This year, with IFLA’s President Christine Mackenzie unfortunately unable to travel, IFLA’s President-elect Barbara Lison chaired a meeting which nonetheless included significant input and strong messages from our President.
 
A Year of Highlights: Presenting the IFLA Annual Report  
​Despite the differences, the assembly offered the same great opportunity as in any year to share highlights of what IFLA has been able to achieve together.
 
IFLA’s Annual Report, was released online and sent to all members, provides just an overview of all the great work that took place in 2019.
 
In addition to highlights of IFLA achievements under each strategic areas of work, and key information about IFLA  finances and membership, it provides an overview of how IFLA arrived at a landmark moment for the organisation, a new Strategy 2019-24. 
 
Available both as a PDF and in flipbook format, it is a great way to build understanding of what IFLA does and is about, supporting the library field even in difficult times.

• IFLA Annual Report 2019
  [PDF – English – 33 MB]
• ​Read online as a Flipbook

 
Looking Ahead: President’s Address and IFLA’s Governance Review 
In addition to looking back, the address of IFLA President, Christine Mackenzie, looked forwards to crucial decisions coming up around IFLA’s Governance Review.
 
With the goal to make IFLA a more inclusive, effective and transparent organisation, she thanked IFLA’s members and volunteers for all their contributions and ideas through multiple rounds of consultation. These had provided both the overall direction and the structure for the proposals which have already been shared with members in an indicative ballot.
 
Despite the uncertainty ahead, she looked forward to an extraordinary General Assembly in February 2021, where members will be able to vote on IFLA’s new statutes.
 
Remembering, Celebrating, and Planning 
Just as in any other year, those watching could also take part in important moments for our field – remembering colleagues who have left us, and celebrating engagement and success through the IFLA Honours and Awards.
 
This year’s awardees included Genevieve Clavel-Merrin, Victoria Owen, Winston Roberts, Mirna Willer and Eve Woodberry as recipients of the IFLA Scroll of Appreciation, and Guy Berthiaume and Inga Lundén as recipients of the IFLA Medal.
 
Participants also heard more about IFLA’s plans for the 2021 World Library and Information Congress, which will take place online, with the welcome support of the Dutch National Committee.  IFLA was grateful to all those who joined online from around the world, and for the continued support and engagement of our members.
 
IFLA encourages you to watch – or watch again – the event on IFLA’s YouTube channel.
 

Aucklander Sarid Olvera Anzures, originally from Tulancingo in Mexico, downloaded an eBook on her phone in August, unaware she had just borrowed the 10 millionth OverDrive eBook from Auckland Council Libraries.
She was delighted to learn her selection had made history.

With Sarid’s eBook loan, Auckland had become the first library system in the Southern Hemisphere and the fourth library system in the world to reach 10 million checkouts in OverDrive’s history.

Councillor Alf Filipaina, Chair of the Parks, Arts, Community and Events committee says: “It’s exciting to be a city of people who love to read. We congratulate Sarid on being part of this awesome milestone,”

I’ve never attended an AGM before whilst sprawled on the sofa, nibbling Twiglets. I suppose this is just the way 2020 rolls. Still, balancing my phone on my knee and occasionally conferring with my husband about what to have for tea, I thoroughly enjoyed the apt and relevant debate on leadership in a time of change, ably chaired by Helen Heath.
 
The 50 or so Zoom participants had the opportunity to hear from a selection of inspiring GLAM professionals: Honiana Love, Tumu Whakarae of Ngā Taonga Sound and Vision; Courtney Johnston, Tumu Whakarae / Chef Executive of Te Papa; and Dan Daly, Team Leader of South Library, Christchurch City Libraries.
 
Courtney has been in her role for about a year and began the year focusing on recovering from bruising restructures and prioritising staff welfare. She spoke about the pandemic and lockdown having collateral benefits, for example staff looking after each other, which has helped with institutional healing. I really enjoyed her tip about ‘notice, name and navigate’ what is going on for you – it’s a great way to slow yourself down and gain control over feelings. I also enjoyed that she takes the time to find joy in a ‘selfish’ task – helping out with botany specimens.
 
Honiana is also relatively new to her role, after having been acting in the position for a while. This year the organisation has sped up its digitisation, and checked in a lot about what tasks it should be doing. They’ve also received a lot of funding to carry out one of the biggest digitisation projects in New Zealand, which means the organisation is now managing a much bigger budget. They’ve also restructured – but is there ever a right time to do this? Honiana also made an excellent point about carrying on initiatives that have been effective this year into more ordinary times, for example ensuring that we are keeping up open and honest communication.
 
