LIANZA is proud to announce our next president-elect and new national and appointed council members.

LIANZA PRESIDENT-ELECT 2023-24

Ivy says, “I believe my tertiary library background will bring a new perspective and enable LIANZA to connect and support librarians in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Last month we invited members to express their interest in participating in a travel research trip visiting libraries in Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney between August 13-25, 2023. The cost of the trip is funded by the New Zealand Libraries Partnership Programme (NZLPP).

The travel research team will visit and learn from community and cultural hub libraries in Australia to:

• Broaden the understanding of the range of library service delivery possibilities available for local government and their library leaders. 
• Enhance the research outcomes of the recent LGNZ Libraries as a Service Delivery research project.
• Identify and report back on current trends for new library spaces and services that enhance the delivery of community and cultural wellbeing.

LIANZA is pleased to announce that Sana Saleem, Unitec Library Te Pūkenga, is the LIANZA representative for the travel research trip. There were 11 applications for the LIANZA position, and the selection panel very much appreciated the effort that applicants put into their expressions of interest, especially in a very tight timeframe.  The selection panel said, “The examples of innovative service delivery provided and the roles that applicants are playing in library services were uplifting to read and shine a light on the excellent work across the country.”

Other representatives to visit Australia include:

• Marion Read, Local Government New Zealand Te Kahui Kaunihera ō Aotearoa (LGNZ) representative.
• Denise Clarkson, Upper Hutt Libraries Te Awa Kairangi ki Uta, Public Libraries NZ (PLNZ) representative.
• Māia Abraham, Christchurch City Libraries Ngā Kete Wānanga o Ōtautahi, Te Rōpū Whakahau representative.
• Siren Deluxe, Kāpiti Libraries, NZLPP Te Whiria Tangata kākaho representative.

There are some changes on the LIANZA Professional Registration board.

We want to thank Adrian Jenkins for his role as chair of the board since July last year and his board membership since late 2020. He has been an enthusiastic board leader and a steady pair of hands coordinating the board’s work and providing professional registration advice. Board member, Amanda Bond, will take on the position of LIANZA Professional Registration Board chair from July 1. Thank you to Amanda for stepping into this role.

Are you professionally registered, an active member of the library and information sector, and with an interest in professional development? Do you have some time to spare? We are seeking new members of the LIANZA Professional Registration Board.
 
LIANZA is seeking expressions of interest for positions on the LIANZA Professional Registration Board. Is this a role for you?

Here’s what you need to know.

• The term is for three years, with additional terms approved by LIANZA Council.
• Your time commitment would be around five hours per month.
• You must be a current personal member of LIANZA, Te Rōpū Whakahau, School Library Association of New Zealand Aotearoa (SLANZA), New Zealand Law Librarians’ Association (NZLLA), International Association of Music Librarians (IAML(NZ)) or Australian NZ Theological Library Association (ANZTLA) and hold current LIANZA Professional Registration.
• You must also have the support of your employer to become a board member.

PLEASE CHECK THE POSITION DESCRIPTION HERE FOR MORE DETAILS 

If you are ready to contribute to the professional development of other library and information colleagues, I encourage you to express your interest in joining the LIANZA Professional Registration Board. Take the next step in your professional journey and seize this rewarding opportunity.
 
Please submit your expression of interest HERE by June 20, 2023.

LIANZA Tertiary Libraries (TEL) SIG is pleased to welcome a new co-convenor, Diana McMahon-Reid. Diana replaces Natalie Smith who has taken a new role as Manager for Te Maeatanga (Digitisation Programme) at Te Rua Mahara o te Kawanatanga, Archives New Zealand.

LIANZA TEL SIG committee also farewells Mojgan Sadighi who has moved to Melbourne, and welcomes two new members: Kate Reynolds from the University of Waikato Te Whare Wanganga o Waikato and Hannah Jenkin from Victoria University of Wellington Te Herenga Waka.

