Indigenous Support in the University Library
Renee Johnson - University Library Indigenous Support Librarian
Since May of 2019, the University Library Indigenous Support Librarian, Renee Johnson has been building a portfolio to connect and support the learning and teaching aspirations of the University’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and staff and wider university community.
Renee is a proud Malak-Malak woman, a descendant of the people of Daly River N.T and a member of the Stolen Generations, with a strong sense of purpose and emphasis on engagement with First Nations stakeholders, community and maintaining an effective working relationship with Wirtlu Yarlu Aboriginal Education and students.
The Indigenous Support Librarian role is also responsible for coordinating the collection development and promotion of the Library’s Indigenous knowledge’s collections, including the neighbourhood collection, Yaitya Ngutupira (about Aboriginal Knowledge).
Yaitya Ngutupira has three cultural spaces and its collections are available to all University staff and students and teaching academics who are encouraged to speak to Renee to discuss Indigenous content and materials in their courses.
A Library Indigenous Student Support course has also been developed and is now available in MyUni. This course has been designed specifically for the Indigenous student cohort and includes content on how to find information and use the Library effectively. It’s a great instruction to information literacy for students new to the University. The course is also useful for the wider student cohorts as it contains information on how to find Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander resources and lists key services provided by the Indigenous Support Librarian.
An Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Resources guide is now available too, providing all teaching staff and students with a great starting point for finding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Resources in the library and externally. This guide covers a broad range of subjects including law, health, sciences, music and arts, including cultural protocol information and topics relevant across most subject areas.
All staff and students who need guidance with using Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander resources, collections or want to know more about Indigenous engagement can contact Renee by email or book an appointment.
Pictured at the official exhibition launch during NAIDOC Week 2020 are (from left) Renee Johnson, Indigenous Support Librarian; Nici Cumpston, AGSA Curator of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art and Artistic Director of Tarnanthi; and out Chancellor, the Hon. Catherine Branson AC QC. They are pictured here with Nici’s 2010 work ‘Winter II’.