Write to Read BC

Tag: First Nation

  • Round reading room, square learning centre

    A few years ago, Aboriginal Housing Society of Prince George approached Write to Read BC about installing an on-site library. A successful site visit was arranged this year. After inspecting the space with Housing Society leaders, one Write to Read BC volunteer described it in one word: “Wow!” The space is perfect for an Aboriginal-led library.

    The building has a round reading room, “shaped like a tipi.” It’s lighting mimics the northern lights. The reading room’s location is excellent for the community. It is physically connected to a daycare centre and surrounded by Indigenous housing.

    The Housing Society also hopes to install a learning space in a second room. The visiting volunteer described this room as “a square box at the moment.” However, the space will make a good learning centre once it is appropriately furnished. Write to Read BC’s volunteer teams are experienced at partnering with communities to transform spaces such as this.

    Aboriginal Housing Society of Prince George’s library plans were inspired by another Write to Read BC library collaboration, in Hazelton. For the potentially similar Prince George project, various people contributed their thoughts. Ideas ranged from floating shelves that can spotlight selected books to possible library programming by a local literacy group.

    In a post-visit discussion this month, Write to Read BC volunteers showed their readiness to engage. One experienced volunteer identified potentially costly logistics. Another intends to ask a Rotary Club to contribute funding. About $30,000 may be needed, depending on Aboriginal Housing Society of Prince George‘s vision for its library and learning centre.

  • Tl’esqox Library: ”Refresh” book list is half way

    In the Caribou-Chilcotin region, the Tl’esqox Library refresh is underway. This involves culling books from its shelves, and compiling a list of replacements. Already, the community selected about half the books for this list.

    Due to many recent births in the area, the library wants to include children’s books and materials on its list. This will support the community’s new Head Start program for children from infancy through 4 years of age.

    The community invited members of Write to Read BC’s library response team to visit Chilcotin (also called Riske Creek) to help with the Tl’esqox Library refresh. The goal is to complete the work by September.

    Part of the work is supported by a grant from the Four Pillars Society. This is a not-for-profit organization created to invest and distribute a $2.8-billion settlement fund from a class-action lawsuit.

    Photo of several one-story buildings, connected by a walkway and permanent awning. Several people are talking or walking in front of the small complex.
    Photo: The previously completed library, attached to a multi-generational centre. This centre included early learning, youth, and Elders programs, and a recording studio for language and culture revitalization. Now, the library is getting a refresh.

  • SFU CERi publishes report on Write to Read BC success

    Write to Read BC welcomes the formal publication of a study it co-sponsored with CERi at Simon Fraser University. CERi, or Community Engaged Research initiative, funded an assessment of 15 years of Write to Read BC’s collaborative library projects.

    The qualitative study collected data from 19 Indigenous BC communities about their Write to Read BC libraries model. The study’s authors, Jody Bauche and Tara Mahoney, report that these projects evolved far beyond designing and placing Indigenous-led libraries.

    Communities value the flexibility of the Write to Read BC model, which allowed them to design their own public space. As a result, these libraries can now offer an astonishing range of services beyond reading and education. These libraries are multi-purpose community hubs. They support cultural programming, early years education, food distribution, meetings, and social connection in isolated Indigenous communities across BC.

    The findings in this report highlight several key areas of impact:

    • Strengthening community connection and belonging.
    • Providing trusted spaces where people gather across generations.
    • Supporting literacy and lifelong learning, including early literacy development.
    • Inspiring the emergence of new programs.

    About the report

    Cover of 2026 report of the impacts of Write to Read BC's collaborative library model.
    Retrospective: The impact of collaborative libraries.

  • Human Rights book club inspires list of favourites

    The BC Human Rights Commissioner started a book club focused on human rights, and asked us to share this with our network.

    This inspired Write to Read BC volunteer Gordon Yusko to ask Indigenous publishers for their favourite books about human rights. Alison at GoodMinds.com—a Write to Read BC sponsor—suggested the following, for different types of readers.