The membership continues to grow with an engaged 200+ members! There are active Journal Discussion Groups meeting bi-monthly to discuss articles relevant to tertiary institutions. Each article is connected to a LIANZA Professional Registration Body of Knowledge. More information is available on the LIANZA website.
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The committee has some fabulous webinars coming up – which you can find in the LIANZA events section.

Special thanks to Natalie Smith
​​LIANZA TEL SIG would like to express their gratitude to Natalie Smith who has been an absolute delight to work with. Her leadership and contribution to TEL SIG brought the community back to life and her energy and dedication have been an inspiration – she will be missed but continues to be an active member of LIANZA.
“I thoroughly enjoyed my time as co-convenor with both Marisa and then Neda and it was a pleasure to be on the committee. I began the role in 2019 and hope I contributed to a bit of a revival for TEL SIG – we had an enthusiastic committee and were able to organise some great events. Highlights included being part of organising committee for “Tātou Tātou: Gather and Grow” Symposium, the 2021 LIANZA Conference and helping with the event planning for webinars.”

New convenor - Diana McMahon-Reid
​LIANZA TEL SIG welcomes Diana to her new role as a co-convenor which she started last month. Diana has been a TEL SIG committee member for several years and has a background in secondary school and tertiary libraries. She is currently a subject librarian at MIT – Te Pukenga working with the schools of education, languages and hospitality areas. Diana is looking forward to contributing her ideas and experiences with others in the tertiary and wider library sector.

LIANZA TEL SIG Committee welcomes two new members

Kate Reynolds
​Kate is a liaison librarian at the University of Waikato Library. Her role involves teaching and assisting staff and students with research and referencing skills. Kate currently works in the areas of health, engineering, computing, science, and education. She was previously a subject librarian at Wintec.  
 

​Hannah Jenkin
​Hannah is the subject librarian for biological sciences and psychology at Victoria University of Wellington Te Herenga Waka. Her role involves supporting staff and students with research, referencing, publishing and information literacy skills. She is new to this role, with previous experience from her secondment as a law subject librarian. She is currently studying towards her master’s in information studies at Te Herenga Waka.

​Recent webinars
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LIANZA TEL SIG provides opportunities for the community to discuss relevant topics, hosting a number of webinars this year, most recently:

• Data, AI & Digital Transformation, with our guest speaker Dr Andrew Cox, a Senior Lecturer at the Information School, University of Sheffield.

• Designing future libraries: New projects from The National Library of Netherlands, DOK Lab (Delft), Storyhouse (UK) and The British National Library  with Erik Boekesteijn, a Senior Advisor at the National Library of the Netherlands, Board member at StoryHouse (Chester, UK), Senior Advisor at the British National Library, Fellow LIS (Syracuse, USA), Founder of PL 2030 (Brussels, EU) and IFLA Consultant.

 
Want to learn more about the LIANZA TEL SIG Community?
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There will be a significant number of tertiary librarians presenting at the LIANZA 2023 Conference. LIANZA TEL SIG is preparing to meet in Christchurch during the conference, so watch this space for more details.

If you’d like to find out more about LIANZA TEL SIG:

1. check out our details on LIANZA’s website
2. watch our YouTube channel: LIANZA TEL SIG webinars
3. join our LIANZA Connect Tertiary Libraries Community
4. subscribe to our TelSig listserv: https://lists.otago.ac.nz/listinfo/tel_sig
5. join us on Facebook (TEL SIG and Journal Discussion Group pages).

The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are the country’s premier literary honours for New Zealand books. Forty-four titles were long listed to win a 2023 Ockham New Zealand Book Award and the shortlist of 16 titles were shared on March 8. The winners will be announced on May 17 during the 2023 Auckland Writers Festival.
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Auckland Libraries have curated a digital collection of some of the longlist titles, available in ebook or audiobook format through the Libby reading app.


Let’s explore some of these titles, which can be added to your OverDrive digital collection.

