Territory Library’s, Libraries and Knowledge Centres program and examine some of the ways that digital technologies are being used to improve local access to archival materials in remote Australian Aboriginal communities. The development of community heritage databases gives some communities the opportunity toconstruct […]

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A Different Way of Knowing: Tools and Strategies for Managing Indigenous Knowledge

There is a growing need to preserve indigenous knowledge, as indigenous communities around the world face ongoing threats to the survival of their traditional languages and cultures. Although libraries have not traditionally focused on this area, libraries and information professionals can play an important role in assisting indigenous communities with […]

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The Use of Social Media Technologies to Create, Preserve & Disseminate IK

The preservation, management, and sharing of indigenous knowledge is crucial for social and economic development in rural Africa. The high rate of illiteracy (print-based) in rural Africa and the exclusion of indigenous knowledge from Western education add to the information gap experienced in rural Africa. Other challenges facing oral cultures […]

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The Challenges Faced by African Libraries & Information Centres in Documenting & Preserving IK

African libraries and Information centres are faced with a plethora of challenges in the documentation of indigenous knowledge. Among the challenges is the lack of legal frameworks at national and international level to support the library efforts. Financial, human capacity and technology shortages pose a challenge to the documentation of […]

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ICTs for Indigenous Knowledge Preservation

Public libraries in South Africa engage with local communities to preserve indigenous knowledge. This involves teaching them to use ICT tools. Indigenous knowledge affects the well-being of the majority of people in developing countries. Some 80% of the world’s population depends on indigenous knowledge to meet their medicinal needs, and […]

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Connecting people for development: Why public access ICTs matter

Libraries, telecenters, and cybercafés play a critical role in extending the benefits of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to a diverse range of people worldwide. However, their ability to contribute to development agendas has come into question in recent times. The Global Impact Study was designed to address this debate […]

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Libraries, telecenters, & cybercafés play a critical role in extending the benefits of ICTs to people worldwide

A guest post by TASCHA‘s Melody Clark. Originally published here. Report: Connecting people for development: Why public access ICTs matter While you’re likely reading this on your personal computer, enjoying reliable and fast internet, millions of people around the world still lack private access to this increasingly necessary resource to […]

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The Ulwazi Programme

The Ulwazi Programme is an initiative of the eThekwini Municipal Library to preserve the indigenous knowledge of local communities in the greater Durban area. This innovation, developed and implemented by the Software Applications Section of the Libraries, is based on a bottom-up model through which online indigenous knowledge resources are […]

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