This presentation looks at Greater Victoria Public Library’s journey, or better said, the start of the journey to becoming a methaforical village - a safe, respectul, informed and caring space, conducive to meanigful collaboration and community building. GVPL approaches library services from a community inspired model, and partnering with Victoria Native Friendship Centre was a crucial step in connecting with local Indigenous communities. To advance the process of reconciliation, in the last two years, Greater Victoria Public Library engaged in a series of new initiatives related to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report, including collection development, territorial acknowledgement , community engagement and programming, as well as staff professional development. This presentation will showcase some of GVPL innovative ways of engaging with Indigenous communities, such as “Reconciliation: Opening the Door to Conversations”, a special four part speaker series created in partnership with Victoria Native Friendship Centre, this conference session will mostly focus on the cultural learning and significant impacts these programs and events had on GVPL patrons, staff and work environment.
How will delegates benefit from this session? • Concrete examples of how Indigenous cultural learning impact staff personally and professionally • Best practices and strategies to connect with local Indigenous communities and work together towards reconciliation • Since we plan an interactive session, based on experiential learning, this session will open a door to an honest discussion about the challenges and the rewards of connecting with Indigenous communities
