For Native tribal libraries, implementing a technology lab and makerspace requires policies and procedures that respect tribal values, cultural preservation, and tribal copyright laws. Here’s an adapted guide to ensure policies align with the unique needs of tribal communities:
1. Usage Policies
- Eligibility and Access: Define who can access the technology lab, prioritizing tribal members, patrons, and community partners. Consider whether users need a library card or should complete a cultural and safety orientation.
- Sign-In and Reservations: Implement a sign-in and reservation system to manage high-demand equipment, ensuring equitable access. Set time limits if needed and prioritize community projects focused on cultural heritage.
- Hours of Operation: Clearly post hours for lab access and note times when staff supervision or cultural advisors are available for guidance on culturally sensitive projects.
2. Safety and Equipment Use Policies
- Proper Use of Equipment: Provide guidelines on respectful, responsible, and safe use of equipment. This includes training requirements for complex or culturally significant tools (e.g., equipment for language documentation).
- Supervision Requirements: Younger patrons or users new to equipment should have staff or guardian supervision, especially when using complex or sensitive tools.
- Prohibited Activities: Outline restrictions on inappropriate uses of equipment, particularly regarding sensitive cultural material, and reinforce policies against modifying or tampering with equipment.
3. Code of Conduct
- Behavior Expectations: Encourage respectful and quiet behavior in the lab, recognizing it as a shared space for community learning and preservation. Restrict food and drink near equipment to protect resources.
- Consequences for Violations: Describe consequences for policy violations, ranging from warnings to suspension of lab privileges for actions that disregard tribal values or safety protocols.
4. Cybersecurity, Privacy, and Cultural Sensitivity
- Data Privacy and Cultural Sensitivity: Establish strict data privacy rules, especially for digital archiving of cultural materials. Tribal data, language materials, or sensitive cultural content should be stored securely, and access restricted according to tribal customs and regulations.
- Internet and Network Use: Enforce responsible internet use policies that align with tribal standards, including blocking inappropriate sites and respecting cultural protocols for internet content.
5. Equipment Check-Out and Maintenance Procedures
- Check-Out Procedures: Develop a check-out system for portable devices, with guidelines on handling, responsibility, and return timelines. Restrict check-out of certain tools (like audio recorders) to culturally sensitive projects.
- Routine Maintenance: Set up a maintenance schedule, and assign staff to clean, update, and inspect equipment regularly, ensuring cultural protocols are respected in equipment handling.
- Damage and Repair Policy: Implement procedures for reporting and covering repair costs, while acknowledging cultural considerations around handling fees or equipment replacement.
6. 3D Printing, Makerspace, and Cultural Artifact Policies
- 3D Printing and Cultural Sensitivity: Establish submission and approval processes for 3D printing, with guidelines that restrict or prohibit printing sacred or culturally sensitive objects. This respects traditional knowledge and tribal values.
- Material Fees and Cultural Projects: Charge nominal fees for consumables like 3D printing filament or crafting supplies, but consider waivers for projects that support community culture, language, or history preservation.
7. Training, Cultural Orientation, and Staff Guidance
- Cultural and Safety Orientations: Require all users to attend an orientation that covers safety, respectful use of culturally significant materials, and project guidelines aligned with tribal values.
- Skill Levels and Permissions: Define skill levels for different tools and require training or staff guidance on culturally significant tools, such as language documentation equipment or archival technology.
8. Emergency and Cultural Protocols
- Safety and Cultural Respect: Post emergency procedures along with culturally appropriate guidelines for handling materials respectfully. Ensure staff are trained in first aid and any cultural considerations for emergencies.
- Equipment Malfunctions: Define processes for stopping and reporting equipment malfunctions, with clear instructions on handling culturally significant materials if malfunctions occur.
9. Tribal Copyright and Intellectual Property Policy
- Tribal Copyright Compliance: Incorporate tribal copyright laws and respect for tribal intellectual property, especially regarding cultural or linguistic materials. Tribal leaders should provide input on protocols for recording, storing, and sharing community knowledge.
- Ownership of Created Works: Clarify ownership rights for any works created in the lab. Typically, patrons retain ownership, but cultural content may have specific sharing or preservation guidelines according to tribal policies. Document shared cultural projects in line with tribal copyright protocols.
10. Feedback, Incident Reporting, and Continuous Improvement
- Community Feedback: Collect regular feedback from patrons on equipment and policies, particularly around cultural aspects of technology use. Use feedback to refine policies and align them with evolving tribal standards.
- Incident and Cultural Sensitivity Reporting: Create an incident report system for equipment malfunctions, policy violations, or cultural sensitivity concerns. Ensure that patrons feel comfortable reporting cultural issues, with respect and follow-up from staff.