Carla Jill Inget, Department of Curriculum and Instruction
https://dspace.library.uvic.ca:8443/handle/1828/11732
Abstract:
Public libraries have frequently been referred to as a ‘third place,’ which is defined as the place between home and work where people meet to exchange ideas, learn, and have a good time (Oldenburg, 2014). New and award-winning library branches have been built in Winnipeg, Halifax, and Calgary, and these central downtown branches provide not only access to books, but also to community meeting spaces and to social services; these major developments speak to the dynamic nature of the public library and to its importance in Canadian urban settings. As cities seek to redesign their public library spaces, the emphasis is on service provision and the community and its patrons. But, what about the librarian? What is the librarian’s experience of and in this space? This study explores the librarian’s experience in the public library space, and how this space informs and shapes librarian’s learning. Employing the principles of institutional ethnography, data were gathered through semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and textual analysis. A detailed picture of the work of librarians emerged through the indexing process, and three key spaces in the public library emerged from the data to ground and situate the participants experiences and learning at work. The data revealed the ways these spaces inform, influence and shape participants’ experiences and learning; the impact of some spaces is explicit and formal while other spaces provide an incidental or informal impact on participants.
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Knowing Home attempts to describe the creative vision of Indigenous scientific knowledge and technology that is derived from an ecology of a home place. The traditional wisdom component of Indigenous Science—the values and ways of decision-making—assists humans in their relationship with each other, the land and water, and all of creation. Knowing Home weaves Indigenous perspectives, worldviews, and wisdom practices into the science curriculum. It provides a window into the scientific knowledge and technological innovations of the Indigenous peoples of Northwestern North America, providing numerous examples and cases for developing science lessons and curricula. Knowing Home shows how Indigenous perspectives have the potential to give insight and guidance as we attempt to solve the complex environmental problems of the 21st century.
Dr. Gloria Snively is Professor Emeritus at the University of Victoria where she taught science methods, environmental/marine education, and culture courses. She was Director of the Graduate Program in Environmental Education. For 12 years, she was involved with the Asia Pacific Network whose purpose is to strengthen links between the research community and school-based environmental education in the Asia-Pacific region. Her work with Indigenous education spans 4 decades and has always been inspired by Indigenous leaders. She enjoyed giving natural history talks and walks to students, teachers, park interpreters, First Nations and community groups for 50 years; she prefers to explore forest, ponds and seashores first-hand.
Dr. Wanosts’a7 Lorna Williams OBC walking in peace is Lil’wat of the St’at’yem’c First Nation. Her life has been devoted to promoting and restoring Indigenous culture and language. She worked as an Indigenous educator and language specialist for more than 50 years in diverse settings, including Indigenous communities, public schools, and adult education settings. Dr. Williams recently retired from the University of Victoria as Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Knowledge and Learning (co-appointment with Faculty of Education and Department of Linguistics) and an associate professor, where she developed and delivered an innovative series of courses on learning and teaching in an Indigenous world.