Last week, in the presence of LIANZA members, National Library Leadership & LIAC members, LIANZA President Paula Eskett & Bill Macnaught, the National Librarian, proudly co-signed our first formal relationship agreement.

Our relationship has grown on a strong foundation built on trust, mutual respect, optimism and possibility. We are so pleased to formalise our relationship with National Library of New Zealand and to maintain our collaborative, forward-thinking approach.

LIANZA President, Paula Eskett, shares her speech from the night with us below.
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Kia ora koutou
Ko au te Tumuaki o Te Rau Herenga O Aotearoa ara LIANZA
Ko Paula Eskett tōku ingoa

To stand here today a LIANZA President formalising LIANZA’s relationship with National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa is a special day for our organisation, members and for me personally.
The relationship between LIANZA and National Library has evolved, developed and strengthened over many, many years and has grown a strong foundation built on trust, mutual respect, optimism and possibility.

Today we celebrate and socialise formally our shared values which include;

• Honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi, committing to relationships that understand the needs and expectations of Maori and continue to progress and improve responsive library services together
• Strengthening the library and information profession through responsive workforce development and leadership training
• Supporting training providers to deliver world-class library and information qualifications in an Aotearoa context
• Individually and collectively working to create sustainable change and improvement in education and literacy outcomes of all young New Zealanders, which creates a nation of readers

Libraries – their services, spaces, people and resources enrich the cultural and economic lives of New Zealander and together we can do more, be more and create more for New Zealanders.

We believe this individually and collectively.

LIANZA and National Library have been working closely for the last three years in pursuit of winning the WLIC for New Zealand and the Pacific.

 If ever a partnership needed testing a WLIC bid could be it. We have genuinely proven to each other, our stakeholders, members and communities that in addition to a shared purpose; trust confidence, integrity and open communication are our shared ways of working.

E hara taku toa
I te toa takitahi
Ho toa takitani
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My strength I not a an individual, but as a collective
Tenā koutou, tēnā  koutou, tenā koutou katoa.

In the LIANZA Office we are really excited about the challenges laid down by two of our LIANZA Conference Keynote Speakers and the excitement is catching!

​Bill Mcnaught, National Librarian and LIANZA President-elect Anahera Morehu donated copies of Pauline (Vaeluaga) Smith's Dawn Raid and Whiti Hereaka's Legacy (short-listed for the  New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults)  to the Books For Pacific Secondary School Students Challenge.

Will you rise to the challenge too?

We are challenging LIANZA members and Conference 2019 delegates to also donate any books that fit within the following guidelines:
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• for ages 13-18 years
• fiction and/or nonfiction
• written by Pacific authors, Māori and other indigenous author
• books on/about Pacific peoples – cultures, histories, navigation, migration, astronomy, science, languages, identities, sports, etc.

You can either bring these books to conference or send them to the following address:
Attention: Richard Misilei, Ōtara Library, 46 Fair Mall, Ōtara, Auckland 2023

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Category winners will be selected for each of the NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults categories; Picture Book, Junior Fiction (the Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Award), Young Adult Fiction, Non-Fiction (the Elsie Locke Award), Illustration (the Russell Clark Award) and te reo Māori (the Wright Family Foundation Te Kura Pounamu Award).

An overall winner will be selected from the category winners and will receive a copy of  the yet-to-be-revealed Margaret Mahy Book of the Year!

Criteria: The judges are looking for well-written, informative and entertaining reviews.
Length: Reviews must be 100-150 words.
Other requirements: Please include a short bio and a photo of yourself to include with your review.
Deadline: EXTENDED TO Monday, July 15, 2019
Email your reviews to: [email protected]