The Learning Center is part of Gun Lake Tribe’s Education Department, located on the second floor of the Administration Building. Here, patrons can check out materials and access the computer lab for browsing or printing. The Learning Center is typically open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. and Thursdays 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. or by appointment by contacting the Tribal Librarian at karen.bos@glt-nsn.gov.

History of the Learning Center

Gun Lake Tribe has operated a Tribal Library since June 2011. Originally housed in the Dorr Office, the Tribal Library moved to Jijak and then to the current government headquarters in Shelbyville. Through a process of strategic planning, the Learning Center was established in the year 2015 and was envisioned as more than just a library, but as a hub for learning for the Tribal community. In 2015, the Learning Center moved with the government headquarters from Dorr to Shelbyville. During the transition the Learning Center underwent many changes including being branded as the Learning Center, becoming part of the Education Department, and hiring a full-time Librarian.

The Learning Center is overseen by the Tribal Librarian. The Kinomáge Committee works with the Education Department to advise and assist in Learning Center oversight.

Children’s Area 

Our Children’s Area currently features children’s books, a light table, a reading area, creative toys, and experiential play structures. Whether you are looking to cuddle up with your toddler and read a board book or take home a culturally relevant story to read with your kids, the children’s section Children’s Area of the Learning Center is designed for families. We look forward to expanding our Children’s Area with lighting, seating, and culturally relevant artwork funded by our Institute of Museum and Library Service Basic Grant # NAB-250304-OLS-21.

The Collection

The collection is curated to focus on historical, local, and traditional worldviews, but has expanded to include any books that are of interest to the community. The library in the Learning Center does not use the Dewey Decimal system. Our classification system uses a decolonized framework for organizing knowledge and is currently the only decolonized library in Southwest Michigan. View the collection at Gun Lake Tribe Library.

The Learning Center is a part of the Southwest Michigan Library Cooperative, made possible by our Institute of Museum and Library Service Basic Grant # # NAB-250304-OLS-21. Through our membership in the Cooperative, our patrons have access to our shared digital collection of thousands of digital books, audiobooks, and music via the Libby app. To sign up for a library card, please contact the Tribal Librarian for details.

Libby and Hoopla

The Learning Center now offers two different services for digital content. Libby is the app used to access the current digital collection of the Southwest Michigan Library Co-op that can be found here https://smdl.overdrive.com/. Libby is a digital subscription service that allows our patrons to check out thousands of titles in eBooks, audiobooks, magazines and more. Books are available 24/7 on every type of smart device without late fees. Hoopla is another digital library service that offers streaming movies and TV shows, music, eBooks, audiobooks and much more.

Get started with https://www.hoopladigital.com/. If you would like to set up a Libby or hoopla account or gain access to your account, reach out to the Tribal Librarian.

The Computer Lab

The Computer Lab has four computers capable of accessing email, web browsing, and printing. To use the computer lab, reach out to the Tribal Librarian or Education department to make sure space is available.