Dan complimented us all for doing amazingly this year – and we all really are! He is a values-driven leader who hasn’t changed his approach to leadership this year. He is still accountable to his team as well as his managers, and focuses on being a clear, honest communicator.  Apparently he enjoys dysfunction and managing change, something he’s had experience of during Christchurch’s earthquake sequence. He believes in celebrating wins, and making things achievable by breaking them down. I know I’m very fortunate to work alongside Dan!
 
This was a quick whip through a really thought provoking session, and if I have whetted your whistle do take a look at the full video on YouTube.

There were some great points made over the course of the evening and I've jotted down a few of the most salient for me in note form below:

• ​It is very important to speak frankly about wellbeing and mental health – and as a leader, the ability to be raw and vulnerable can be immensely helpful in terms of connecting with colleagues, to unite teams, and to ensure people remain focused. 
  
• The Covid crisis changed how a lot of work was done across all the GLAM industries; speeding things up toward digitisation and placing emphasis on the immediacy of the operational, aside considerations regarding changed strategic direction. Leaders and teams had to be very agile, and adapt to various contingency plans – which often meant heightened need to prioritise projects as well.
  
• Focus on value as being key to team-wide success and resilience: falling back on basic organisation and human value – and ability to be empathic to all staff.
• To be successful in wholly operational requirements, it is advised to divorce from the strategic approach. I.e. focus on what can be controlled, and acknowledge what can’t be; if staff are left to speculate, it can linger in worst case scenario mentality (which is most often than not, not the reality). 
• Communication style is really important; building trust with the team and checking in with all team members. Never take the value of communication for granted.
• Ensuring the communication is two way: to see this as relationship building, and to keep it going. Some teams had a 10 minute social catch up before addressing business, which meant that it created connection before diving into work.
• Resilience can be a combative word. What is it, how is it built and what does it look like… making sure it is enacted and encouraged with empathy. Reference was made to the connotations of the word ‘resilience’; is it confronting? Does it mean, ‘suck it up and get on with it?’ Resilience must be built with compassion and sincerity amongst staff.
• A good tip to foster resilience was to make things achievable for staff: concentrate on achievable goals and outcomes, and celebrate success – it makes sure people feel valued, engaged and productive – even if confined to their home and in a state on uncertainty.
• As a leader it is important to ensure that the team is equipped with the right tools to make headway on their tasks and on their projects. This may mean recalibrating your leadership approach to be more flexible, and more supportive through different means. If a colleague needs longer to complete a task, then that is the reality, and it is the duty of care for the leader to provide the environment through which the team can flourish, even when in confusing circumstances.
• GLAM sector and Library industry is a profession of care: focus on culture, identity and learning, and the meaning that drives us forward as a sector is rooted in this, but this also means that this is the very thing that can drive you down personally – staff are often incredibly invested in their work, and in the service they provide, in their community, and it can be detrimental if these feelings run you down in times of crisis – especially when most things are out of anyone’s control.
• Good advice is to always communicate from your highest point of clarity: start with what you know, and acknowledge things you don’t know. I.e. it may not be known when lock down will finish, or if we will get locked down again, but it is known that we can man our emails and enquiries from the public, from home.
• Remember that everyone is engaged in the best of intentions, and that they mean well; reach out to people for personal support too, as we are all in it together. 

As a member of a GLAM institution I initially felt the panel to be quite a challenging listen. While I of course appreciated the honest insights provided by the three participants it also highlighted to me how tired I am. 
 
That however much our leaders, at all levels of our organisations, demonstrate innovation, flexibility, empathy and resilience, it doesn’t void how difficult this year has been. Their words and actions certainly help to create a positive support structure. However, these words only skim over the significant impact that COVID-19 has had on our workplaces, our resilience and the ongoing expectations of the public we cater to. New Zealand’s relative physical isolation has created an insulated limbo in which we live and work and this nibbling uncertainty has taken a toll. 
 
So thank you to Courtney, Honiana and Dan for helping me to reflect on a tumultuous year. This year has taught me that we are now able to bring our whole self to work whether that is digitally or in person. And this shift towards creating more empathetic workplaces has both been a struggle and liberating. I no longer feel like the weird one for sharing how I feel because of this change. But it is still hard. 

The three leaders participating in this panel showed the various ways individual managers have responded to their staff and organisation needs. Key take-aways for me were the need to focus internally and at a microscopic level on staff interaction, engagement, and mental health, the importance of communication, and the blend of these two aspects.
 
