Voices from the Field: Library Acquisition Pathways for Indigenous Audiovisual Media

Abstract

There is limited research on how academic libraries acquire Indigenous audiovisual media
productions (IAMPs) from Latin American regions, and the representation of these materials is
scarce in current vendor offerings. The purpose of this study is to understand how IAMPs are
distributed from Latin American regions to universities in the United States. This study reports
on interviews with thirteen individuals who work for production and distribution companies.
The findings illustrate a distribution network that is difficult to navigate, characterized by complex
licensing and underdeveloped relationships. The conclusion of this paper highlights the need for
academic libraries to develop reciprocal collaborative partnerships with Indigenous creators
and educational distributors to increase the representation of IAMPs in library collections and
educational distributor product offerings