LIANZA is seeking a project manager to investigate the use of the Te Tōtara Workforce Capability Framework within the library and information sector.

There are two main threads to this project:

1. Workforce Capability – Increasing library and information sector understanding of what ‘workforce capability’ means and gauging the interest in bringing workforce capability into their organisations. Clarifying LIANZA’s potential role in building workforce capability.
2. Te Tōtara – What is the potential for Te Tōtara model and framework to be used within these organisations? How might it be implemented across the sector?

 
BACKGROUND

Te Tōtara capability framework was developed with funding from the New Zealand Libraries Partnership Programme (NZLPP) as a tool for strengthening a diverse library and information sector workforce. The design incorporates te ao Māori (Māori Worldview).

It is now two years since the Te Tōtara initiative began. Implementation has been limited, and understanding of the framework is low.

Those who have implemented the framework have found it valuable and have tailored it to their needs, such as Kāpiti Coast District Libraries and Whanganui District Library.
 
LIANZA wants to contract a skilled library professional to manage this project over the next six to eighteen months, depending on funding milestones being met
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Deliverables for this contract role would see them:

• Engaging a group of thought leaders to form an advisory group including at least one representative from Te Rōpū Whakahau  
• Researching the interest of library and information organisations in using Te Tōtara workforce framework. 
• Engaging with sector organisations and organisational decision-makers responsible for staff learning and development. 
• Evaluating the current Te Tōtara online learning and its potential for sector-wide implementation. 
• Building on learnings from Whiria te Tāngata, He Kupenga Horopounamu and Kāpiti Coast District Libraries experiences.
• Assessing support from Toi Mai Workforce Development Council to promote the implementation of Te Tōtara.
• Developing a sustainable implementation and funding model for cross-sector implementation, including income from participating services. 
• Review current LIANZA professional registration and potential to integrate with Te Tōtara to provide a holistic workforce framework. 
• Establishing a small pilot group of library and information services with a community of practice to test implementation.

Project goals will include:

• A sector audit through engaging and collaborating with the sector, such as through a hui and a scan of the opportunities for partnership and leverage across the sector.
• Improved stakeholder engagement and collaboration through a robust stakeholder engagement plan, evaluation of that plan, communication plan, follow up mechanisms e.g., survey to check understanding of concepts, and to check engagement levels
• Stakeholder feedback on these
• A final report with recommendations

 
WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

LIANZA is looking for a project manager who understands Te Tōtara workforce capability framework and has a background in the library sector and workforce capability experience. Understanding of Te Ao Māori may be useful.
They should have demonstrated experience in online learning and professional development and be able to develop project plans and prepare reports. Their project management skills should include developing frameworks and funding models.

The type of person we seek can deliver outcomes and persevere until the goals are complete.

POSITION DETAILS

The project manager will have the support of the LIANZA Office, which is located remotely. The contract period is for an initial six months from Jan to Jun 2024 with the possibility of an extended six-month contract for a second phase from July to December 2024 depending on funding/project progress.

The appointment process will be completed by early January with the expectation that the position will begin in the same month. Pete Elderkin, LIANZA executive director, is the lead for this project.

• Salary of $50,000-$65,000 for a six-month contract, which may be extended for a further 12 months
• Meeting travel costs will be covered
• Work from home
• Must be able to begin this role in early 2024.

NEXT STEPS

If you are interested in applying for this position, please complete the expression of interest form and submit it along with your CV to [email protected] by January 31, 2024.

For any questions, please phone Pete Elderkin on 022 172 6191.
 
Complete the expression of interest here. 

“Ko au te awa ko te awa ko au”

In this article, Jasmin Ratana discusses adapting the Te Tōtara Workforce Capability Framework for the Whanganui District Library team and its new Te Waka Hou framework.

The rhythmic splash of paddles in the water kept in time by the call of our elder kuia is a sound that resonates throughout the centuries to our present day. What does that have to do with a capability framework? Not a lot, until you search for the unique qualities in the library workforce serving the Whanganui Community.

