University Libraries names first Indigenous Knowledges faculty librarian
University Libraries has established a new tenure-track faculty line in Indigenous Knowledge Systems, an institutional commitment that signals a change in how knowledge is defined, stewarded and shared.
The role reflects a shift in how Indigenous materials are treated, moving from subjects within collections to engaging with Indigenous knowledge systems as living frameworks.
Katie Randall, the University’s first Indigenous Knowledges Librarian, will lead this work by building reciprocal relationships with campus and local Indigenous communities.
Randall first joined the University Libraries as a PhD history candidate at CU Boulder working as a graduate student assistant in the Rare Books unit of Special Collections and was then selected as a resident in the Librarians of the Future Program.
“At this moment, investing in an Indigenous Knowledge Systems Librarian is essential,” explained Interim Dean of University Libraries Tammy Sumner. “As a public research university, we must ensure Indigenous ways of knowing are respected and meaningfully integrated into our work.”
Sumner added: “Our partnerships with the Center for the American West, Center for Native American and Indigenous Studies (CNAIS) and the relationships Dr. Katie Randall has built with local Tribal communities, position us to act with integrity and reciprocity. This role strengthens those foundations, helping us move beyond acknowledgment toward action—supporting community-engaged scholarship, ethical stewardship of knowledge, and a more inclusive and accurate understanding of the histories and futures we study. It also positions the Libraries to contribute to campus priorities such as the establishment of the position for associate vice chancellor for Native American Affairs.”
Historically, many North American academic libraries have marginalized or mischaracterized Indigenous Knowledge. This position is structured to change that practice through a fundamental shift in perspective.
“What I find most exciting about Dr. Randall's position is that it is consciously designed not just to reverse this age-old script, but to throw it out entirely,” said Thomas Andrews, Director of the Center of the American West and Professor of History. “In particular, Dr. Randall's focus on ‘Indigenous knowledges’ signals a monumental shift in perspective: Native Americans and other Indigenous peoples have often suffered grave harms from outsider academics perceiving them as objects of study. Dr. Randall's mission, by contrast, is to provide CU students, faculty and staff with the resources they need to re-consider virtually any aspect of the world through Indigenous understandings and ethics.”
To better understand this work in practice, the Libraries Communications Division spoke with Randall about her new role.
What drew you to librarianship and specifically Indigenous Knowledges librarianship?
I love librarianship because I have the opportunity to share my love of knowledge and the pursuit of knowledge with patrons regardless of their interests or where they are in their academic journey. Connecting tenured faculty with that hard-to-find primary source they need for their projects is just as rewarding to me as teaching undergraduates how to navigate databases and learn how to tackle research necessary for their final assignments.
Indigenous Knowledges librarianship is even more rewarding for me in that regard. From identifying and integrating Indigenous Knowledge and Indigenous Knowledge Keepers into our collections, to helping Native students understand that the University Libraries is a resource for them, as much as the non-Native students on campus, is so fulfilling. As an alum of CU Boulder, I’ve seen how the impact of the hidden curriculum and white privilege can act as a barrier to marginalized students, particularly graduate students across this campus. So, when I had the opportunity to do something about it, I seized it and never looked back.
As the university’s first Indigenous Knowledges librarian, what do you see as the most important opportunities in building this position?
I’m honored that the University Libraries, both as an institution, but also as a community of libraries professionals, recognized the significance of my work through the Librarians of the Future Residency Program, and together we were able to forge a path forward for a permanent position.
With that in mind, the lack of dedicated resources and services for Native scholars across most academic libraries means that my work is cut out for me. Beyond my existing work developing patron-facing services, like integrating Critical Indigenous Theory into information literacy instruction sessions, and facilitating culturally competent reference consultations, my immediate priorities include partnering with faculty and staff across campus to integrate critical information literacies into their courses so they are confident that their students have the resources they need to achieve their learning objectives, regardless of their respective disciplines. Additionally, I’m excited to continue my work with my colleagues in acquisitions and cataloging to sustainably implement strategies to increase the quantity of Indigenous Knowledge in our collections and increase access points to these materials across our digital and physical interfaces.
Reciprocal relationship building is a core part of the position. What do you envision this could look like for the University Libraries?
Reciprocity and relationality are integral to my work as an Indigenous Knowledges Librarian, especially as a non-Native person. More importantly, I understand that I am one of many within the University Libraries, and we must come together to practice reciprocal relationship building. Everyone in the University Libraries can practice reciprocal, relational connections as the bedrock to cultivate a shared community of expertise and respect for Indigenous Knowledge. In this kind of community, Native students, faculty and staff understand that their ways of knowing are recognized and valued; that they are empowered to create and share their scholarship; and to witness that we—community members of non-Native and settler descent—are committed to the growth that fosters connection, belonging and inclusion for everyone, specifically the members of Native and Indigenous communities who have been historically removed, erased and marginalized.
You started as a graduate student assistant working with rare books and then was selected as one of the first residents of the Librarians of the Future program. What are you looking forward to now moving into this new permanent position?
I was a graduate student assistant in the Rare Books unit of Special Collections for the last three years of my PhD (2018–21), and when I had the opportunity to return to Norlin Library as one of the inaugural residents of the Librarians of the Future Program, I leapt at the chance to come back to my “home” library and the community of people who make it such an engaging institution. As a permanent member of the faculty here at CU Boulder, I’m thrilled to build on the work I started during the residency program but also continue to cultivate my relationships both inside and outside the University Libraries to foster more connections and collaborative projects.