This year Catalyst is excited to be hosting Kohacon, the annual conference of the Koha community, in Wellington. Koha is a free and open source library system, founded in New Zealand in 1999, initially as a solution for the Y2K bug. In 2014, Turkey implemented Koha in 1100+ of their public libraries, which is the world's biggest Koha install. Today, Koha is used by 15,000+ libraries worldwide and is an international project with thousands of volunteers who contribute to its ongoing development.


Kohacon is free to attend, thanks to our sponsors. The Koha community aims to be as inclusive as possible, and $0 attendance fees is an important part of that kaupapa.

Format

​Since 2006, Kohacon has provided a chance for the community, who collaborate all year, to put faces to twitter handles, chat nicknames, and email addresses. This year we'll miss the hallway track discussions, but by being online, Kohacon can be accessible to a much wider audience of librarians, developers, and contributors.

Kohacon20 will be a mix of in-person and online presentations, which will all be streamed. NZ speakers will deliver talks at the Tiakiwai Conference Centre at the National Library of New Zealand. Our most recent Koha community webinar had over 10,000 views to date, and we expect that online participation will make this NZ’s biggest library conference this year - maybe the world's biggest.

Register your intention to attend online or in-person

Programme

A small selection of highlights from the programme includes linked open data, library website accessibility, documentation, cataloguing plugins, creative problem solving, educating Koha users, website re-design, and marketing tips. You can view the full programme on the website .

Kohacon extends a very warm welcome to all who would like to attend. We can’t wait for you to join the Koha community.

To stay updated follow @nzkoha on Twitter, and keep an eye on our website .
 
Koha team at Catalyst NZ

A LIANZA Associateship is a significant professional achievement and demonstrates commitment to professional learning, the impact you make in your workplace and your contribution to the wider library and information sector. ​ All early and mid-career members are encouraged to consider applying for a LIANZA Associateship. Recipients use the post-nominal ALIANZA.

Congratulations to Elisabeth (Lis) Marrow and Peter Murgatroyd  who have been awarded a LIANZA Associateship.

Thanks to the LIANZA Credentials Committee for their thoughtful consideration of the 2020 nominations and applications.
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The committee includes Lee Rowe (ALIANZA), Bernie Hawke (FLIANZA), Joan Simpson (ALIANZA), Alison Fields (FLIANZA), Dyane Hosler (ALIANZA), Justine Lester (ALIANZA) and was chaired by Laurinda Thomas (ALIANZA).

Peter Murgatroyd was presented his award by LIANZA President-elect Erica Rankin at a recent LIANZA Health SIG study day. Thanks to Health SIG for capturing the moment for us!

Digital inclusion
Supporting digital inclusion has become everyday work for libraries and library staff (Hartnett, 2020). With public libraries in 314 towns and cities around the country, plus libraries in schools, tertiary institutions and prisons, our sector plays an essential role in facilitating digital inclusion.
What would your party do to ensure that libraries can effectively implement strategies to increase digital inclusion in their communities?
 
Economic downturn
Libraries are integral to lifelong learning with events, creative spaces, programmes and information sharing that can make more of an impact on the community than just lending material.  As the last non-commercial space available to many people, libraries play an incredibly important role in engaging with and meeting the needs of their local community. Libraries help connect people to information on literacy, health, job applications, computer and internet training, resume writing, housing and everything else, all for free (Balchin, 2019). Libraries play a vital role as community hubs where people can get practical help during tough economic times, providing spaces where people can meet, relax, exchange ideas, learn, share and read, regardless of their income, faith, employment or housing status. Post-Covid-19 there is an increase in angry, scared, grief-filled people who have never needed to access government and social services before and shame, embarrassment and despair are key reactions. Libraries are experiencing an upsurge in people needing support to move ahead with their lives.
How would your party ensure that all NZ public libraries are enabled by local government to support the increase in need in their communities?
 
Community support
Young people in New Zealand are facing a mental health crisis, with unique challenges faced by young Māori and Pacific people, particularly girls (Menzies et al., 2020). Our youth suicide rate is the second-worst at 14.9 deaths per 100,000 adolescents, more than twice the average among the 41 OECD countries surveyed (UNICEF, 2020). Again, the children most at risk are Māori, and children living rurally and in low-socio economic areas.
How would your party leverage and support the role that school, public and tertiary libraries play in providing safe community spaces and support for our youth?
 
School libraries
There is no requirement for New Zealand primary and secondary schools to provide library spaces or services. This results in a lack of equity for students; some have access to a school library led by a school librarian and many do not have a library at their school or access to a library service. A recent international report shows that only 64.6 per cent of 15-year-olds in NZ have basic proficiency in reading and maths (UNICEF, 2020). A survey of all New Zealand schools in 2018 and 19 highlighted that a school library is essential for promoting and supporting reading for pleasure, supporting the achievement of literacy standards, strengthening inquiry learning and teaching and enhancing students’ social and emotional learning and well-being (National Library of New Zealand, n.d.).
What will your party do to address the inequitable access of NZ primary and secondary students to a school library staffed by a qualified librarian?
 