Before I saw the Te Tōtara framework, I had never seen a competency framework, let alone a capability one. I had first to understand what it was and how it is helpful to us before I could explain it to others or consider how it could be useful to our library. There were other considerations, too. This framework has a kaupapa Māori base standing on Te Tiriti o Waitangi. How do I feel about this? Does it resonate with me as Māori? Will it resonate with my other colleagues?

A capability framework is about establishing desirable capabilities in a library workforce. It also enables you to identify your own capabilities.

Although it was somewhat long and complex, I found the Te Tōtara framework helpful once I had worked my way through it. I had issues, though.

With Te Tiriti o Waitangi at the base, the framework should provide for a two-culture partnership.  Where did the principles of the kaupapa Māori appear in the capability sets, and where were the principles that should stem from Pākehā culture? In addition, the Whanganui District Library already has a Kaupapa Māori framework. Would the two sit together?

Those issues gave birth to the Te Waka Hou project, which was about taking the Te Tōtara framework and making it fit ‘Whanganui’. For the Whanganui community Te Awa Tupua, the Whanganui River is our heart and for Whanganui iwi, it is our revered tūpuna. We identify ourselves with this whakatauki: Ko au te awa ko te awa ko au, I am the river and the river is me. This is where the sound of paddles is heard. Te Tōtara was transformed into a waka.

The hull, made from the original Te Tōtara framework, also represents Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which is to make clear that the waka belongs to all of us. The prow carries the dual values system of our library's Kaupapa Māori Framework and our professional library ethics. The paddles are our capabilities as they pertain to our particular library, so they can be added or subtracted as necessary. There is the addition of a pou or pole, carried on our river waka, to help traverse rapids and travel upstream. The pou represents a new capability set, the Whanganui capability, which gives life to the unique skills of the Māori librarian.

Some might consider it a radical step, but if you listen carefully, you can hear the sound of the water speaking to us from our tūpuna awa, our river of knowledge. Hear the paddles wielded by capable librarians dipping into the water. In this way, we find our place in the team and our personal strengths and develop our navigation skills for the river of knowledge that we care for.
 
Ruapehu te maunga
Whanganui te awa
Whanganui te Iwi
Tēnā tātau katoa
 
Jasmin Ratana is the Pou Whiria, Māori Information Librarian for the Whanganui District Library. Jasmin is based at the Alexander Library Te Rerenga mai o te Kāuru, the heritage and research library for the Whanganui District. She works closely with the heritage and archive collections. As Pou Whiria, she is responsible for the Kaupapa Māori Collections. She actively seeks all opportunities to bring a Māori perspective to the library service.

This article looks at Denise Wilson’s LIANZA 2023 workshop ‘How to manage impact, increase library contribution and demonstrate value’.
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THE GAP BETWEEN THE PERCEPTION AND REALITY OF LIBRARY VALUE
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Over the years in my work with libraries, I’ve seen them take a steady trajectory from library and book-centric, through customer-centric to now gradually becoming more community and outcomes-centric (see diagram below).

We see library closures and budget cuts worldwide and scratch our heads. From a library perspective, library value is increasing, providing essential services through a pandemic and greater access to digital services, increasing the breadth of services and continually innovating.

However, there is a disconnect outside of libraries in the perception of what they do and their value and relevance, regardless of progress and innovation. This affects every kind of library.

The perception of libraries is stuck in the past, especially in parts of the community and with non-users, outliers and people who aren’t part of ‘The Library Club’ of regular users, and certainly with decision-makers and funders. Having people – particularly those who are crucial to libraries’ survival – unable to see the value of libraries creates a vulnerability, a risk to survival.

We need to change the perceptions of libraries while maximising the value they deliver.

CHANGING PERCEPTIONS AND MAXIMISING VALUE
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How to change perceptions and maximise value was the theme I explored in my workshop.
As a starting point, we worked through a social impact canvas, and the groups tackled social problems, including digital equity, accessibility and homelessness.

USING THE CANVAS

The purpose was to introduce a practical tool we can work through with our team. The canvas allows us to use a shared language to describe and think through how we will deliver value. We can use it to plan and implement new strategies and initiatives or evaluate and improve existing ones.

