Happy Anniversary

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This year – 2020 – marks 110 years since LIANZA was established and the 25th anniversary of our Partnership Agreement with Te Rōpū Whakahau – the first stage of our development as a bicultural organisation.

To some LIANZA members born after the late 80s it might be strange to imagine a time before the library and information profession embraced biculturalism. Then again, some might say we still have plenty of work to do!

We talked with Founding Member of Te Rōpū Whakahau, and Chief Librarian Alexander Turnbull Library, Chris Szekely and asked him to share some memories of that time. We've also dug through the archives to find some old photos, and memories.

It is timely that we now have access to a digital version of Te Rau Herenga, a century of library life in Aotearoa.

The theme of this issue is Looking Back, Looking Forward, please join us as we do just that!

Happy Anniversary to LIANZA and Te Rōpū Whakahau!

The six signatories to the agreement. From left: Diane Maloney, Ainslie Dewe, Jock Walker, Lydia Klimovitch, Chris Szekely and Peter Hunter.

The first two official Te Rōpū Whakahau representatives on the NZLIA Council: Frances Reiri-Smith and Peter Hunter.

To some LIANZA members born after the late 80s it might be strange to imagine a time before the library and information profession embraced biculturalism. Then again, some might say we still have plenty of work to do!

We’ve been looking back through the LIANZA archives and found this report from Library Life, March 1995, Issue number 189:

February 3, 1995 saw the New Zealand Library & Information Association: Te Rau Herenga o Aotearoa complete the first stage of its development as a bicultural organisation. The Partnership Agreement was signed on that day in the NZLIA Office.

The signing of the Agreement (which will be reviewed annually) formalises the active cooperation between the two organisations established over the past few years. The Futures Group Report in 1990 began the process but it was kick-started at the hui held at Tira Hou marae in February, 1991. That hui was called “Te Hikoi Marama ma te Tira Hou” (“a clear path for the new generation”).That path has been both carefully developed and followed in an atmosphere of open communication and cooperation.

Chris Szekely

One of the Future Group report’s key recommendations was that a commitment to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi be inserted into the Association’s mission statement. In November 1992, Te Rōpū Whakahau was formed.

Library Life caught up with Founding Member of Te Rōpū Whakahau, Chris Szekely and asked him to share some memories of that time.

Were you at Tira Hou hui? What are your memories of this time?
Yes, I was one of the organisers of the Tira Hou hui. My sister was a ringa wera in the whare kai. We had fried bread and steam pudding. The first edition of Te hīkoi mārama, a directory of Maori information resources was released that year. That’s the connection with the name of the hui. ‘Te hikoi mārama’ was roughly translated as ‘the clear or enlightened journey.’

Sue Pharo, the boss at Tauranga District Libraries, held a bicultural portfolio as a councillor on the NZLA Council. She led a discussion at the hui on The Futures Report, and the possibility of establishing a bicultural special interest group.

Dr Spencer Lilley wrote a paper called Bicultural Evaluation of New Zealand Public Library Websites (NZLIMJ, Vol 53, Issue No 1, Feb 2013) in 2013. In it he mentions the newly formed LIANZA Special Interest Groups and the role they played. He says:

Dr Spencer Lilley

As a highly motivated group of professionals intent on change, the SIG members encouraged libraries and librarians to become proactive in their engagement with Māori, increase their knowledge of the Treaty of Waitangi and Māori culture and to deliver services that meet the needs of Māori clients. This momentum was maintained through regular hui (meetings), articles in Library Life and lobbying at Council and regional levels throughout the Association. In 1992, the themes of biculturalism and the Treaty of Waitangi featured prominently at the N Strategy Conference in Nelson, with the scene being set by a resource paper on the Treaty of Waitangi co-ordinated by Dick Grace (1992). In November 1992, Te Rōpū Whakahau was formed and added a strong Māori dimension to the profession. The N Strategy momentum was continued in 1993 with the publication of the first of the Te Ara Tika reports (MacDonald, 1993), which provided an overview of biculturalism in the profession, with a particular focus on the role of public libraries and Ka Mahi Tonu in 1994 (Garraway & Szekely, 1994).’

Chris, does this align with your memories? Are you able to expand on this at all?
Yes, broadly speaking. But there were other things in play as well. 1990 was New Zealand’s sesquicentennial, and there was a national focus on whether the signing of the Treaty was something worth celebrating. Instead the other C word, was chosen: ‘commemoration’ not ‘celebration.’ It became possible to make Treaty claims stretching back to 1840 and the Kohanga Reo movement was hitting its stride.

The NZLA as it was then known, released the Futures Report which led to the N Strategy, which gave a focus to bicultural matters. There was a name change, a special interest group, the Te Ara Tika research project, the emergence of Te Rōpū Whakahau, all of which channelled into the partnership agreement. I was pleased to have a hand in drafting that.

There were some terrific advocates, among them a line of very supportive presidents. These included Sue Sutherland, Sue Pharo, Ainslie Dewe, and Diane Maloney. Dick Grace and Helen Woodhouse co-led the NZ Strategy bicultural working group. And a bunch of Māori from within the profession came out of the woodwork to lend support and ultimately co-drive the process.

I have been asked to attend part of the LIANZA planning hui later this year to provide some background and context. That gives me time to search my memory banks and archive, and prepare something that more methodically lays out a few key moments. There were lots of people from all around the country who made valuable contributions to a really important bicultural movement.