• The Axeman's Carnival by Catherine Chidgey
• The Fish by Lloyd Jones
• Downfall by Paul Diamond
• Always Italicise by Alice Te Punga Somerville
• Meat Lovers by Rebecca Hawkes
• A Fire in the Belly of Hineamaru by Melinda Webber
• Jumping Sundays: The Rise and Fall of the Counterculture in Aotearoa New Zealand by Nick Bollinger
• Thief, Convict, Pirate, Wife by Jennifer Ashton
• Home Theatre by Anthony Lapwood
• Super Model Minority by Chris Tse
• A History of New Zealand in 100 Objects by Jock Phillips
• Mrs Jewell and the Wreck of the General Grant by Cristina Sanders
• Grand by Noelle McCarthy
• Better the Blood by Michael Bennett
• I am Autistic by Chanelle Moriah
• How to Loiter In a Turf War by Coco Solid
• So Far, For Now by Fiona Kidman

Looking for more New Zealand content to add to your OverDrive digital collection? Explore OverDrive Marketplace for local titles from suppliers including Gecko Press, Flying Start Books, Booktrack, Rosa Mira Books, Ram Sumedha Publications, Random House New Zealand, The Floating Press, Oratia Media, Mahobe Resources (NZ) Ltd, meBooks and Reading Warrior. 

Mike Dickison was the 2022 recipient of the Paul Reynold's 'No Numpties' Grant. The grant allowed him to attend the world Wikimedia Summit in Berlin in September and to meet with GLAM institutions in Europe. He reports back on his experiences.
 
In 2022 I was chosen to be the New Zealand delegate to the Wikimedia Summit in Berlin, an annual meeting to discuss the strategic direction of the Wikimedia movement. Because travelling to Berlin solely to attend a conference for a few days seemed a bit silly, I applied for funding to spend a month in Europe and spend time in Berlin, Utrecht, Prague, and Stockholm, to see how European galleries, libraries, archives, and museums (collectively the GLAM sector) engage with Wikipedia and open knowledge.
 
After 42 hours of travel from Hokitika to Berlin and a weekend recovering from jet lag, I felt relatively human for the Wikimedia Summit. This was the first time a New Zealand representative had attended, and it was fascinating to compare the well-funded European Wikimedia chapters, some with million-Euro budgets, with our small volunteer group in Aotearoa.


 
Germany was one of the few European countries still taking COVID seriously, with masks common on public transport. The conference was exemplary: masks inside, except for speakers while presenting. All food and drink were consumed outside, and attendees were required to take a RAT test at a government clinic before the opening session and show their negative results before being admitted.

Europe 2022 MRD Prague house. I did some urban sketching in my spare time, a great way to explore.
 
After the Berlin summit, I attended a GLAM Wiki meeting in Prague with representatives of the European Wikimedia chapters that work most closely with knowledge institutions. We had a presentation from the Czech National Library in the Klementinum, a former Jesuit college. It’s amazing medieval collection was made of books from shut-down colleges and convents all over Czechoslovakia, including the library of the Counts Kinsky. One of that noble family, Friedrich-Carl Graf Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau, emigrated to New Zealand as a political refugee in 1949. Here he was known simply as Fred Kinsky and eventually became Curator of Birds at the National Museum, where I used to work.
 
Marginalised knowledge is a hot topic in European GLAM institutions, whether from communities excluded by disability or gender, citizens of former European colonies, or marginalised ethnic groups like the Roma. With over 150 employees, Wikimedia Deutschland has an entire team devoted to marginalised knowledge. It was the topic of one session at the Prague conference. In Utrecht, I spent an afternoon discussing how Wikimedia Netherlands could collaborate with its former colonies of Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean.
 
I was told repeatedly that Aotearoa was a shining example of collaboration with Indigenous people. This seems surprising to us. We're painfully aware of our failings, the lack of Māori and Pasifika representation in the Wikimedia movement here, the very Western way that knowledge is catalogued and organised, and the exclusion of Māori from power structures. This is slowly changing, especially in LIANZA. But the situation in Europe is worse. Most collaborations with Indigenous or marginalised communities seem to be ‘white saviour’ projects, where Indigenous people are consulted but aren't leading or even helping run the initiatives.
 