The canvas describes what is called your ‘Theory of Change’. Who will change and who will benefit –and in what way – because of your activities.

I cover a few of the key concepts here.

OUTPUTS AND OUTCOMES

To demonstrate value, we need to capture both outputs and outcomes. What’s the difference?

Outputs are the work libraries do, for example, the number of loans and the number of attendees. They are easily quantifiable and easy to gather, but also important data to share.

Outcomes are how we show the value of what we do. Outcomes are the benefits of what we do or the changes to the people we serve, the people who participate. They can be short-term, such as gaining knowledge or skills, medium-term, such as changes to attitudes and behaviours, and longer-term, such as impacts on wellbeing.

Libraries deliver many outcomes, helping jobseekers to get into the workforce, students to build knowledge and skills, and people to find connection. If our decision-makers need evidence of economic outcomes, they already exist. We need to be strategic about gathering and sharing them.

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS AND GETTING A SEAT AT THE TABLE

As we saw at the LIANZA 2023 Conference, there is a strong community within the library and information sector.
We also need to build an ecosystem outside of libraries. A team, a community of mutually beneficial relationships. We can help them understand and benefit from our unique offering, and they can help us to increase and promote our value.

We need to get to know them – the outliers, the potential influencers, advocates and partners – and not just at a superficial level. To get a seat at the table, we need to understand what is important to them, what they care about and how we can add and demonstrate relevance and value. The stronger the relationships and understanding of our value, the more indispensable we become.

PROMOTING LIBRARY VALUE

Conference keynote Rangi Mātāmua, “Knowledge that isn’t shared isn’t knowledge”.  

It might seem like an uncomfortable prospect to promote library value and benefits to the community, but you are sharing knowledge. You are attracting partners, advocates and funding to do more of what you do well and benefit even more people while ensuring library sustainability.

Consistently gather your arsenal of data and stories to share. Be clear on your audience. Who are they? What do they care about?

From the outputs and outcomes you collect, create a library of content to have a foundation slide deck ready. You can repurpose and tailor your presentation according to your audience.

A video might work best for the council or community, slides for the CEO, and the annual report for potential sponsors, partners or funders, and grant applications. The key is to focus on outputs and outcomes, data and stories that will resonate with what matters to your audience.

BENEFITS TO BEING VALUE DRIVEN

This approach doesn’t require more resources. It creates focus and becomes part of everyday work. It can result in a team with more clarity of purpose, which knows what it is trying to achieve and can see progress towards those goals.
As skills and experience grow, confidence grows. People also see their worth reflected at them as more people understand the value of their contribution. This improves morale, and libraries also become more attractive as a career option.

Closing the library perception gap requires a commitment from leadership. Many people in libraries are chipping away at their own value projects, but grassroots enthusiasm is not enough. To secure libraries’ place in the future – whatever that future may look like – we need to strategically demonstrate value and make it part of how we do things. Every day.
 
The aim is for you to work through the canvas and create a two-minute video focusing on outcomes. So, not just showcasing what your library offers, but what changed as a result of the library and the difference you make in people’s lives.

Imagine that you are pitching to prospective partners or sponsors or for additional support or funds. The goal is to compile a playlist by March 31, 2024.

A good example of an organisation that promotes its value through outcomes is Charity Water: https://www.charitywater.org/stories/waiting-for-clean-water
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Here you can see the tangible difference Charity Water made in Bintou’s life by the description of how things were before and after its help.
 
You can download the resources from the workshop and find instructions for the video challenge here:
https://www.denisewilson.co.nz/lianza-conference-2023
 
Denise Wilson is a director and consultant at MortonPrescott Ltd and has worked with libraries for the past 17 years. Denise is a Social Value Associate with Social Value International. Her focus has been on strategy and planning, and customer and employee experience. In recent years she has progressed into social impact, looking at how libraries can work more collaboratively with their stakeholders and communities, improving what matters to them and increasing impact. She has a podcast called Let’s Talk Libraries: https://www.denisewilson.co.nz/lets-talk-libraries-podcast. Contact details: www.denisewilson.co.nz, [email protected]
 

At the LIANZA 2023 Conference, Ivy Guo and Shiobhan Smith facilitated a kōrero session on AI. This article, written by Shiobhan, highlights some of the conversations from that session.

