Tribes will gather to share library resources

Thursday, Jan. 6, 2000 | 10:13 a.m.

American Indians will meet this month in Reno to discuss ways to enhance their community libraries, archives and museums and learn ways to apply for available funding.

The assembly will be Jan. 26 and 27 at the Atlantis hotel-casino and will be hosted by the Nevada State Library and Archives.

Representatives from Nevada tribal communities will identify and discuss needs of their communities in regard to gaining information. Tribes that do have valuable resources and ongoing programs will share ideas with others.

"To a lot of people a library is a physical structure with a lot of books," Shayne Del Cohen, project coordinator, said. "Our concern is that the definition of library in the information age needs to be examined. There are people who don't think they have a library so they don't look at the funding source.

"Every community has some way of collecting, preserving and sharing information," Del Cohen said. "Every tribe has a library."

Tutorial centers, legal libraries, clinics or cultural centers can be defined as libraries, she said, adding that information passed down from an elder with vast cultural knowledge can also be considered a library.

Tribal representatives are working with the Nevada State Library and Archives, Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada, Nevada State Office of Indian Education and Nevada Indian Environmental Coalition to develop activities.

Assistance will be provided for those wishing to apply for federal grants.

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