Courtney Johnston noted that managers needed to be more open and vulnerable, and faster to react to staff needs. Anxiety and low energy levels were prevalent, and Honiana Love reminded us of the importance of evaluating and assessing workloads (Were they reasonable? What is too much? Should we be trying to do this?). Dan Daly talked about controlling the practical things to help his team work and to get them what they needed.
 
The speakers emphasised that communication was key, even though there may have been nothing particular to communicate. Touching base was important, as was communicating the same information in various ways to ensure it got through to staff and building trust through two-way communication. Good communication helps to build resilience in staff, which in turn feeds into better mental health. Checking in with staff and colleagues was highlighted. I know that this was important in my workplace too: the management team met daily at 9am and sent an email to all staff shortly after. We knew where we were, what was going on, and how everything was being managed.
 
Courtney Johnson suggested we should “find a small selfish pleasure inside your job and make the time to do that, to consciously find the joy inside your job so you don’t feel guilty not meeting all the needs around you”. In the time of a pandemic, with so much pressure, this was wonderfully inspirational.

“Research tells us over and over again that reading for pleasure is the single most important factor in a child’s educational success, and our competition is a great way to support reading over summer so that when children return to school in the new year, their learning hasn’t suffered as a result of the long break.”

“At Read NZ we think it’s really important that children find reading fun, and our partnerships with the SPCA, Paper Plus and Gecko provide plenty of opportunities to read and learn about animal welfare and win cool prizes.”

SPCA National Education Manager Nicole Peddie welcomes the initiative, and says SPCA feel fortunate to be involved in the exciting challenge for Kiwi kids.

“With the right books summer reading can be a fun and enjoyable activity for children to sustain their reading levels they’ve worked so hard to achieve over the school year and we think animals, be them companion, farmed, wild, even prehistoric or mythical, are a cool topic to read about!”

“Animals are not only interesting to read about, they also make wonderful, supportive reading buddies. We know that practice makes perfect. However, many children dislike reading aloud in front of their classmates, even their family sometimes. However, an animal companion won’t judge a child’s mistakes and will calmly listen to and enjoy their company.”

“As such, practicing reading with an animal companion, even a toy version, can help children associate reading with pleasure. When reading becomes enjoyable, children are likely to do it more often, improving both their skill and confidence along the way. Plus, most animals enjoy this calm and relaxing interaction too,” says Nicole.

Read NZ is grateful for the generous support of Paper Plus and Gecko Press for the prizes on offer.
​
Sign up for the SPCA Reading Challenge by registering at reading-challenge.org.nz .

Submissions for books published between 1 April 2020 and 30 November 2020 are now open and will close at 5pm on Tuesday 15 December 2020. For books published between 1 December 2020 and 31 March 2021, submissions open on 16 December and will close at 5pm on Friday 19 February 2021.

For books in the second tranche, page proofs will be accepted where books are not yet printed. In such cases, finished books must arrive with the Awards Administrator, New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, Attn: Joy Sellen, 72 Te Wharepouri Street, Wellington 6023, by 5pm on Wednesday 24 March 2021. 

All entries must be submitted online at www.nzbookawards.nz and fees paid by credit card via the online submission form. A Call for Entries pack with eligibility criteria and other information can be found at http://www.nzbookawards.nz/new-zealand-book-awards-for-children-and-young-adults/how-to-enter/.

The judges of the 2021 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults will be announced in December, and their shortlist will be made public on 10 June 2021. The awards ceremony is planned for mid-August 2021 in Wellington.

The New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults are supported by Creative New Zealand, HELL Pizza, the Wright Family Foundation, LIANZA, Wellington City Council and Nielsen Book, and are administered by the New Zealand Book Awards Trust.
​
Any queries about the Awards should be directed to the Awards Administrator at childrensawards@nzbookawards.org.nz.

LIANZA congratulates their Immediate Past President, Rachel Esson - new National Librarian!

Rachel Esson has been appointed as New Zealand’s National Librarian Te Pouhuaki. Rachel takes up the role from within the National Library, where she currently serves as Director for Content Services.
​
​LIANZA Executive Director Ana Pickering says that the association is  delighted with the appointment of Rachel Esson to the role of National Librarian. “LIANZA members have first-hand experience of Rachel’s commitment to the sector in her many association roles over the years; from LIANZA Health SIG, LIANZA Te Upoko te Ika a Maui regional councillor to LIANZA President. Rachel was also very involved in the bid to bring the IFLA WLIC to New Zealand and presented LIANZA’s Equal Pay Amendment Bill submission. And who can forget her cry to action at the conference in Manukau City last year – We are LIANZA! Our sector will be very proud of her appointment and our membership are looking forward to working with her in this new role."