I explained the ‘nothing about us without us’ kaupapa and encouraged European organisations to ask more questions. Questions such as does this community want your project? What are their actual needs and desires? What concrete benefits will they get? Will they be in charge of the project, and if not, why not? What needs to be done first to get them in the driving seat? Lots of robust conversations ensued!
 
For me, the biggest benefit of this trip was learning more about OpenRefine from experts like Sandra Fauconnier. This data-cleaning tool has long been a way to bulk-edit a spreadsheet of information, and more recently it has been able to connect to the open database Wikidata, which underpins Wikipedia and add or amend Wikidata properties. What's new with the latest version is the ability to work with Wikimedia Commons, the open-licensed image library that Wikipedia uses.
 
Traditionally if a GLAM institution had a photo collection it wanted to make publicly usable, it would upload tens of thousands of images to Wikimedia using a (sometimes rather flaky) tool like Pattypan. But OpenRefine can now bulk-upload images to Wikimedia and edit their structured data and metadata—a powerful new workflow. I gave a presentation on this at a Wikimedia meeting in Sydney in November and will be running training sessions here in Aotearoa to help our sector get up to speed with this new tool.
 
I’m very grateful for the Paul Reynolds ‘No Numpties’ Grant. It has allowed me to make so many new connections and start international collaborations that would never have been possible. I encourage anyone interested to apply for this year’s final grant!

The Review into the Future for Local Government is an opportunity to create a new system of local governance and democracy that will effectively respond to a changing Aotearoa New Zealand and create conditions for communities to thrive.

The Future for Local Government Review Panel (the Panel) began consulting with New Zealanders in early 2022. LIANZA engaged in this early-stage consultation by providing a sector workshop and facilitating a webinar, compered by Jehan Cassinader.

In October 2022 the Panel released a draft report He mata whāriki, he matawhānui, which posed  29 draft recommendations and key questions. Submissions were sought in response to this draft report which will shape the final report to be delivered in June 2023.
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LIANZA’s submission was prepared by Allison Dobbie (lead), Sue Sutherland, Bernie Hawke, Katie Brazil, Debbie Duncan, Louise LaHatte, Amanda Cossham, Rochelle Turnbull and Jenny Barnett. Allison Dobbie commented on the opportunity the review created.

“This is an opportunity to think about the role and place of public libraries in the wider environment and whether the current historical positioning, where funding is solely by local government, is sustainable or desirable. Also, it’s an opportunity to apply some blue sky ‘what if’ thinking about the solutions and designs that would best meet customer needs in the 21st century. It’s given us the chance to illustrate and raise awareness of the critical and extensive role of public libraries in relation to community wellbeing. Particularly the breadth, innovation, inclusiveness, community-led and collaborative nature of their practice.”
 
LIANZA’s submission highlights the radical responses that the Panel sought. It also noted that the Panel had in some cases backed away from a courageous stance on its recommendations. Especially in relation to scale, structure, funding, stewardship, and mandates.
LIANZA’s submission shows that public libraries have a fundamental and growing role in helping local government to thrive in all aspects of its role. It welcomed the overall direction of the Panel’s draft report and the priorities identified and particularly endorsing the focus on:

• Māori and Te Tiriti o Waitangi and genuine partnerships
• wellbeing and place
• partnerships and collaboration
• the need for change in public service attitudes towards local government.

 
LIANZA reinforced the role of public libraries as critical and effective enablers of community wellbeing. We made the case that libraries should be recognised and supported in all government planning and delivery, and at both central and local levels of government. The submission illustrates the points raised with case studies from across the sector, including international examples.

Strong support is given in the submission to Te Tiriti-based partnerships as fundamental to local government’s role and function in achieving community wellbeing and meeting Te Tiriti obligations. The submission notes that while public libraries strive to work with Māori, often at the leading edge within their local authority, there is a major gap and potential exists to truly meet the needs of Māori as customers and Tiriti partners.  A  stronger statutory framework is required to move local government in this direction and this needs to happen at a faster pace. The submission also supports the recommendation that central government provide a transitional fund to subsidise the cost of building both Māori and council capability and capacity for a Tiriti-based partnership in local governance, and indicates how libraries are well-placed to work with tamariki and their whānau to help build capacity over time. 
 