It’s great that LIANZA and Te Rōpū Whakahau are recognising the 25 year anniversary of the partnership. It was a huge milestone for both associations.

We’ll follow up with you after the planning hui to hear what memories surfaced! Tēnā rawa atu koe, Chris! Thanks for talking with Library Life.

2010 Centenary Celebrations

In 2010 LIANZA members gathered in Parliament's Grand Hall to celebrate the 110th anniversary of our organisation. Nathan Guy said on the night:

This centenary is a tribute to the dedication, commitment and passion of those involved in the Library sector over the last 100 years.
It's very appropriate we host this celebration here in Parliament as this is the home of one of New Zealand's first institutional libraries, the General Assembly Library, formed in 1858.
This is now known as the Parliamentary Library, and I understand Moira Fraser, the Parliamentary Librarian is here tonight. They still do a great job for MPs and the wider public with the fantastic information they provide.

He went on to talk about the role of libraries and the library profession in our society:

Libraries have a crucial role to play in a free, democratic society.
They are trusted civic spaces, giving New Zealanders from all walks of life the chance to explore new ideas, as well as our own rich history.
As the Minister responsible for the National Library I‘ve found the Library profession to be skilled, dedicated and ambitious.
People in this sector are passionate about what they do and deliver. They embrace technology and change, and the sector has positioned itself well to remain relevant to the society it supports.

READ THE FULL SPEECH HERE >

We found some photos from the event on Recollect!

Did you know that the first National Librarian was an All Black?

Geoffrey Alley. Image source: NZHistory.govt.nz

This was how Julia Millen was introduced on the Good Morning show – while she was promoting A Century of Library Life in Aotearoa: Te Rau Herenga 1910-2010.

Geoffrey Alley was an All Black lock and a farmer, and then became involved in adult education and library services. He became New Zealand’s first national librarian.

Written to celebrate 100 years of The Libraries Association of NZ (also known as The NZ Library Association and of course LIANZA), Julia traced the organisation from its inception in 1910 in Dunedin to its current status as a vibrant and professional voice in the new millennium.

At its centennial in 2010, LIANZA took the opportunity to celebrate many pioneering achievements, notably the interloan networks, establishment of the Country and School Library Services, the Library School and training courses for librarians, and the National Library which came into being after two decades of bitter and hard-fought battles.

LIANZA has also faced serious financial and other internal problems which have threatened its very existence.

The launch of the book was an integral part of the 2010 centennial celebrations. It is timely that we now have access to a digital version of the book thanks to the work of the National Library digitisation team.

What else was happening in the world in 1910?

Nicole Thorburn, our resident heritage geek, did some digging to find out what was happening in 1910.

New Zealand, along with the rest of the British Empire, mourned the loss of its king. King Edward VII, eldest son of Queen Victoria, passed away in May after nine years on the throne. Much of the country, including public libraries, closed on the day of the funeral as a mark of respect. He was succeeded by his son, George V.

The first movie version of Frankenstein, one of Hollywood’s first horror films, was released. His Majesty’s Theatre in Auckland screened Frankenstein immediately following footage from Edward VII’s funeral as part of an ‘all star programme’ in July.

Halley’s Comet appeared in the night sky for the first time since 1835. Mark Twain passed away the following day. In his autobiography, Twain had written, ‘I came in with Halley's comet in 1835. It's coming again next year (1910), and I expect to go out with it.’

One of New Zealand’s earliest pieces of censorship legislation, the Indecent Publications Act of 1910, came into effect. The Act did not explicitly define the word ‘indecent,’ but it did make it easier for indecent material to be seized by law enforcement. The New Zealand Library Association would later raise concerns about the lack of clear criteria around what was and wasn’t censored, and who made that call.

The original New Zealand Labour Party was established. It folded in 1912; the modern Labour Party formed in 1916.

The first Great Britain Lions Tour of Australia and New Zealand took place. The Lions beat New Zealand in every game.

The Hocken Library opened at Otago Museum. Dr. Thomas Hocken donated his private collection to the university in trust for the New Zealand public in 1897, but it was not until 1910 that it became accessible to the public. The official opening of the library was on March 23rd, the 67th anniversary of the founding of Dunedin.

Gore’s Carnegie Library opened. Mayor D L Poppelwell ‘felt sure no town in the Dominion of the size of Gore had a better and more up-to-date building for a public library, and no man would be more pleased to see the public making use of it than Mr Andrew Carnegie.’

Scandal in the newspapers over the salary of The Chief Librarian at the Parliamentary Library, who earnt £525 per year – a figure reported by a correspondent of The Dominion newspaper, who felt this was an excessive amount for a public servant to earn in a role of so little benefit to the public. The average public librarian earnt closer to £25 a year.

The 1911 New Zealand Census gives us an idea of what the library profession looked like when the New Zealand Library Association was founded – it records 46 male librarians, 74 female librarians, eleven male library caretakers, and nine male library assistants.

Nicole Thorburn is a library assistant and heritage geek at Thames-Coromandel District Libraries. She studied history at the University of Waikato, and worked in both museums and archives before moving into libraries.

Thomas Alva Edison - Sean M. Palfrey (2014-10-20). Screams in the silence: Horror films of the silent era (Part 1). Intravenous Magazine.

Thomas Morland Hocken in his library, 1893 (Hocken Library, S07-253)

https://teara.govt.nz/en/ephemera/7900/halleys-comet