AI is a hot topic right now, especially since the launch of ChatGPT. However, it has been permeating our profession for a while, including in an area I have researched – bibliometrics. Prior to the kōrero, I shared one example of a pre-ChatGPT citation classification tool using AI in the conference presentation titled ‘Artificial intelligence (AI) and libraries: what is the fuss?’. However, ChatGPT feels like a watershed moment, a significant evolution in our understanding and experience of AI. Unsurprisingly, the kōrero session was oversubscribed, with people turned away due to lack of room. I hope this article will go some way to acknowledging the generosity of discussion on the day and allowing those who missed out a chance to also engage with the topic.

The goal of the kōrero was to give attendees the opportunity to broadly engage with the concept of AI and begin to think critically about both the opportunities and challenges it brings to the profession. The first task was for groups to come to a shared understanding of what AI means to them. After all, people conceptualise it in various ways. For some, it conjures terminator-like images of robots and intelligent machines with enhanced human capabilities. For others, neural networks and learning algorithms use our data to recognise patterns and make predictions or decisions.
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At the kōrero, reoccurring descriptive themes included AI being a technology, a software, an algorithm and a tool. AI was described as a product by humans for humans. In other words, it is fundamentally a creation of human ingenuity programmed by humans to serve human needs and interests. Yet it was also described as a black box requiring a cautious approach. An external intelligence transcending that of humans on specialist tasks and domains, yet capable of stupid things like hallucinating citations, generating misinformation and plagiarism. 

The next part of the kōrero explored the impact of AI on libraries and librarianship. Broadly, AI was seen as likely to impact the areas of information literacy, descriptive practices and collection analysis. It was predicted to lead to efficiencies with its ability to analyse large data sets quickly, summarise information and automate processes. It would also lead to new roles for librarians, such as teaching how to create effective prompts and educating communities on common problems. Libraries could also provide access to paid AI tools to address the digital divide and advocate for responsible use of data when training AI. This could include the Aotearoa New Zealand context to ensure Māori lead the conversation on AI and the use of indigenous data.

Moving on to the pros and cons of AI, attendees already had a broad knowledge of common problems or concerns. Some problems described were at the micro level. For instance, when ChatGPT returns a non-existent reference to a specific prompt. However, it seemed that the macro-level issues were the ones many attendees sought more direction on. These are issues around AI and data sovereignty, mis or dis-information generated by bad actors, lack of regulation, bias in training data, impact on intellectual property and privacy rights, lack of empathy, and potential job losses. Equally, attendees identified many positives to AI, both potential and realised. As a productivity tool, AI can support creative thinking, generate ideas, remove accessibility barriers, enhance outreach, and reduce cultural tax. Rather than making libraries redundant, it further demonstrates the value and relevance of libraries. However, to advance the positive side of AI, library management needs to be prepared to make space for professional development and experimentation.

The final part of the kōrero was a call to action to determine our possible next steps. Upskilling ourselves and educating our communities was an important next step for attendees. Take time to think, experiment, share, use, and critique AI tools and do it now as these continue to become more prevalent and improve. As one attendee expressed it, “Tuwhitia te nopo! Feel the AI and do it anyway”. The call was also made to seek more clarity from regulators, policymakers, individual institutions, and professional leaders on issues like AI and copyright, harvesting library data, intersection with traditional knowledge, and use as a research tool.

