Infinite Learning Modules: Indigenous Languages & Public Libraries  

Many libraries around the world are collaborating with Indigenous peoples to support Indigenous language education. 

• A library in Norway has been working with the Sámi community to publish books, including audiobooks and video books.
• In Canada, Ottawa Public Library has an Indigenous Language Collection in the Inuktitut language, including bilingual books. 
• Calgary Public Library has a Treaty 7 Language Books collection, indigenous library programs, office hours with indigenous Elders, and an Indigenous Languages Resource Centre at their Central Library. They also have a virtual resource center with videos and apps for indigenous language learning.

At the Mendocino County Library, where I work, we have bilingual Northern Pomo/English books that were written by Pomo Dancer, regalia maker, Pomo Master basket weaver, wild food and medicine gatherer and cultural teacher, Buffie Schimdt. She created the books on Shutterfly for her students in her Northern Pomo Language Classes at Ukiah High.

I am friends with Buffie and when we were discussing the addition of her books to the Mendocino County Library collection she mentioned that she wished that people could listen to the books so they could learn how to pronounce the words. My spouse has experience with audio recording so we recently collaborated with Buffie to record her reading each of her 5 Northern Pomo Language books and share the recordings online. Now we are in the process of collaborating with the Mendocino County Library to promote the debut of the Northern Pomo Language Books eAudiobooks available for free online on Sound Cloud. The Library is going to release a press release and flyers about the audiobooks and will have free stickers with a QR code and url to the website that anyone with a copy of Buffie’s books can come get for their books (the stickers will also be placed in the library books). 

The website with the audiobooks: https://soundcloud.com/northernpomobooks