As democratic processes [AC1] move online, LIANZA says, library professionals, library computing and Wi-Fi resources, are enablers that allow for participation in and awareness of democratic processes. LIANZA calls on the government to fund public libraries sufficiently to make this possible.

A case is made for central government funding for public libraries where they are delivering national benefits, asserting that the current model of funding is unsustainable and unfair to ratepayers.
“Public libraries deliver wider national outcomes and therefore the case can be made for increased central government funding and support of public libraries. For example, in the areas of digital equity and inclusion, access to quality information, civic participation, learning and literacy, identity and belonging, and wellbeing,” Allison Dobbie commented.
The Panel in its report suggests a reallocation of central and local government roles. LIANZA’s submission supports the strengthening of the National Library’s role to support the development, equity and effectiveness of public library services across Aotearoa New Zealand.

The submission also recommends that local government should be mandated to work in partnership with schools and kura to support the learning needs of children, underpinned by Ministry of Education funding and National Library resources. It suggests that pilots be undertaken to test what solutions might work best so that children everywhere have access to school libraries and qualified school librarians.   

A similar recommendation is made in relation to prisons, that provision of library services there should be a partnership between local government and the Department of Corrections Ara Poutama Aotearoa.
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The submission does not support any specific model of local government but suggests that there are five design factors that should be taken into account – equity, diversity, scale, localness and flexibility.
 
“Post-code and digital inequities exist across the country in terms of access to good quality library services and information resources. We’d like to see Government take steps to address this as a result of the Review.”
 
The Panel suggests the need for much greater shared services collaboration. Collaborations already existing in the sector, such as APNK, Kōtui and EPIC. They are put forward as models that could be extended and strengthened to better support the work of library and information services. As are international models of shared funding between local and central government.
 
“This has been an opportunity for LIANZA to raise awareness of the unusual status of public libraries in Aotearoa New Zealand as funded solely by local government and without any form of legislative basis. It has allowed us to bring attention to some alternative international models for support of public libraries, such as in Australia and Ireland,” says Allison Dobbie.
 
Once the Panel submits its final report and recommendations in June there is still a long way to go. It is then up to the Government to consider and decide how to respond and what recommendations to adopt.
 
“The LIANZA submission process generated some great thinking and raised questions about perceived barriers, for example, is this really a barrier to working more collaboratively or just something in our heads? Maybe it will help us identify some things we could be doing anyway, regardless of what the final report recommends or how the government responds.”
 
The submission has been an opportunity for LIANZA, Te Rōpū Whakahau, School Libraries Association New Zealand Aotearoa, Public Libraries NZ, Local Government NZ and Taituarā to work more closely together. A big thank you to Allison Dobbie and the submission team.
 

• Go here to view the LIANZA submission.
• Taituarā Living Libraries: The Value of Public Libraries in Aotearoa
• Local Government New Zealand submission

 

The Te Tōtara Workforce Capability Frameworkwas developed as part of the New Zealand Libraries Partnership Programme (NZLPP). It includes the elements required for working in the library and information sector, including underpinning kaupapa, ethics and context, the core capabilities needed for most roles and reflection ideas and pathways to build capability  in the workforce. To meet the needs of all libraries within the sector, the framework can be updated and adapted, depending on the role or the organisation’s sector, its size and focus. 

​Kāpiti Coast District Libraries is piloting how the framework might be used by their team and in the wider context of public libraries. Te Roa Ora Library Life editor, Angie Cairncross, talked to Ian Littleworth Libraries & Cultural Services Manager  about the framework and what it means for the sector.

First off, I asked Ian if he thought the Te Tōtara  framework was needed in the sector. He replied strongly, “Without a doubt. There were some excellent bits and pieces around that some libraries had done to fit their needs but nothing that provides a comprehensive sector-wide view on learning and development.”

