Sinnaakia’tsistsi Iitohtopii (Library)

RCCC Library’s Mission is therefore to:

• Support the program curricula of the college

• Provide information resources and recreational reading materials to students, faculty, staff, and Elders. RCCC's Sinnaakia’tsistsi Iitohtopii (Library) primary mandate is to collect and provide access to a diversity of materials in a variety of formats that support the academic programs and individual courses taught at the college. The Sinnaakia’tsistsi Iitohtopii (Library) is also developing an extensive First Nations, Metis & Inuit Indigenous Collection, a Blackfoot Special Collection, Residential School Collection and Archives which is available to RCCC students, faculty, staff, Elders, and interested researchers from outside the college community.

Institutional Consortia and Partnerships

The Alberta Library Lois Hole Campus Alberta Digital Library AIHEC Tribal College Library Group Library Association of Alberta. Alberta Association of Academic Libraries Archives Association of Alberta. Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries and Museums American Library Association & American Indian Library Association.

Library Policies

Red Crow Community College Resource Centre

The Sinnaakia’tsistsi Iitohtopii (Library) is an Academic Library for RCCC students, staff (library patrons) and TAL card holders. The Library provides the following services:

• Quiet study to do research, assignments, and assist with online resources
• Computers for student use
• Book borrowing - Borrow for two weeks and an additional two week-renewal ask staff and they will renew the book.
• Photocopying Services
• Black & White - no charge for school related material;. 15/page for other printing
• Colour - charge is $1/page due to high cost of colour toners for printing
• Laminator – Same as non-school related printing
• Library patrons can use the Koho Library catalogue located at: https://redcrow-fnic.bywatersolutions.com/cgi-bin/koha/opac-search.pl
• This portal is shared with the other tribal colleges in Alberta and is maintained by the University of Alberta. The participating libraries are:
  - Bearpaw Resource Centre-Edmonton, AB
  - University nuhelot'jne thaiyots'i nistameyimakanak Blue Quills-St. Paul, AB
  - Maskwacis Cultural College-Maskwacis, AB
  - Nechi-Edmonton, AB
  - Old Sun Community College-Siksika, AB
  - Yellowhead Tribal College-Edmonton, AB

• Click on Library and click on the URL: https://redcrow-fnic.bywatersolutions.com/cgi-bin/koha/opac-search.pl
• The Koho catalogue houses the book collection, Blackfoot Special Collection, Residential School Library, Lois Hole Campus Alberta Digital Library databases, Ebooks, streaming videos, and DVDs
• Access to $55,000 in databases-username and password provided upon request to library patrons
• Other Services:
  - The Alberta Library Card is given upon This card gives staff and students access to 280+ participating Govt., Public and Academic Libraries in Alberta.
  - RCCC Library Cards given upon first book borrowing

• RCCC WIFI

Other Rules: No children in the library due to insurance purposes.

Failure to comply with policies and procedures will result in suspension of library privileges.

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Selection

• Responsibility for selection lies with the Library Coordinator and Library Technician with input from RCCC staff, Elders, faculty members and students. Instructors are encouraged to identify materials for the library to purchase that are needed for the courses they are teaching. Instructors are also encouraged to supply lists of recommended reading to students that are available in the Library. If the library lacks appropriate materials, instructors are asked to suggest items for purchase.
• The Library Coordinator and Library Technician are responsible for monitoring the existing collections for gaps based on collection use and feedback from library users, staff and faculty.
• The Library Coordinator and Library Technician are also responsible for deselection, replacing damaged or missing materials, or discarding damaged materials if necessary. Suggestions for new titles are always considered and can be made by filling out an Acquisitions Request Form (see Appendix A). Requests must meet the principles of this collection policy and goals of the Resource Centre, as articulated in its mission.

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Selection Criteria

Selection decisions are based on considerations of the following:

1. Relevance of materials to course curricula
2. Subject coverage ranging from literacy to the undergraduate level
3. Interest based on popularity and demand
4. Recommendations of faculty, staff, students, and Elders
5. Review sources
6. Reputation of publisher, author, producer
7. Accuracy
8. Currency, where appropriate
9. Format longevity (DVD versus CDs for example or memory sticks)
10. Availability of items through FNAHEC Tribal College group or the internet
11. Cost

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Formats

The Library collects printed materials in the form of monographs, journals, magazines, newspapers, and documents. It also collects streaming videos and provides access to digital collections containing journals, on-line reference, e-books, and Indigenous focused internet resources. Library purchases streaming videos at the request of instructors for use in the classroom or as supplementary material for specific courses. These media materials are continuously purchased for the Indigenous Collection. LANGUAGES The collection is primarily English. The Library is actively expanding its Blackfoot language resources. The preservation of the Blackfoot language is central to the college's cultural mission, it will continue to acquire books and materials in the Blackfoot language in all formats. These resources will be selected with input from Blackfoot language experts in the college community.

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Collections

Reference Collection: ‍

‍This is a non-circulating collection consisting of encyclopedias, almanacs, dictionaries, thesauri, directories, indexes, and government publications. This is an important resource and will be kept up to date, in terms of currency and format. Care will be taken to monitor availability of materials and the provision of such items in alternative formats against selection criteria.