My reflection from the kōrero is that two streams of considerations are currently at the forefront of our profession regarding AI. One is a personal one focused on learning how to use specific tools, how to teach others to use them, and how to sort the wheat from the chaff in this rapidly changing environment. Professional development is central to this stream as it provides a means to meet those challenges. The other stream is at the macro level, asking the bigger questions about AI encompassing ethics, law, psychology, autonomy, and sovereignty. We are seeing more conference presentations, webinars, training courses, and other tools supporting our professional development with AI. However, the big questions are much further away from being answered. The rapid pace of AI advancement continues to outpace the development of policies and regulations to govern the emerging ethical, legal, and societal implications.
If this is a topic you are interested in, I have curated some resources of various types for you to explore:

• The best introductory video I have seen to address AI fluency specifically for librarians: https://vimeo.com/841055109/056df1c313
• My go-to article for definitions of AI by Andrew Cox and Suvodeep Mazumdar: Defining artificial intelligence for librarians: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/09610006221142029 [open access]
• Andrew Cox’s recent webinar presentation for LIANZA TEL SIG: Data, AI and Digital Transformation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfi-QPvNLd8&t=2630s
• Lorcan Dempsey’s blog post: Generative AI and libraries: 7 contexts. You may wish to explore some of his other posts on the topic: https://www.lorcandempsey.net/generative-ai-and-libraries-7-contexts/
• My favourite library blogger: Aaron Tay is always testing the latest AI developments and providing an honest and accessible assessment: https://musingsaboutlibrarianship.blogspot.com/
• Join IFLA’s AI special interest group: https://www.ifla.org/units/ai/
• Explore the AI4LAM YouTube channel for a variety of examples and perspectives: https://www.youtube.com/@ai4lam120/videos.

Also, watch out for a new LIANZA Connect community about AI, where we hope to continue the conversation, share more resources, and support each other.

“Hasta la vista, baby.”

Shiobhan Smith is the Associate University Librarian (Customer Experience) at Te Whare Wānanga o Otāgo the University of Otago. She has more than 17 years of experience working in academic libraries, including roles educating researchers on open access and supporting the use of OUR Archive, the University of Otago’s institutional repository.

Mandy Wall’s highlights

Thank you to LIANZA for the opportunity to attend the LIANZA 2023 Conference. There were so many excellent and informative sessions. At the top of my highlight list would be those related to library services for Māori and those discussing AI.

LIANZA 2023 offered a robust and well-rounded discussion on mātauranga Māori and te ao Māori. Keynote speaker Professor Rangi Mātāmua’s presentation on Māori astronomy and Matariki, grounded in the history of his family, and the work he is doing to restore mātauranga Māori provided the context and set the scene for the sessions that followed.
 
Dr Hana O’Regan’s keynote enhanced this further, highlighting the ongoing colonisation Māori have suffered, how many issues we face in Aotearoa are rooted in this history, and the journey and hope of moving forward.
Against this background, the sessions by Terissa Goldsmith on The Ngāi Tahu core list at Christchurch City Libraries, followed by the Te Āhua o te mātauranga: the nature of knowledge by Ngapiu Tainui-Maclure, where library resources important to Ngāi Tahu are collated and represented, that contribute to  mātauranga Māori and te ao Māori, and support decolonisation.

Dawn Carlisle’s presentation, A transdisciplinary design of a future library: an insider’s approach, showed how libraries can implement practical support through the library guides and webpages she created at Wintec as a result of her research.

I found the combination of these presentations inspirational. My most significant takeaway is that there is plenty of opportunity to improve how libraries deliver for Māori. The initiatives presented provided ideas to reflect upon and potential areas to improve, which I can take home to the library where I work.
A further high point was the opportunity to learn more about AI through attending the sessions by Nick Scullin and Kathryn Andrews, Keen on Keenious? AI versus traditional database searching, and Shiobhan Smith’s Artificial Intelligence and Libraries: What is the fuss? I had not investigated AI in any great detail, but I had heard a lot about the problems posed, so learning about the benefits AI tools can offer libraries, particularly in the academic library context, was an excellent counterbalance to all the negative press AI has received. I’ve been sharing my learnings with my colleagues and will look into Keenious and the AI websites Shiobhan presented.
One last highlight I must mention is the final-day tour of some of the libraries in Christchurch. It was uplifting to meet and hear from so many passionate librarians doing wonderful work for their library customers in so many varied ways.
 