    We’re passing along this list of favourites to all BC libraries.

    Goodminds.com is a book supplier with a passion for First Nations, Metis, and Inuit authorship and education. Through its SILT Foundation, it also funds and supplies books to libraries.

  • Four library projects for 2026-2027

    Write to Read BC volunteers are currently collaborating with four Indigenous organisations or First Nations about their library plans. These are:

    • Daylu Dena library in northern BC.
    • Aboriginal Housing Society library in Prince George.
    • Tl’esqox (Toosey) library in Caribou-Chilcotin.
    • Nzen’man’ (Zenmin) Centre library in Lytton.

    Together with community members, a variety of Write to Read BC volunteers will:

    • specify what library shelving to build for upcoming library projects.
    • coordinate book donations with supplier GoodMinds.com.
    • ship books to a volunteer in Whitehorse, relatively close to Daylu Dena library in northern BC.
    • complete the Daylu Dena library installation.
    • meet with Aboriginal Housing Society in Prince George to determine the library needs of multiple generations.
    • assess the available space and work on a design with Aboriginal Housing Society and stakeholders in Prince George.
    • assess the space and shelves in the Tl’esqox library.
    • edit the Tl’esqox collection: cull books and develop a replacement book list.
    • firm up the 2027 Nzen’man’ project with partners in Lytton.
    • check the type of fire-suppression—either water or foam—in the Nzen’man’ Centre, to frame the project scope.

  • Conference attendees respond to Write to Read BC projects

    During a presentation about Indigenous BC libraries, attendees at 2026 BC Library Conference expressed interest and engaged with the panel of presenters. The conference is an annual event sponsored by BC Library Association.

    Panel shared a recently completed impact study of Write to Read BC’s collaborative projects with isolated Indigenous communities. After the presentation, the audience shared their own experiences as librarians. They also asked questions about process, to learn how to better serve indigenous readers in public libraries.

    Indigenous groups in public libraries

    One librarian noted that, in the past decade, public libraries in Canada have taken “hugely positive steps” by adding Indigenous books and content to their collections. The librarian said, “There’s a lot more programming focused on Indigenous history in Canada, including the horrible impact of Indian Residential Schools.”

    Others noted public libraries have actively recruited local Indigenous residents to be on their library boards.

    Another librarian said: “In our library we reach out to two local First Nation communities,” but added that this work has no government funding. “The province doesn’t really provide enough funding to cover the costs,” said the librarian.

    Members of the audience were not asked to identify themselves, so their comments aren’t attributed.

    Processing books

    One librarian asked about how Write to Read BC’s volunteers process books for Indigenous libraries.

    Indigenous libraries installed with Write to Read BC have new books from Indigenous publishing houses in their collection. They may also have a selection of other books. The Write To Read volunteers classify all these books using the Dewey Decimal system.

    A panel presenter noted that Indigenous youth in particular want to learn it. Knowing Dewey Decimal allows them to go into a public library knowing where to find the books they’re interested in.

    After the conference presentation, several librarians asked about volunteering with Write to Read BC to process books.

    Self-directed, Indigenous-led libraries

    Rather than support public libraries in making space for Indigenous readers, Write to Read BC takes a different approach. Its volunteers partner with isolated Indigenous communities to design and and install the library they themselves want.

    The focus has been on isolated communities that have no other library nearby. However, Write to Read BC has also partnered with Indigenous-led organizations and schools that want a library.

  • Impact presentation at 2026 BC Library Conference

    2026 BC Library Convention attendees will hear an evaluation of the Indigenous-led libraries installed in partnership with Write to Read BC. Speakers will present the findings of a recent impact study of 15 years of Write to Read BC projects. In their April 23 conference presentation. Speakers will also discuss at future directions, and relationships with the larger library community in the province of BC.

    About the three speakers

    One speaker is the academic who led the impact assessment. The others are Write to Read BC members.

