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 known for her work with Indigenous libraries. In 2007, she became the first Native American president of the American Library Association.
Contents
About Loriene Roy
Her Early Life and Education
Loriene Roy grew up in small towns in northern Minnesota. These towns were near the Fond du Lac Reservation. She is a member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. She is also part of the White Earth Reservation.
Roy 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 Career as a Professor
In 1987, Roy joined the University of Texas at Austin. She teaches at the School of Information. She also teaches in the Center for Women's and Gender Studies.
Roy's work focuses on helping libraries serve Indigenous people. She also works on preserving cultural heritage. She created a national reading club for Native children. It is called "If I Can Read, I Can Do Anything." She also started a scholarship program for Indigenous students. This program is called "Honoring Generations."
Roy believes that libraries need to be welcoming for everyone. She says libraries should have flexible rules. This includes open hours and how long you can borrow books. She thinks tribal libraries can be exciting places. They can support Native languages and culture. They can also be places for families to gather.
Leading the American Library Association
Becoming President of ALA
The American Library Association (ALA) is a big group for librarians. Loriene Roy became President-Elect of the ALA in 2006. Then, in 2007, she became the President. This made her the first Native American to lead the ALA.
As President, Roy had three main goals. She wanted to support reading skills for everyone. She also wanted to improve education for librarians. Her third goal was to create programs for healthy workplaces. To achieve these goals, she used "working circles." These groups helped include more people in the ALA's work. Roy learned that many people have ideas. But only a few are willing to help. She says it's important to keep those helpful people happy.
Other Roles in ALA
Before becoming President, Roy was an ALA Councilor-At-Large. She served two terms in this role. She also worked on many ALA committees. These included committees on education and women in librarianship.
Roy was also the President of the American Indian Library Association. This was from 1997 to 1998. She is also a member of other library groups.
In 2013, Roy gave the Jean E. Coleman Library Outreach Lecture. Her talk was about love and forgiveness in library studies.
Her Work in Indigenous Librarianship
Supporting Indigenous Libraries
Loriene Roy is a strong supporter of Indigenous librarianship. This means helping libraries serve Indigenous communities. It also means preserving their knowledge and culture.
The United Nations celebrated the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples. This was from 1995 to 2005. Roy wrote about an important meeting during this time. It was the first international meeting for Indigenous information professionals. This meeting was held in New Zealand in 1999. It focused on respecting Indigenous knowledge. Roy wrote about how technology was impacting Indigenous people.
Roy also led the Indigenous Matters section for the International Federation of Library Associations. She edited a special issue of a journal on "Indigenous Library Services." She sees her work as a balance. It's about finding ways to support Indigenous information services. She has also studied how public libraries serve Indigenous people.
In 2019, Roy gave a lecture in New Zealand. It was called "As Long as the Rivers Flow." This talk was about continuing to support Indigenous peoples in libraries. Roy also edited a book called Indigenous Notions of Ownership and Libraries, Archives and Museums. She wrote an essay in the book called "Who is Indigenous?".
Awards and Honors
Loriene Roy has received many awards for her work.
- In 2006, she won the American Library Association Equality Award.
- In 2007, Library Journal named her a "Mover & Shaker."
- She was honored as an Outstanding Alumna from the University of Arizona in 2002.
- She received the Joe and Bettie Branson Ward Excellence Award. This award is for research that helps society.
- She also won two Texas Exes Teaching Awards.
- She received two James W. Vick Texas Excellence Awards for Academic Advisors.
In 2015, the American Indian Library Association gave her the Distinguished Service Award. In 2020, she was chosen for The University of Texas at Austin's Provost's Distinguished Service Academy.