General Works:

The Library Commons collects in all major subject areas which are arranged by the Dewey Decimal Classification system. These include:

• 000 Generalities
• 100 Philosophy & psychology
• 200 Religion
• 300 Social sciences
• 400 Language
• 500 Natural sciences & mathematics
• 600 Technology (Applied sciences)
• 700 The arts
• 800 Literature & rhetoric
• Blackfoot Books (some 300)
• 900 Geography & history

This collection will be developed more comprehensively in the subject areas taught at the College and based on selection criteria.

Children's Literature Collection:

This small collection is being developed to support the future Early Childhood Development and supports the Niitsitapi Teacher Education program and includes non-Indigenous and Indigenous children's books. This collection will be developed with input from directors and instructors based on requests and recommendations of users. It will be continually expanded to meet the program needs. Popular Fiction Collection: The Library Commons collects graphic novels, paperback, and hardcover novels to encourage recreational reading and active use. This collection is small but will continue to be updated and expanded based on recommendations, reviews, and user requests.

First Nations, Metis & Inuit Collection:

This is a rich collection of monographs, documents and printed ephemera, streaming DVDs, music CDs, newspapers, rare books, and resources that reflect local, regional, provincial/territorial, and national Indigenous experiences and perspectives. The Indigenous Collection covers the same topic areas as those found in General Works. The Library aims to collect as extensively as possible all works by First Nations and Indigenous authors. While works about First Nations, Metis, and Inuit people of North America are also collected, the primary aim is for the collection to be representative of Indigenous peoples' perspectives and therefore to highlight their voices, in all their uniqueness and diversity

Residential School Collection:

The Residential School Collection consists of print books, e-books and media material which relates to the Residential school experience in Canada. The material collected focuses on local, provincial and Canadian perspectives, as well as research material. Languages represented in the collection is Blackfoot. Blackfoot is taught at the College and there are many Blackfoot speakers in the Blackfoot Confederacy communities. The documentary heritage of our Kainai First Nations/Blood Tribe and our Blackfoot Confederacy members - Piikani, Siksika and the Blackfeet Tribe is, and will continue to be, of particular interest as we develop this collection. Rare archival materials and first edition books are also being actively sought.

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Collection Maintenance

Collection Evaluation:

Deselection occurs throughout the year in order to ensure the collection is current, authoritative, and meeting its mission. A comprehensive evaluation, followed by a more thorough weeding, will take place over the summer months. Deselection Criteria: Currency (outdated or obsolete information) Duplication Unwanted or unsolicited gifts Condition (worn, tom, shabby, pages missing, infested) Sets with volumes missing.

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Donations

The Library welcomes donations to the collection or funds. In order to ensure that donations contribute to the Library's mission, the following policies must be observed. Donations will be accepted if they meet selection criteria and help the Library to achieve its mission, bearing in mind the costs associated with cataloguing, processing, and maintaining the collection. Materials must be current and in good condition (binding intact, pages not worn, marked, mildewed or torn). Indigenous materials or items of interest to our member communities are more liberally accepted. Only current reference materials (published within the last 2 years) will be accepted. Unsolicited items will not be accepted.

Procedures:

The Library Coordinator or Library Technician must be notified by email or phone by the donor. If the donation is large, a list of items with bibliographic information should be provided in advance to allow the Library to access items against the collection policies. Donated items not added to the collection will be given away to students and staff, donated to small community libraries in the southern Alberta area, sent to Better Worlds, or disposed of.

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Intellectual Freedom and Social Responsibility

The Library is committed to the principles outlined in both the Canadian Federation of Library Association's Position Statement on Intellectual Freedom and its Position Statement on Diversity and Inclusion (see Appendix B). As a Tribal Library, however, it respects and upholds the values, beliefs, and customs of its Tribal nations. This applies in its approach to cultural knowledge and archival materials, as well as the provision of access to materials that might be sacred, confidential, or sensitive in nature. The Library understands, therefore, that in cases where materials are deemed "sensitive," privacy rights may supersede the public right to access.

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Library Staff & Contact Information:

Doreen Williams-Freeman, Library Coordinator. Indigenous & Language Culture Diploma, 4yr. Undergraduate at U of L (Drama Education) Contact: email doreen.wfreeman@mikaisto.com Direct line: 403-737-8754

Connie Crop Eared Wolf, Writing Coordinator.  Contact: email connie.cropearedwolf@mikaisto.com -Ph. d candidate, University of Montana, Missoula

Major: School Administration

-M.Ed., University of Lethbridge, major: school administration

-Specialization: Blackfoot Language Instruction - pilot tested Blackfoot Language

Niitsi'powahsini curriculum series 10, 20, 30 for Alberta Education

-Specialization: Teaching Native American Students

B.Ed. University of Lethbridge, major: Social Studies -Minor: Blackfoot Language Instruction

-Specialization: Teaching Native American Children

B.A. University of Lethbridge, major: Native American Studies

Minor: English, Psychology, Sociology

Marcella Blood, Library Technician Education Assistant Diploma, 2+2. 2-year undergraduate at U of L Contact: email marcella.blood@mikaisto.comDirect line: 403-737-4351 RCCC Phone 403-737-2400

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