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Our Protocols

Protocols and best practice for engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander people and collections

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Our Protocols

"It is my view that you need to look carefully at the way Aboriginal people are portrayed in libraries, and you need to reach out to Aboriginal people and show us that we are welcome to participate in an area which we were excluded from for a long time"

(Mick Dodson, 1993)

The role of the Indigenous Services at the Library is to work with Indigenous communities across NSW concerning the preservation and management of Indigenous documentary heritage resources.

The Library works proactively with Indigenous people and communities regarding access to the collection. The following protocols and statements of best practice provide guidance for the Library’s work in this priority area. 

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NSLA Position Statement

National position statement for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander library services and collections

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ATSILIRN Protocols

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Protocols for Libraries, Archives and Information Services

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UN Declaration

United Nations Declaration on the rights of Indigenous people 

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NSLA Working with Communities

Working with Community: Guidelines for collaborative practice between Libraries and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities

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Download the strategy objectives and the full text. 

Indigenous Spaces in Library Places Strategy Document

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Indigenous Spaces in Library Places

A Strategy to assist public libraries in developing services for the Indigenous local community.

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Connecting with the community

Stories about experiences and interactions with the Library's Indigenous Australian collections.

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