Reference Services to Indigenous Users
Challenge
As a result of the University of California’s ongoing efforts to recruit and retain Indigenous students, the Reference department at UC Irvine Libraries wanted to improve services to this student demographic.
Role
As a Library Assistant in the Reference department, I had no formal decision-making power but was granted permission to gather data and recommend possible solutions.
Solution
I informally investigated our department's existing knowledge of the theory and practice of Indigenous librarianship and found that nearly everyone was unfamiliar. Additionally, I conducted an ad-hoc competitive analysis by interviewing other librarians in the U.C. system with stronger service offerings to this demographic, and also established a relationship with the campus chapter of the American Indian Student Association (AISA) to learn more about user experiences at the institution and in the library. As a result of this research, I designed my report to incorporate academic, journalistic, and interview sources to demonstrate to my colleagues the historical and contemporary roots of current user behavior and recommendations for producing better outcomes.
Impact
The report was distributed to and discussed by both the Reference department and the library’s internal Diversity Team, as well as to the interviewees. I was allowed to assemble a small working group with librarians to create a working draft of a research guide to support the Native American Studies minor at UCI. Additionally, the service changes adopted by the department align it closed with the Libraries’ Diversity Statement and Plan.