    • Jody Bauche is associate professor at Royal Roads University, and a citizen of the Metis Nation of BC. She led the research for the impact study in this presentation.
    • Dr Shirley-Pat Gale, Nih tse digh—Tl’esqox na whelh deni heelen (adoptee of Tl’esqox)—is a passionate literacy advocate and lead of Write to Read BC.
    • Gordon Yusko is a Write to Read BC advisor and facilitator, and master of library studies and information science, who has worked in public and academic libraries, in leadership roles.

  • Libraries impact literacy, identity, decolonisation

    For Indigenous communities, the benefits of community libraries range from literacy, to community development, to decolonisation. These are findings from a pre-publication copy of a study that assesses Write to Read BC partnerships with isolated communities.

    The study assesses the effectiveness of indigenous-led libraries in isolated BC communities. Simon Fraser University’s Community-Engaged Research initiative (CERi) arranged the study to evaluate Write to Read BC’s ongoing libraries project. The research was conducted in 2025, and the report will be published in spring 2026.

    In the pre-publication copy, some findings of the academic literature review are:

    • A library has the most impact when it’s an integrated part of the community. This refers to more than a physical location that’s easy to visit; it’s about contributing to community identity. A community’s vision for itself needs to include a library.
      — From M Asselin and R Dorion, 2013.
    • Printed and digital material in Indigenous-led libraries needs to present indigenous culture as equal, not inferior, to Western culture. This is because libraries can alter the social status of Indigenous communities previously shaped by Western sovereignty. In effect, a library can help counter the dispossession of traditional lands and historical prohibitions on language and cultural practice.
      — From B Parkin, H Harper, I Wallace, and P Mickan, 2020.
    • Libraries are essential for diversity of culture and language. In isolated indigenous communities, libraries can counter the loss of knowledges and languages, including through online content. That’s because unequal in-home access to digital information makes online participation harder for some.
      — From B Parkin, H Harper, I Wallace, and P Mickan, 2020.
    • Libraries can step beyond traditional concepts of learning as passive, focused on rote methods and recitation. Indigenous storytelling can play a part in learning, including remotely or via recordings. Basically, a library can embrace inclusion.
      — From M Asselin and R Dorion, 2013, and from M Kovach, 2017.
    • Community libraries are often initially created to foster literacy. But they become a way to support community engagement, social exchange, and cultural resiliency.
      — From R Sarjeant-Jenkins and K Walker, 2015.

    Funding and sources

    The research described here was made possible with Simon Fraser University’s CERi funding. The researcher’s analysis included these sources:

    • Asselin, M., & Doiron, R. (2013). Linking Literacy and Libraries in Global Communities (1st ed.). Routledge.
    • Ball, J. (2004). As if Indigenous knowledge and communities mattered: Transformative education in First Nations communities in Canada. American Indian Quarterly, 454-479.
    • Burgess, M. A. (2017). Investigating the impact upon First Nations students on reserve, in relation to their elementary school experience (Doctoral dissertation, University of Northern British Columbia).
    • Froehlich Chow, A., Wahpepah, K., Humbert, M. L., Houser, N., Brussoni, M., Erlandson, M., … & Ali, F. (2025). Nature’s Way-Our Way: A Journey Through the Co-Creation and Sharing of an Indigenous Physical Literacy Enriched Early Years Initiative. Engaged Scholar Journal, 11(1), 18-35.
    • Kovach, M. (2017). Doing indigenous methodologies. The SAGE handbook of qualitative research, 383-406.
    • Helen Klieve, Bev Fluckiger. (2015). Towards an evidence base: Exploring the impact of community-based literacy programs in remote Indigenous communities. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 40(2), 89–98.
    • McMahon, R., McNally, M. B., Nitschke, E., Napier, K., Alvarez Malvido, M., & Akçayir, M. (2024). Codesigning community networking literacies with rural/remote Northern Indigenous communities in Northwest Territories, Canada. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 29(1).
    • Morcom, L. (2014). Determining the role of language and culture in First Nations schools: A comparison of the First Nations Education Act with the policy of the Assembly of First Nations. Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy, (163).
    Research on the impact of Indigenous-led libraries installed together with Write to Read BC in isolated BC communities.

