We're really excited to be supporting Good to the Power of E - a new social change initiative aimed at supporting collaboration in the third sector.   The first event will be delivered in Wellington in April and is focused on literacy - these guys are going to be doing some awesome stuff!  Check them out here:  www.goode.org.nz 

These great little packs are designed to provide some tips and tools as your library engages with your community.  There are a range of workshop ideas and also hints for how to get the right people there.  We're also keen to share the great work that librarians are doing.  To get hold of one of these little beauties or our Libraries Aotearoa tees click here.

160 passionate library and information professionals rocked up for our Future of Libraries Summit.  It was an exciting high energy day with some incredible thinking that came out of it.   We'll be publishing a full report of the day with some concrete actions to take us forward by August 31.  Watch this space.

We're going to be taking a cross-sectoral approach to the future of libraries, to discuss the challenges for the sector and agree on a collaborative action plan to take the profession forward. 

When: July 31st, 2015
Where: Renouf Foyer at the Michael Fowler Centre .
Time: 930am-4pm

Sounds exciting, doesn't it? You should be there.

Co-hosted by Te Rōpū Whakahau and LIANZA this summit will build on work underway in parts of the sector (by APLM and SLANZA) and provide an opportunity for us to discuss how we can work together efficently and effectively. 

The agenda can be found here.

Do you have opinions about where the sector should be headed?
Do you care about the future of libraries and librarians in Aotearoa New Zealand?  
Do you have ideas you'd like to share?

If your answer is yes to any of these questions then we need you to be present at this summit! 

You can register here -but do it fast so that we can get an accurate estimate for catering numbers. 

If you have any questions about the event get in touch with the LIANZA office.

If you can't attend in Wellington but you still want to participate - no worries! We'll be live tweeting and filming the summit as it happens!

We've got some great news.  Our colleagues over at Public Libraries of New Zealand just got a major funding grant from Curious minds, allowing them to roll out gaming workshops through New Zealand libraries.  What a great way to spark our future innovators.  Read about it here.

That's not the only win.  Hell Pizza are handing out 150,000 pizza wheels (which translates to 150,000 free pizzas)  to New Zealand libraries this year as part of our LIANZA book awards reading programme.  By the time the programme finisheds kiwi children will have read 750,000 books.  With the important role literacy plays in educational outcomes this can only be a good thing. 

A sneak peak at our community engagement packs - we're hoping to have them with you soon!  These toolkits will not only support you to integrate community feedback into your planning process, they'll help you tell your story.

We spent a crazy day in the GridAKLD space hacking the future of public libraries.  It was exciting to see the amazing ideas that our intrepid librarians came up with - not to mention the fun of hanging out in one of the coolest spots on the Viaduct. 

So what did we come up with?  That libraries are pivotal to their communities, and that supporting economic development by providing a creative space for communities to innovate and thrive is critical.  From an app that synthesizes critical information for local businesses to RFID magic (a tool that pings your phone if you pass by a library and books from your reading list are there) it was an inspirational day - and a reminder that libraries are doing a hell of a lot already.

The 3D printer to the winning library also went down a treat - Whangarei kids now have their very own makerspace!

Vye Perrone and Joanna Matthew have been out and about presenting Libraries Aotearoa to the profession.  So far we have visited Auckland, Palmerston North, Christchurch, Hawera, New Plymouth, Hastings, and Dunedin, with visits planned for Nelson, Wellington, Hamilton, and Northland.

Libraries Aotearoa has been received with enthusiasm and excitement but there are some common themes that keep popping up:

• This is great but when can I have it for my library?  The enthusiasm caught us off guard but we want this to be accessible for everyone.  We'll be working on bringing out brand guidelines in late October post the LIANZA conference.
• I love it but it doesn't feel like the images reflect the diversity of the community I work in.  We've taken this on board and will adjust as we begin to role out additional imagery.
• What are the community engagement packs?  These serve two purposes - they will help you communicate your value to your community, and will also assist us in collecting information about what you're up to (programmes being run / individuals being served).  This will let us tell the story of libraries at both the national and local levels.  We hope to have these in your hands soon!
• I want the t-shirt!  We were surprised how many people did!  These are now available for sale here and will soon also be available in black.

If you have any questions about Libraries Aotearoa or missed the session in your area and want to catch up then get in touch with Joanna at LIANZA (joanna@lianza.org.nz / 04 801 5542).