Indigenous Special Libraries: The X̱wi7x̱wa Library (Canada) and The American Indian Film Gallery (U.S.): The interconnectedness of Indigenous special libraries to the land and tribal ancestry, community and the world bumps up against the idea of a mainstream special library that stands alone inside an institution, often closed to the public and ever mindful of the bottom line; indeed, the concept of a single library that is not connected to neighboring libraries, institutions or the community in which it sits is contrary to Traditional Knowledges (TK). Tribal special libraries are usually a part of a university, they are a unique and separate branch from the main library, and they can require patrons to become educated and oriented toward an Indigenous mindset in order to access Native resources and datasets. This distinction sets them apart from public libraries and situates them within a special library frame, as access is restricted but not completely shut off from the public.

Claudia Heikhaus: “I am a late-in-life MLIS student who lives on Sonoma Mountain in Petaluma, CA (Northern California). I have a BA in Film Studies from UC Santa Barbara, and I am an obsessive knitter, an animal enthusiast, and a feminist. My goal is to work in an archive, and I am on track to graduate from SJSU in December 2025.”