“The role of libraries is evolving so much and will continue to change. This was an opportunity for us to prepare and think ahead and position ourselves and our staff for what may be coming.
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“It was great to take a sector wide approach to capability building but in hindsight, it’s a beast of a thing. The huge benefit is that you now have it all in one framework, which works for all areas of our diverse library and information sector. It provides the ability to go in and take slices from the framework to fit your organisational needs which then can be worked through over time.”
The other important thing says Ian, is that the framework is based on capability building. This elevates the conversation he says, where the focus is on defining the capabilities needed in a future focused and evolving library offering. 

​“The way you grow the relevant capabilities is through building on the competencies and skills that sit under these. As an example, if a capability that will move your library service forward is enabling personal growth and wellbeing, the bits of the jig saw puzzle to make this happen might be support staff to study at the wānanga or undertake some other well-being activity. The framework enables these types of conversations to happen.”

The way that Kāpiti Coast Libraries have approached using Te Tōtara was to make the framework the foundation for their council performance development process.  

“The beauty of the framework is you can slice and dice it as you want. The pilot we were doing was how do you take the Te Tōtara framework at 70 or 80 pages, that was developed for the whole sector, includes an extensive workbook, and make it fit for a medium-sized library like Kāpiti? We trialed the workbook and it is a great tool, but too much for our staff. So, we will use it as a resource for managers and have now developed a trimmed-down version – a four-page worksheet – for staff.”

The worksheet looks at the capabilities identified from Te Tōtara and staff mark themselves where they think they fit, they may identify strengths in a particular area, or may need to grow in another. It’s the start of our performance development planning, Ian says.

“We’ve set personal and team goals around the seven principles that form the roots of our totara tree and support our team’s growth and development.  Earlier this year we appointed Watene Kaihau into a new role as our Te Kaitohutohu Ratonga Māori (Whare Pukapuka) / Māori Services Advisor (Libraries).” He will be supporting the team in growing their understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Te Ao Māori and in kaupapa Māori development which are the roots that the Totara tree – the framework – is based.

They are doing work around all those seven principles as a team as it underpins everything we do.  The seven principles are:

• Rangatiratanga (self-determination and leadership)
• Kotahitanga (strength in unity and teamwork)
• Manaakitanga (kindness, respect and hospitality)
• Pūkengatanga (continuous development)
• Whanaungatanga (kinship and relationships)
• Ūkaipōtanga (place of belonging and nourishment)
• Kaitiakitanga (guardianship and protection)

 
“We will be working on articulating what these mean for us as a library, as a team, and for staff individually.

“It’s an evolution, people can’t work on everything at once, but they can focus on one area before moving to another.”
The Kāpiti team has included the Kāpiti District Council vision and objectives in their tree trunk, Te Tīwai section that represents the values, ethics, and wider context for the sector. The team discussed including the UN Sustainable Development Goals and local government community well-beings in this section, but their first step was to make sure that staff understand the core Kāpiti Council and library objectives before including other areas.

“What do I like about this framework? It is a massive resource intended to be used by the whole sector, so everything that you will need is there. But it will be used differently depending on what part of the sector you are, what the requirements are for your library, and where you want to evolve to in the future? For us, there are also parts in there that we aren’t covering yet, such as AI, but these give us areas to aspire to in the future.”

It’s also about growth – there are steps in there to cover the cycle of learning. They go from the foundational kōrero- discussion level to mōhio-knowledge (comfortable level), mārama-understanding and the level of mātau-wisdom which is the capable level.

It’s an amazing tool but there’s a whole lot of work to do in how we sell it to staff.”
Ian says that his team has responded well to the framework. Through a number of workshops and staff sessions they have talked about the principles and what they meant to them, and what to include in Te Tīwai.
The capabilities – the branches of the tree – are part of the performance development and Te Tōtara is used as the basis for this process which has moved discussions to be about performance growth.

“In our annual performance development process, we have used Te Tōtara as the basis for our goal setting with one performance goal around a capability, one based on a Te Tōtara principle, one on health and safety, one on a wellbeing goal, and one on a learning and development goal.”

