By Megan Price and Rebekah Rustad
Our Journey to Decolonize our School Library: Then, Now and Tomorrow
Abstract
The authors describe the process of conducting a diversity audit of Prince George Secondary School Library Learning Commons in British Columbia. The school is located on the unceded, ancestral lands of the Lheidli T’enneh and is the largest high school in northern BC. Indigenous students number in the five hundreds and make up about 1/3 of the student population. Nine Lheidli students live on reserve, and many more live in the city. A large portion of the Indigenous students are Metis. The authors illustrate, relate, and reflect upon sensitivities, successes and challenges of collection and physical LLC development in the diversity auditing.
Megan Price ended up in the library at Prince George Secondary School by chance in the fall of 2020 and fell in love with the role. She was lucky enough to spend a second year in the library in 2021/22 and hopes to end up there permanently after this school year. Presently, she is Indigenous Grad Coaching half time, teaching art 8 rotation half time and really missing being a teacher librarian. In her own time, Megan loves going to the gym and fitness classes, spending time with her two sons, husband and 3 cats, and reading. She is passionate about Reconciliation and social justice.
Rebekah Rustad is a full-time teacher-librarian at Prince George Secondary School (PGSS) in Prince George, British Columbia. PGSS has approximately 1,500 students, making it one of the largest secondary schools in Northern B.C. This is Rebekah’s third year as a teacher librarian and her focus for the 2022/23 school year is to continue working towards creating a diverse, inclusive, safe, and collaborative learning commons. Rebekah was born and raised in Prince George and outside of work she enjoys spending time with her husband and one year old son. Rebekah is also passionate about board games, cinema, and graphic novels.