Camille Callison has been appointed as Head University Librarian at the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV). She completed her Master of Library and Information Studies, with a First Nations Curriculum Concentration, in 2005. Camille is a member of the Tsesk’iya clan of the Tāłtān First Nation and for the past 9 years, she has held different positions in the University of Manitoba (UM).
She joined UM in 2012 as the first Indigenous Services Librarian and was involved in engaging and supporting the Indigenous students, faculty, and community, founding the Mazinbiige Indigenous Graphic Novel Collection. She has also served as a member of the Indigenous Advisory Circle (2015-2017) and a member of the UM’s Bid (2012) and Implementation (2013- 2015) Committees, which were formed to bring the Truth and Reconciliation Commission archives to the University of Manitoba to form the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. During her tenure at the UM, she also served as the Learning and Organizational Development Librarian (2018-2019), developed and piloted the UM Libraries introduction to Indigenous Cultural Competency Training (ICCT), then as Indigenous Strategies Librarian (2019-2021), where she focused on strategic planning and coordination and co-facilitation of the ICCT program for all librarians, archivists, and library staff.
“My work is based on the principles of respect, relationship, and the radical inclusion of all peoples as this applies not only to Indigenization work but also diversity, equity, and inclusion of all peoples. I believe that it is important to create a safe and inclusive place for students, faculty, and the wider community to learn and facilitate the sharing of knowledge with future generations, which I am honoured to nurture at UFV.” – Camille Callison
Callison currently serves as Chair of the International Federation of Library Association’s Indigenous Matters Section, Secretary of IEEE P2890™ Recommended Practice for Provenance of Indigenous Peoples’ Data, and founding co-Chair of the University of Manitoba Anthropology Department Repatriation Committee. She is also a member of the National Information Standards Organization (NISO) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion subcommittee, OCLC Reimagine Descriptive Workflows Advisory Group, and Canada’s Steering Committee on Archives – Truth & Reconciliation Commission Taskforce. She is also currently pursuing a PhD in Anthropology at the University of Manitoba that focuses on Indigenous Knowledge and how cultural memory institutions contribute to its resurgence and revitalization.
Congratulations, Camille!
Read the official announcement on the UFV website