Te Tari Taiwhenua| Internal Affairs Deputy Chief Executive Information & Knowledge Services Peter Murray says this appointment panel was looking for a leader to cover collaboration, professional leadership, Te Ao Maori, strategy and delivery. 

“Rachel stood out due to her passion for libraries after a long career in various library areas - including her time with us as the Associate Chief Librarian Research Collections at Alexander Turnbull Library and as Director of Content Services.”

aRachel has a strong academic background in the library and information sector and significant involvement with the Library and Information Association (LIANZA) and is currently immediate past president. Rachel has been with National Library since 2012 when she joined after time at the Victoria University of Wellington Library, the University of Otago School of Medicine and Health Sciences and various other library organisations.

Rachel says there are extraordinary opportunities with the implementation of the Tāhuhu programme requiring a paradigm shift for the National Library and Archives New Zealand. “Now is the time to re-examine how we operate and deliver our services as we move increasingly into a digital world, removing barriers to turning knowledge into value for New Zealanders.”

The role of National Librarian – Te Pouhuaki is a strategic leadership position, charged with setting the direction for the National Library.

Peter Murray says with significant recent investment in Aotearoa New Zealand history and libraries, this is an exciting time to join the National Library and a key role in leading the work to better safeguard and preserve our collections so current and future generations can access our unique stories and heritage.

Recruitment opened earlier this year for the role of National Librarian Te Pouhuaki, following Bill Macnaught’s retirement.

“I would like to thank Bill for his great leadership of National Library over the past ten years, leading the establishment the library within the Department of Internal Affairs, He Tohu delivery, Services to Schools modernisation, and completing strategic Directions to 2030,” says Peter Murray. “Bill leaves us with a clear path to the future which I am delighted Rachel will take up in the leadership role.”

You can read an interview with Bill Macnaught in the December Issue of Library Life. 
​
Rachel will assume the role of National Librarian Te Pouhuaki on 17 December.

LIANZA Council was delighted to approve the appointment of two new members on the LIANZA Professional Registration Board. ​

​“Restoring our much-loved Central Library service as quickly as possible has been our priority and today we voted for ‘Option C’ - to strengthen the building to the highest level to reopen by May 2025. Work will now commence on detailed design, interior options and services design,” says Mayor Andy Foster.

MAY
May 28, 2019 Mayor Justin Lester officially opened Arapaki Manners Library and Service Centre at 12 Manners Street. “Manners Street is a great location for the first in our network of replacement library services for the CBD, and a welcoming new space for our service centre customers. At Arapaki, Wellingtonians can browse and borrow items, read papers and magazines and even pay their rates or register their dog all in one place,” Mayor Lester says. WCL are planning for Arapaki to be in use for five years.

Arapaki has roughly 7500 items on the shelves. These include a small children’s collection and a range of fiction, non-fiction and AV items. Library staff are available to answer questions, process library payments, register new customers, and provide support and advice on the wide range of online content available through the eLibrary. Free wi-fi, self-service computers and a Council payments desk are also available.

​Work also starts on second CBD library, He Matapihi Molesworth Library, as part of a cooperative partnership with National Library of New Zealand.

OCTOBER
He Matapihi Molesworth Library opened to the public on Wednesday 9 October 2019 on the ground floor of the National Library at 70 Molesworth St, Thorndon, Wellington. He Matapihi Molesworth has been developed by the National Library and Wellington City Council as a partnership project and offers a library service and collection which complements the National Library's collection. He Matapihi will stay open at least until the end of 2021. The arrangement will then be reviewed depending on National Library's plans for future use of the site and the Council's decision-making about future central city library services.

Council industry engagement workshops were held to discuss possible remedial options for the Central Library building

DECEMBER

• Waitohi – Johnsonville’s new community hub and library opens

JULY

Te Awe Library in Lambton Quay opened on Tuesday 14 July, 2020. You can visit the library from the 29 Brandon Street entrance, or the one at 28 Panama Street, next to the Collective Café. Popular programmes like Baby Rock & Rhyme and pre-school story time are available here, along with other events which may include book clubs and author talks, free movie screenings, creative projects and activities. The Te Awe Library will remain open until it is no longer required to ensure continuity of central library services. The term of the lease is four years.

• Te Pātaka collection accessible