Role of safeguarding the indigenous knowledge in the department of library and information science (dlis) in diverse perspectives: a review of literature

Abstract

Information Science. This discipline plays a crucial role in preserving, promoting, and sharing indigenous knowledge for the benefit of indigenous communities, researchers, and society. Various institutions and organisations around the world are actively involved in this critical endeavour. These institutions work to protect, preserve, and promote indigenous knowledge, as well as to support the rights and well-being of indigenous communities. Such as UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization), WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization), Indigenous Peoples' Organizations, National and Regional Indigenous Knowledge Centres, Tribal and Indigenous Libraries, Academic and Research Institutions, National Museums and Archives, NGOs and Non-profit Organizations. Indigenous Knowledge (IK) “Indigenous Knowledge is the unique, traditional, and local knowledge existing within and developed around specific conditions of woman and men indigenous to particular geographic area.” This IK is a domain-based knowledge entity when considering the SDGs devised by the UN. Though IK is seen as a global phenomenon, it is mainly in oriental countries and among culture-based communication. In the Sri Lankan scenario, the National Library, Museum Library, National Archive, and several state universities majoring in Peradeniya University Library are safeguarding indigenous knowledge as a local and national library contributing as regional centre for safeguarding IK together with UNESCO. On the other hand, as an academic department, the Department of Library and Information Science is responsible for safeguarding IK focusing on education, sustaining, and promoting perspectives. The principal aim of the paper is to study the role of safeguarding the IK in the Department of Library and Information Science (DLIS), University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. The other objectives are to examine how the DLIS contribute to the progress of IK in diverse perspectives, to investigate the issues faced by the DLIS in the process and to identify the future perspectives in safeguarding the IK for future generations. The method adopted was a case study—data was collected using documentary and non-documentary sources.