Lotsee Patterson facts for kids
Lotsee Patterson (born in 1931) is a Comanche librarian and teacher. She is famous for starting the American Indian Library Association. Lotsee has written many articles about how libraries can help Native American communities. She became interested in collecting Native American items because her mother worked with collections. Lotsee Patterson is a retired professor from the University of Oklahoma.
Early Life and Education
Lotsee Patterson was born in 1931. She grew up in southwestern Oklahoma. Her home was on Native American land near the town of Apache, Oklahoma. She began her career as a teacher in 1959 at Boone School. This was a small school in the countryside that did not have a library. She also taught at Riverside Indian School. These experiences made her want to help Native Americans get better library services. She decided to spend her life building libraries for tribes across the country.
Lotsee went to the Oklahoma College for Women. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in 1959. She then got her Masters of Library Science from the University of Oklahoma in 1969. In 1979, she finished her Ph.D. in Educational Technology at the University of Oklahoma. During her studies, she focused on finding money. This money would help train librarians to work with Native American students. It also helped choose high-quality Native American books and materials.
Career and Contributions to Libraries
After getting her Masters degree, Lotsee Patterson worked in several libraries. She worked at Riverside Indian School in Anadarko, Oklahoma. She also worked for Norman Public Schools in Norman, Oklahoma. Later, she became the Director of Library Media Services for the Oklahoma City Public Schools. She is now a retired professor of Library and Information Studies at the University of Oklahoma. Before that, she taught at the University of New Mexico and Texas Woman's University.
Lotsee Patterson has served on important boards. In 2009, she was on the board for the National Medal for Museum and Library Service. This group gives advice to the Institute of Museum and Library Services. In 2015, she was on the Board of Trustees for Comanche Nation College.
In the 1970s, Patterson helped create a special group. It was called the Office of Library Outreach Services Subcommittee on the American Indian. This group is now known as the American Indian Library Association. She wrote many important grant applications. These grants helped fund projects to improve library services for Native nations. One project trained teacher's aides from Bureau of Indian Affairs schools to become librarians. By 1973, she had also set up eight community libraries in different pueblos.
Patterson was a leader for a committee that wrote a report in 1992. The report was called Pathways to Excellence: A Report on Improving Library and Information Services for Native American Peoples. This report focused on making library services better for Native American people.
She has also been involved in creating the International Indigenous Librarians' Forum. She served on many other committees, including the American Library Association's Committee on Accreditation. She has advised many archives and museums across the country. This includes being a senior advisor to the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian.
Lotsee Patterson's life's work has focused on several key areas. She helped Native Americans become librarians. She also worked to get money to create and improve libraries in Native schools. Finally, she taught students about the field of librarianship.
Honors and Awards
Lotsee Patterson has received many awards for her important work:
- 1991- Award of Appreciation from the National Congress of American Indians
- 1994- American Library Association Equality Award
- 1996- United States National Commission on Libraries and Information Science Silver Award
- 1997- Distinguished Service Award from Oklahoma Library Association
- 2001- Beta Phi Mu Award for great service to library education
- 2003 - American Indian Library Association Honoring Our Elders Distinguished Service Award
- 2005 - American Library Association Honorary Membership
- 2007- Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, & Museums
