Ray and Millie Silver Aboriginal Library

1. Ray and Millie Silver Aboriginal Library

2. Acknowledgement We would like to acknowledge that we are located on the traditional ancestral territory of the MusqueamFirst Nation

3. Who are we? Literacy Matters Abbotsford is the community task group responsible for developing and implementing Abbotsford’s Community Literacy Plan

4. Membership • LMA membership includes the following constituencies: • University of the Fraser Valley • Fraser Valley Regional Library • Abbotsford School District • Abbotsford Community Services • West Abbotsford Community School Society • Central Abbotsford Community School Society • Fraser Valley Metis Association • Abbotsford Women’s Business Association • Hand in Hand Daycare • Children First/Abbotsford Early Childhood Committee • Fraser Valley Child Development Centre • Community members

5. What are our goals? • LMA has committed to the development of programs, services, and initiatives to support literacy in the following areas: • Adult Literacy • Aboriginal Literacy

6. Tables • LMA has two formal table groups that meet outside of the LMA task group • Adult Table • Aboriginal Table

7. Adult Table • Membership includes • Elizabeth Fry Society • Abbotsford Community Services • Fraser Valley Regional Library • University of the Fraser Valley • New Beginnings • Abbotsford School District

8. Aboriginal Table • Membership includes • Abbotsford School District • Community Aboriginal Centre • Fraser Valley Metis Association • Hand in Hand Daycare • Success by Six • Reading Buddies Coordinator • Fraser Valley Regional Library • Community Member

9. Call to Action • Aboriginal table identified a need to increase the literacy potential of Aboriginal families in the community • Reading Buddies was identified as a possible initiative that could be beneficial in increasing the literacy rates of Aboriginal youth in the community

10. Assessment of Assets Further investigation identified gaps in Library usage in the community 2 Aboriginal families identified as using Fraser Valley Library services

11. Inquiry Question How can the Aboriginal table increase the number of Aboriginal families utilizing library services in Abbotsford?

12. Action What if we created an Aboriginal community library at the Community Aboriginal Centre?

13. First Steps

14. Sharing the Possibility • Proposal was taken to the LMA Task Group to ask for support • Support in the amount of $20,000 was granted to the Aboriginal table to proceed with the building of a community Aboriginal library • Raise a Reader funding was allocated to purchase book resources for the holdings

15. The Room • Old woodshop at the Community Aboriginal Centre (Abbotsford School District) • Floors, walls, and electrical work needed • Shelving and furniture needed • Mural to be painted on walls above shelving

18. The Resources • Purchase of books • Identification of cataloguing system • People to catalogue books • Online database • Lending system • Shelving

19. Books Books from Community Aboriginal Centre included in the holdings Books purchased from United Library Services and Strong Nations Donations from the community

21. Processing • UFV practicum students • Work with Smitty Miller (FVRL) to identify cataloguing system and database • Brian Deer Classification System • Library Thing • Holdings classified, labeled, and shelved by practicum students

23. Lending No library cards 4 week lending period Sign out sheet

24. The Result

26. Mural

30. Next Steps Additional Titles Library programs Reading Buddies? Library Technician? Stickers in the books Corporate sponsorship