Loriene Roy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Loriene Roy
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Loriene Roy at her inauguration as President of the American Library Association in Washington D.C. in 2007
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| President of the American Library Association | |
| In office 2007–2008 |
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| Preceded by | Leslie Burger |
| Succeeded by | James R. Rettig |
| Personal details | |
| Nationality | Anishinabe-American |
| Education | |
| Occupation | University professor, Librarian |
Loriene Roy is an American professor and librarian from Texas. She is an expert in how libraries can help Indigenous communities. In 2007, she made history by becoming the first Native American president of the American Library Association.
Contents
About Loriene Roy
Early Life and Education
Loriene Roy grew up in small towns in northern Minnesota. These towns were close to the Fond du Lac Reservation. She is a member of the Anishinabe people, part of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. She is officially enrolled with the White Earth Reservation.
Loriene studied hard to become a librarian. She earned a master's degree in Library Science from the University of Arizona. Later, she received her doctorate degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Her Work as a Professor
In 1987, Loriene Roy started teaching at the University of Texas at Austin. She teaches at the School of Information and also at the Center for Women's and Gender Studies.
Loriene's main goal is to help libraries serve Indigenous people better. She also works to preserve their cultural heritage. She created a national reading club for Native children called "If I Can Read, I Can Do Anything." She also started a scholarship program for Indigenous students. This program is called "Honoring Generations." It helps students pay for their education.
Loriene believes that libraries should be welcoming places for everyone. She says libraries need to be flexible with their rules. This includes having good open hours and loan times. She thinks tribal libraries can be exciting places. They can support cultural expression and Native language learning. They can also be places where families gather.
Leading the American Library Association
The American Library Association (ALA) is a big group for librarians. Loriene Roy became its President-Elect on June 28, 2006. She officially became the ALA President for 2007–2008. This was a very important moment. She was the first Native American to lead the ALA.
As president, Loriene focused on three main things:
- Helping people learn to read.
- Improving education for librarians.
- Creating programs for healthy workplaces.
To achieve these goals, she used "working circles" instead of regular task forces. This made the work more inclusive and community-focused. She learned a lot from her time as president. She said it taught her to "face your fears" and appreciate those who truly help.
Before becoming president, Loriene was active in the ALA. She served on many committees. She was also the president of the American Indian Library Association in 1997-1998.
Supporting Indigenous Libraries
Loriene Roy is a strong supporter of Indigenous librarianship. This means making sure libraries serve and respect Indigenous cultures and knowledge.
From 1995 to 2005, the United Nations celebrated the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples. During this time, the first international meeting of Indigenous information experts happened in New Zealand in 1999. Loriene wrote about this important event. She also looked at how technology affected Indigenous people early in the digital age.
Loriene worked with the International Federation of Library Associations from 2008 to 2009. She helped edit a special issue of a journal called World Libraries about "Indigenous Library Services." She sees her work with Indigenous information services as a "system of balances and negotiation." She has also studied how public libraries serve Indigenous people.
In 2019, Loriene gave a speech in New Zealand. It was called "As Long as the Rivers Flow." This speech talked about continuing efforts to support Indigenous peoples through library services. She also edited a book called Indigenous Notions of Ownership and Libraries, Archives and Museums. She wrote an essay in it called "Who is Indigenous?".
Awards and Recognition
Loriene Roy has received many awards for her important work. Some of these include:
- The 2006 American Library Association Equality Award.
- Being named a "Mover & Shaker" by Library Journal in 2007.
- The Distinguished Service Award from the American Indian Library Association in 2015.
In 2020, she was chosen for The University of Texas at Austin's Provost's Distinguished Service Academy.
