Overall Goal

  • To help libraries and archives correct the culturally inappropriate, incorrect and colonially centered metadata, subject headings and descriptive records which currently exist in Arctic collections.
  • To support Indigenous Peoples in defining the ways in which they and their environments are described in this domain.
  • To make Arctic Indigenous languages more present in metadata, subject headings and descriptive records.
  • To build infrastructure, practices, tools, and relationships among Thematic Network partners to promote sustainability going forward.

Main Activities

  • Regular meetings of the network to identify issues and problems that the network partners can jointly address
  • Biennial Network meetings in conjunction with the Polar Libraries Colloquy to provide opportunities for sharing research results
  • Develop shared tools to help partners in their decolonization work
  • Develop educational activities for partners

Current and Planned Activities

  • Meets monthly
  • Recruit additional partners, particularly Indigenous partners
  • Half-day workshop at Polar Libraries Colloquy Meeting June 5-11, 2022, Quebec Canada
  • Educational events for members
  • Development of an inventory of community approved dictionaries and terminology lists