Nathan Sentance is a librarian working at the Australian Museum as a First Nations project officer.

How did you initially get into the GLAMR industry?  Was it easy to switch between the library and the museum?

It was easy not just because I believe my skills were transferable (which they very much are) but because my personal goals remained the same. I wrote a mission statement for myself in 2014. My goals are:

• To empower communities to manage their heritage, history and cultural information based on the principles of United Nations The Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples
• To enable First Nations communities and researchers to enrich the cultural value of existing collections by contributing history, context, perspectives and opinions;
• To facilitate connection and collaboration between community members, other communities, researchers and institutions, local and distant from each other.

I have never had a plan of what role I will have in or what institution I will work in to guide me or anything similar, I have been guided by these ambitions in this vision statement and this has directed me to what I do, which has made alternating between galleries, libraries, archives and museums easier because where I work was not the point, the point for me is to ensure First Nations agency over the history and culture collected, conveyed and preserved in memory institutions and not to ensure First Nations people control the narrative that surrounds them.

Finally, is there any advice you would like to give library students and new professionals?

I am rooting for you and hope you all the best. Girra girra (be well).