HIGHER EDUCATION REVIEW 2002
Higher Education at the Crossroads
Fifth Discussion Paper: Indigenous Australians in Higher Education
The Council of Australian University Librarians is pleased to submit
information for the consideration of the Higher Education Review Committee.
CAUL congratulates the Minister for highlighting the need to improve
educational outcomes for indigenous Australians.
Promoting an understanding of indigenous issues
Libraries have long recognized the very pivotal role they play as information
agencies in developing an understanding of indigenous issues. The Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander Protocols for Libraries, Archives, and Information
Services (1) were published in 1995, and have been used by libraries all over
Australia to guide the development of policies in the areas of collection
development, access, use, description and classification of materials ,
governance and management, staffing, and education and training. The
Protocols refer to the major role libraries and information services have in
preserving and transmitting knowledge. By providing and proactively promoting
appropriate displays, exhibitions and tours, by having a welcoming presence for
indigenous cultures, and by actively acquiring material produced by and about
indigenous peoples, University libraries are providing essential services that
promote an understanding of indigenous issues.
Another avenue of promoting understandings is to implement an active program
of cross-cultural training for all staff employed in library and information
services. Libraries have long recognized the need to ensure that all staff
dealing with members of the public have a strong client service work ethic, so
this cross-cultural training is an extension of that role. Cultural issues are an
important component of all library education and training courses at both the
HE and TAFE levels. This is a model that could be emulated by other
professional bodies.
Universities across Australia are required to produce an Indigenous Education
Strategy and this has helped focus attention on the needs of Indigenous
students. In recent years Universities have also been examining their
“graduate outcomes” as part of their commitment to quality. Although many
Universities refer to cross-cultural understanding, only the University of
Newcastle currently includes a reference specifically to Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander peoples as an attribute that they expect all their graduates to
possess (2). Encouraging Universities to include similar statements in their list
of graduate outcomes would be one way of promoting understanding of
indigenous issues.
The Australian Library and Information Association’s Statement on library and
information services and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (4) is
used by all libraries as a guide to issues they need to address: involving ATSI
peoples in decision-making and policy formulation processes, recognizing
cultural diversity by consulting with community representatives, providing
employment opportunities and cross cultural awareness programs.
Increasing pre-tertiary activities
Pre-tertiary activities are to be strongly encouraged. One of the very important
roles that University Libraries have for all students is the development of their
Information Literacy skills. Information literacy is an understanding and set of
abilities enabling individuals to ‘recognise when information is needed and have the
capacity to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information’ (3). An
information literate person is able to
 recognise a need for information
 determine the extent of information needed
 access the needed information efficiently
 evaluate the information and its sources
 incorporate selected information into their knowledge base
 use information effectively to accomplish a purpose
 understand economic, legal, social and cultural issues in the use of information
 access and use information ethically and legally
 classify, store, manipulate and redraft information collected or generated
 recognise information literacy as a prerequisite for lifelong learning
University Libraries are currently investigating ways of collaborating with academic
staff to incorporate the standards into the curriculum. Some Universities are
working closely with coordinators of pre-tertiary programs and Indigenous Support
Officers to develop indigenous students’ information literacy skills. Such activities
should be strongly encouraged and supported.
Supporting Indigenous research organizations so that they can be strong
networks of support for their members?
Research organizations should be aligned to a University so they can avail
themselves of the research support services available through a University
library, such as access to electronic information resources, printed research
materials such as back runs of journals, interlibrary loans services, and liaison
librarians specializing in their area of research interests.
Due to the very nature of their work, Indigenous research organizations
contribute to the wealth of Indigenous knowledge and library staff have the
expertise to collect, document, store, and disseminate that knowledge.
However there needs to be recognition of the difference between Western
and Indigenous knowledge management (5).
Prepared on behalf of CAUL by:
Ruth Quinn
University Librarian
Northern Territory University
email: Ruth.Quinn@ntu.edu.au
13 September 2002
The Council of Australian University Librarians comprises the university
librarians or library directors of the tertiary institutions which are eligible
to be members of the Australian Vice-Chancellors’ Committee.
CAUL is dedicated to improving access by the staff and students of
Australian universities to the scholarly information resources that are
fundamental to the advancement of teaching, learning and research.
Contact:
Helen Hayes
President CAUL
Vice-Principal (Information)
The University of Melbourne
VIC 3010.
Tel: 03 8344 5382
Fax: 03 8344 9879
Email: h.hayes@unimelb.edu.au
Diane Costello
Executive Officer, CAUL
LPO Box 169, ANU
Canberra, ACT 2601
Tel: 02 6125 2990
Fax: 02 6248 8571
Email: diane.costello@caul.edu.au
http://www.caul.edu.au/
References
(1) Byrne, Alex et al (compilers). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Protocols
for libraries, archives and information services. Canberra: Australian Library
and Information Association, for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Library and Information Resources Network, 1995.
(2) Institutional Quality Assurance and Improvement Plans for the 2002-2004
Triennium. Canberra: DEST, 2002. Available:
http://www.dest.gov.au/highered/quality/quality_plans_01/contents.htm
(3) Information Literacy Standards. Canberra: Council of Australian University
Librarians, 2001. Available: http://www.caul.edu.au/
(4) Australian Library and Information Association. Statement on library and
information services and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Canberra: ALIA, 1995. Available:
http://www.alia.org.au/policies/aboriginal.html
(5) Nakata, M. Indigenous Knowledge and the Cultural Interface: Underlying issues
at the intersection of knowledge and information systems. In Proceedings of
68th IFLA Council and General Conference, held August 18-24, 2002