The Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre (IRSHDC) enthusiastically welcomes Kim Lawson as the new Research and Community Liaison Librarian. A member of the Heiltsuk Nation, Kim worked at UBC’s Xwi7xwa Library for more than ten years prior to joining the IRSHDC.
Kim came to the Centre in a secondment role in November 2019 and has now joined the IRSHDC in a permanent capacity. In this role, Kim is leading the development of educational and engagement initiatives, providing reference and instruction services, and collaborating on digital collections development at the Centre. Kim is also working on grant writing, strategic planning, as well as outreach and engagement initiatives with the broader community of Indigenous libraries and information services. She is also an integral member of the curatorial team developing a virtual exhibition and year of engagement for the 40th anniversary of the Indian Child Caravan.
Prior to joining UBC, she worked as the Archivist/Librarian at the Union of BC Indian Chiefs Resource Centre. Kim holds a Masters in Library and Information Studies from UBC’s School of Library, Information and Archival Studies, (now the School of Information). Her master’s thesis, Precious fragments : First Nations materials in archives, libraries and museums, (2004) examined Indigenous perspectives on materials held, organized, and classified in libraries, archives and museums and is widely cited in the field.
Due to her expertise in community outreach and Indigenous libraries/archives, Kim is often called upon to participate in research, dialogues and community focused work. She has published papers on Indigenous knowledge organization, language revitalization, Indigenous librarianship and community. She has been a research partner on several grants which received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. Kim is an active participant and invited speaker to national and international conferences and professional organizations.
“Kim Lawson is an indigenous leader known for her expertise in decolonizing records, repatriating records to Indigenous communities and for her understanding and respect for the human rights of Indigenous peoples,” says Centre Academic Director Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, Aki-we. “She is an integral part of a team at the Centre working to dialogue, justice and an ethical approach to working with records and knowledge. I am so pleased to work with her as I have always seen her as the leader in this area, and her skill, kindness and immense competency is an anchor to all of the work underway. “
The IRSHDC is thrilled to have Kim’s experience and expertise on the team to further the Centre’s work in collaboration with Survivors and strategic partners.