The ATSILIRN Protocols: a twenty-first century guide to appropriate library services for and about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

Abstract

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Protocols for libraries, archives and information services (the Protocols) were written in 1995 and have been updated twice, most recently in 2012. The Protocols are a guide for library and information practitioners in the provision of appropriate services and management of items about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures. Since 1995 there have been significant changes in the information landscape, driven by demand, supply and technological change. The Protocols have been updated to reflect those changes, although Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander aspirations for the management of the materials about them, access to them and to library services have not changed. Therefore the Protocols are as useful and applicable now as when they were first written. Further, the Protocols offer a path to reconciliation, a guide to community engagement and a means to develop cultural competence. The latter two are gaining importance in library and information science. This article discusses development of the Protocols and provides examples of how they can be used.