American Indian Library Services in Perspective

Download or read book American Indian Library Services in Perspective written by Elizabeth Rockefeller-MacArthur and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While library literature has made at least a passing effort to cover services to American Indians, most of the writings have been from a white perspective. Very little attention has been paid to how Native Americans have traditionally gathered and passed along knowledge--primarily through visual and oral means. This work examines how libraries traditionally provided service to Native Americans and how such service could be improved through an understanding of Indian traditions. Chapters present an overview of library services before World War II, the various methods Native Americans have used to preserve their heritage, and the importance of the preservation and maintenance of artifacts. The current state of library services is then explored, followed by a chapter on how new technologies are being used to expand and improve services. A final chapter offers guidelines for collection management and reveals many of the images and stereotypes to be found in much of the literature for and about American Indians.