The process has taken nine months of workshops and discussions as the team decided what each part meant to them, for instance, manaakitanga in their library and work. It’s been an important process for engaging the whole team in what they are doing.
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Kāpiti Coast District Libraries have chosen to use Te Tōtara in this way because it works with where they are as a library and where they want to head in the future. Other libraries may choose to use the capability framework in a completely different way and that is the enduring benefit of this amazing resource.

Humans of Christchurch Ōtautahi is an ongoing project sharing honest stories about everyday people. It has been showing at Te Pito Huarewa the gallery at Tūranga over December 2022 to March 2023.

The format is simple - a portrait of the human accompanied by a short story in their own unique voice. Each story is one small snapshot of a person's life. They touch on themes we can all relate to – creating connections and building a community of shared experiences through the art of storytelling.

Humans of Christchurch Ōtautahi have taken ten of their favourite stories from a catalogue of nearly 200 and showcased them in this exhibition. Selecting only ten has been one of the hardest things we've done as each story has something different and special to offer. We selected strong visually impactful photos and a mix of experiences.
It was set up to celebrate five years of telling the stories of the humans of Christchurch and to share the stories with a wider audience. They all deserve to be heard.

SOME OF THE HUMANS IN THIS EXHIBITION
Sarah Mankelow shares some of her favourites from the exhibition below.

Yvonne and Carl: We thought this was going to be a story about steampunk, but it ended up being[AC1]  a love story. I met them when I out of coffee with friends - they walked into the cafe in all their steampunk finery on their way to an event. They were glorious and I got to chatting and discovered how passionate and creative they were.

Patricia: I drove past her footpath free bookstore while she was out wiping down rain from her shelves.

Pauline and her parakeet were walking down the street in Woolston when spotted by our photographer Neil. We interviewed her at her home.
Some humans we meet through our own networks. Terauhinga is one such person, who I approached specifically to talk about her deafness. Some are nominated by others, via events or our online form. Others we just meet passing in the street.

People took part for many reasons - for some its ego! Some just enjoy being listened to and heard, hoping their own life experiences will help others. Some do it to leave as a legacy for family members.
One of the components of this exhibition has been a call to action to ‘Nominate a Human’ and Louisa Vowles says she is fascinated to hear what connections these might lead to!

There’s been a lively programme of events alongside the exhibition as well. Four community libraries in our network hosted Red Chair Chats - gathering new stories from local humans, and there was a workshop here at Tūranga on writing and photography story telling skills. To wrap the programme up, on International Women’s Day, guests attended an empowering evening with a mix of speakers and performances that celebrate women's achievements, raise awareness against bias and empower us all to action for equity.
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TE PITO HUAREAWA GALLERY

The gallery is based on the second floor of Tūranga and delivers around three to four exhibitions a year.
The exhibitions aim to inspire and transform visitors’ interests, knowledge and values through telling local stories that promote community heritage and identity, promote discovery of Christchurch City Libraries’ collections and connect local community with the collections of other institutions and special interest groups to encourage greater global and cultural awareness.

Since Tūranga opened in 2019, the exhibition programme has helped to make, foster and strengthen relationships with organisations, groups and communities both locally and nationally.

Exhibitions share mātauranga Māori, te reo Māori and tikanga in appropriate ways and the exhibitions team works in collaboration with their Ngā Ratonga Māori (Māori Services) colleagues and mana whenua.
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The next exhibition opened on   March 25 and is about transforming tragedy through creativity. Raising Sakinah | Finding Peace honours the Shuhada, those taken from us on March 15, 2019. In the aftermath of the Mosque shootings, survivors and supporters joined local artist Janneth Gil and collaborators to transform tragedy through creative community. Their responses immortalise their experiences and tributes artistically, inviting viewers to take action towards positive social change.

Read more on the blog or visit the website.

Sarah Mankelow is one of the team behind Humans of Christchurch Ōtautahi, together with Cate Grace, Neil Macbeth and Centuri Chan. Louisa Vowles is Exhibitions Project Manager at Tūranga | Central Library, Christchurch.
Images courtesy Humans of Christchurch Ōtautahi