Digitisation of local knowledge
Libraries play a role in ‘telling stories of the now” for our future generations; collecting, preserving and providing access to the documentary heritage of their local communities. Libraries are playing a key role in documenting the national and local response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Digital preservation of heritage information and making it available in digital form is expensive and lack of funding, resources and time are challenges facing libraries.  Without accessible documentary evidence of where a society has come from, it cannot understand itself or move forward.
What will your party do to enable more libraries to digitise the  documentary heritage of their local communities ? 
 
Sustainable Development Goals
Libraries play a key role helping the New Zealand government to fully engage in its commitment and obligations to the global UN 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (Greer & Morris, 2019). Libraries play a vital role in helping our country to make progress on many SDG’s including;
SDG 3 – Ensure healthy lives and promote  well-being for all at all ages
SDG 4 – Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 
SDG 5 – Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls;
SDG 11 – Make cities and human settlements inclusive safe, resilient and sustainable
SDG 16 – Promote peaceful and inclusive societies  for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
What will your party do to ensure that New Zealand makes progress to the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and would you appoint a lead agency for this work?

Access to research
New Zealanders deserve access to publicly funded research and our researchers require access to international research, but most research information is hidden behind international paywalls. This limits access to information and innovation that underpins our economy. Students, researchers and the general public require access to this content and access is their right, as citizens and taxpayers, for purposes of education, historical research, development of government policies, for innovation in science and technology (Greer & Morris, 2019).
How would your party support a move to “open access” publishing for publicly-funded research? ​

NZLPP programme initiatives

The NZLPP includes support for the following initiatives;

• Funded secondments at public libraries to provide librarian jobs and upskill librarians to support community recovery.
• Training, coaching and mentoring of librarians.
• Provision for free public internet to be available through all public libraries.
• Relief for New Zealand libraries by the waiver of user charges and procurement costs for collaborative library services.
• An uplift in specialist library services for schools and young people with the greatest need.

 
Funding is also provided to increase the Public Lending Right Scheme funding in recognition of New Zealand authors’ books being available for use in libraries.
 
The NZLPP is progressing well,  and the establishment team have provided an update on how the programme is progressing.

Buller District Council, Central Hawkes Bay District Council, Christchurch City Council, Clutha District Council, Gore District Council, Hutt City Council, Masterton District Council, Opotiki District Council, New Plymouth District Council, Queenstown Lakes District Council, Rotorua District Council, Selwyn District Council, Timaru District Council, Upper Hutt City Council, Waimakariri District Council.
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Agreements for another 35 councils are expected to be issued shortly. The team will be contacting other councils to clarify some information before issuing agreements.

Fee waiver
In addition, libraries have now received $9.224 million in fee waivers and relief from procurement costs for libraries covering the next two years. The NZLPP have committed a further $0.316 million to enhance the availability of electronic resources over the next two years. All public libraries will receive the popular PressReader e-resource providing users with up-to-date full online access to most New Zealand regional and metropolitan newspapers as well as to international newspapers and magazines. The programme will also provide all libraries with electronic access to popular full-text magazines, reference books and other highly-regarded sources. Access to eBook and eAudio collections is being extended to 100,000 school students, including those with print disabilities, at a cost of $0.300 million over the next two years. The previous service was available to just over 10,000 students.
 
A further offer through the fee waiver part of the programme has just been released last week. Between September 1, 2020 and March 31, 2022:
 

• All New Zealand Libraries (excluding the state sector organisations listed on the NLNZ website) can provide their users with access to the ‘EPIC EBSCO National Package’ – including Australia/New Zealand Reference Centre Plus and MasterFILE Complete

 

• All New Zealand public libraries can provide their members with access to PressReader
  

I have diverted a team of staff from other work to manage this complex new programme of support for libraries. They have been fully committed to providing support for public libraries as fast as we can while fulfilling our responsibilities as stewards on behalf of the New Zealand Government. We are updating our webpage on a regular basis. I would encourage you to take a look at our webpage for further information.
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If you have any questions or concerns, you can check out the Libraries Partnership Programme webpage here or the NZLPP team can be contacted on LibrariesPartner@dia.govt.nz.

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What do you do if you don't have a sewing machine and can't get to the shop to buy disposable ones? Never fear - Nanogirl, Dr Michelle Dickinson, can show you how to make a face mask in under 10 seconds. I tried it using a large hanky and two hair ties that were lying around the house and it worked well!

So get sewing, or folding, and take a picture to share on social media using #ShowUsYourMasks (remember to 'smize' (smile with your eyes) - you might inspire others to do the same! The more of us wearing masks the better.

The International Day for Universal Access to Information  is on 28 September, 2020.

Why?