  • Study: Libraries serve Indigenous children and adults alike

    The preview of an upcoming study reports adults in isolated, Indigenous communities use libraries as much or more than children. The study is assessing at the long-term impact of Indigenous-led libraries installed in partnership with Write to Read BC.

    This research was made possible with Simon Fraser University’s CERi funding. The study’s Indigenous researcher gathered data from isolated communities that installed an indigenous-led library with us. The research was conducted in 2025, and the report will be published in spring 2026.

    School libraries

    Many communities installed a library connected to their local school. Obviously, these spaces get significant use by children.

    However, adults also want to use reading materials and programs about culture and language. That’s why some schools welcome adults, too. For example, Nisaika Kumtuks school in Nanaimo set specific hours for family members to use material in its library.

    Rather than in a school, many communities installed books and computers a separate community facility. Both children and adults can use these, but they are harder to fund, according to some study participants. “There is funding for libraries attached to schools, but not necessarily for community-specific libraries,” the study’s author reports.

    Nevertheless, over the past 15 years most libraries installed with Write to Read BC are community libraries.

    Community libraries

    In addition to support for reading—including reading about Indigenous cultures and languages—these spaces are also community-building hubs. This is one of the benefits that attracts community members. Often, libraries are a showcase of local culture and history. One participant mentioned plans to create a museum alongside the library.

    In addition to these adult-oriented activities, community libraries also help educate children. Since 20% of the youth living on reserves attend school online, community libraries often have a role in childhood education.

    Unfortunately, older libraries in the Write to Read BC program did not all include computers and high-speed Internet. Some participants told the researcher that “a designated space” for online learners would be “a helpful addition to their community.” This would benefit adults and children alike.

    Findings from the CERi study were first presented in October, 2025.

    Research on the impact of Indigenous-led libraries installed together with Write to Read BC in isolated BC communities.

  • Value in isolated libraries: SFU study

    An Indigenous-led study at Simon Fraser University will sum up 15 years of Write to Read BC library projects. The study assessed 15 years of completed projects. These projects are partnerships with Indigenous communities to design and install the library they want. In a preview of the findings, the study found that project partners—isolated indigenous communities across BC—gained substantially. The gains show up in several ways.

    Firstly, at a community-wide level libraries are places where people connect, the study found. It reports that Write to Read BC libraries foster resiliency and increase active community participation. That’s in part because the libraries also become community hubs.

    Secondly, individual or “autonomous” library use is also connected to increased productivity within communities.

    Thirdly, the effect on literacy is positive. The study found an increased interest in literacy related to community libraries installed by Write to Read BC.

    Lastly, the Indigenous-led study noted several community challenges indirectly related to libraries. For example, due to shifts in literacy funding, schools have been absorbing community-based programs. Also, expanding those community programs increases the demand for meeting space. A community library can ease the demands on schools and provide another place to host programs.

    Full details of the findings will be available when the research report is published in the spring of 2026. The study, which Write to Read BC requested, received funding from SFU Community-Engaged Research Initiative, or SFU CERi. This program helps community organisations understand the effectiveness of their efforts. The research applied Indigenous cultural insight of a Simon Fraser University (SFU) graduate student.

    Write to Read BC leaders and the Rotary Club of Steveston-Richmond recently got a preview of the study. That’s because the Rotary Club is a significant funder of the Indigenous-led libraries that Write to Read BC volunteers install. Over the past 15 years, these partnerships have resulted in about two dozen libraries in isolated communities across BC.

    Research on the impact of Indigenous-led libraries installed together with Write to Read BC in isolated BC communities.