​Informed citizens can make informed decisions, for instance, when going to the polls. Only when citizens know how they are governed, can they hold their governments accountable for their decisions and actions. Information is power. Therefore, universal access to information is a cornerstone of healthy and inclusive knowledge societies.
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Universal access to information means that everyone has the right to seek, receive and impart information. This right is an integral part of the right to freedom of expression. The media plays a crucial role in informing the public about issues of interest, but it relies on the ability to seek and receive information. So, the right to universal access to information is also bound up with the right to freedom of the press.
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In order to raise awareness of the importance of universal access to information, the UN General Assembly has proclaimed 28 September as the International Day for Universal Access to Information. 

​International days are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity.  More information available here.
​(Source)

IDUAI 2020 will be focusing on to the right to information in times of crisis and on the advantages of having constitutional, statutory and/or policy guarantees for public access to information to save lives, build trust and help the formulation of sustainable policies through and beyond the COVID-19 crisis.

To launch the 2020 International Day for Universal Access to Information and its themes, UNESCO will organize a high-level online panel, “Access of Information – Saving lives, Building Trust, Bringing Hope!,” set to take place online at 2:00 p.m. (CEST) on 28 September. The online panel includes statements from the UNESCO representative and by representatives of the Liberian and Uzbek governments  followed by an Open Talks session.
More information available here.

IFLA outlines the role of libraries in this initiative saying:
​Libraries have often been at the forefront of efforts to promote access to government information.
Parliamentary libraries for example have a key role in supporting scrutiny, and increasingly in informing the public about how decision are made and delivered. Law libraries preserve and give access to works, while public libraries can be spaces not only to access, but also to gain the skills and support needed to make use of information. See the IFLA article on libraries, access to information and democracy for more. Of course, access to information does not only concern government information.
(Source)

​This is an opportunity to gain more confidence and capability in evaluation research and telling the story of New Zealand libraries. This initiative is supported by the NZ Libraries Partnership Programme.

​Libraries collect membership, issues and other data, but may be less confident in collecting evidence and using it to tell the story of their impact. This vital evaluation and impact initiative aims to support your library to work out what exactly needs to be monitored, how to measure what matters and ways to communicate effectively about the impact your library makes in your community. Rather than taking a ‘build it and they will come’ approach, evaluation and research can enable your library to understand the wants, needs and motivations of your users and potential users, and to work out where’s best spend your time and money to grow and support your ‘library audience’.

Over these four workshops and subsequent community of practice I hope that our participants will feel invigorated and enthused by evaluation. I want them to leave confident not only in measuring what matters, but also in being able to share their story more clearly and powerfully. By accessing the workshops, sharing experiences and learning together through the community of practice, we'll create a 'live' test-bed of evaluation planning and delivery that gives you the opportunity to prototype and explore what works for your service, and your users. We need to get better at failing - failing forward and learning from what doesn't work as much as what does. Hopefully this course gives you the permission to do exactly that - in a safe and welcoming space. ​

I'm really looking forward to meeting all our participants and seeing the innovative approaches we can design together! ​

​LIANZA: Thanks Marge, we can't wait!

​Funding
With the support of the NZ Libraries Partnership Programme, LIANZA will fund all participants to attend four workshops and engage in a nine-month community of practice. This opportunity is offered for two cohorts of 20 professionals from across the library sector. For libraries with small teams, additional funding may be available to provide staff release time.

Commitment
Library managers will be required to indicate their commitment to supporting their participant with release time to engage in the workshops and community of practice, undertake an evaluation project and to share their learning with the library sector.

All applicants are required to send in an application detailing why they wish to attend and to indicate their commitment to engaging in the initiative, including sharing their learning at a LIANZA regional hui whakamahi in September, 2021 and at the LIANZA Conference in November, 2021.

​Four workshops
All workshops will be delivered using Zoom and sessions will be as interactive as possible, including the use of breakout rooms for group tasks where appropriate.

Cohort One: begins Thursday September 24, 2020
Cohort Two: begins Friday October 16, 2020

Check out detailed workshop outlines and ALL dates online.

Community of Practice
A nine-month community of practice will support participants from both cohorts to put their learning into action. The purpose of the community of practice is to test and trial evaluation ideas and activity in a safe space, and to foster shared learning and networking opportunities through regular reflection workshops. Hui will be held by Zoom each month to allow adequate time for piloting and ‘doing’, with check-ins and dialogue with Marge and other participants in-between via online support channel.

Research
This initiative will be evaluated by LIANZA in partnership with Victoria University of Wellington.

Fill out the Application form linked to below and submit to LIANZA Office by Monday September 14, 2020.

If required, participant selection will be made by a panel, with preference given to LIANZA and Te Rōpū Whakahau members and staff from LIANZA member institutions.

We hope many library professionals will take the opportunity to engage in this unique professional opportunity, to focus on making visible the essential role of libraries and to engage with colleagues from across the New Zealand library sector.

If you have any questions about your application, please contact: ana@lianza.org.nz