Mandy Wall lives in the (normally) sunny Hawke’s Bay and works as a Collection Services Librarian at Te Pūkenga Eastern Institute of Technology. Mandy has been a librarian for about 14 years, working across special, law, and public libraries, and this is her first year working in an academic library.

Diana McMahon-Reid’s experience of #LIANZA2023
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Wow! LIANZA’s 2023 conference delivered a masterclass in weaving.
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The conference theme, ‘Ngā aho – weaving our threads of knowledge together’, was evident throughout – from the swift processing of registrations and the flow of participants from the auditorium to the breakout rooms, merging and parting, meal breaks, kōrero and workshops, it created a vibrant tapestry.

The beautiful Te Pae, our venue for two days, is sleek and new, in contrast to, yet also at home among, the stone provincial council chamber and the bandaged cathedral, genuinely weaving the old and the new together.

President Richy Misilei set the tone for the conference in his welcome speech, reminding us of the many connections across the library sector and the opportunities for collaboration, and encouraging us to be innovative and responsive while holding our communities at the heart of our work. He reminded us of the value we bring to our communities and urged us to communicate that value more loudly and widely. Throughout the conference, Richy seamlessly connected the sections and speakers with humour and detail, moving us from one to the next, a single garment from many diverse threads.

The organisation of the conference was superb. Even the last-minute cancellation by a keynote speaker – every organiser's nightmare scenario – barely caused a ripple in proceedings. Dan Walker stepped into the keynote speaker role and owned it, giving one of the most interesting presentations at the conference.

​Siobhan Smith’s conference highlights

I thoroughly enjoyed attending the 2023 LIANZA conference and am very grateful for receiving the Murihiku LIANZA Regional Community Conference Grant. My first observation on entering the conference venue was not the amazing Te Pae building – although it was impressive – but the buzz among the attendees. It felt exciting and positive, and the conference carried this feeling right through the next couple of days.

The keynotes were inspirational. I especially enjoyed the personal journey Professor Rangi Mātāmua took us on. It set the tone perfectly for understanding the role of libraries as the aho between knowledge and people and also highlighted the difference between studying a culture and living it, providing thought for how libraries can support both.

I attended the workshop by Kāpiti Coast District Libraries on ‘Te Tōtara: rethinking the development of a diverse workforce’. As someone who has created a capability framework and provided feedback on the Te Tōtara model when it was being developed, I was interested to see how it was being used ‘in the wild’. I was greatly impressed with how Kāpiti Coast District Libraries have engaged with Te Tōtara and the honesty of the presenters, who were not afraid to talk about the difficulties encountered in getting their team onboard. They had very quickly grasped the power of the metaphor. They gave real-life examples of where it could explain roadblocks (not preparing the soil) and provide ways of discussing difficult or complex problems (larger trees allowing light to reach the smaller trees). I came away from the event very excited about the possibilities of this framework and am looking forward to bringing it to colleagues at the University of Otago for further discussion.
 
On the last day, I signed up for the walking tour taking in Te Pūkenga Ara Institute of Canterbury, the New Zealand Law Society and Judges libraries, Te Puna o Waiwhetū Christchurch Art Gallery and Tūranga Christchurch Central Library. It was a lot of walking, but I regret nothing! Each venue had amazing hosts highlighting features, spaces, collections and services, and answering all questions. As someone working in a university library, I relished seeing what colleagues in other types of libraries are doing. The Ara One Button Studio was a great innovation – it allows students to practice and record their presentations and only requires a USB with decent capacity to get started. 

The sneak peek at the art gallery’s conservation lab was intriguing. Learning more about the role of court librarians revealed to me that despite many years in the profession, I am still learning about the many different manifestations of our work. Visiting Tūranga was a highlight of highlights. I loved the innovative blending of the physical and digital, perhaps best exemplified by the discovery wall. Yet it was equally special to thumb through their traditional card catalogue in the Kōrero o nehe ā-whānau Family History space and find references to my grandfather and other relatives.

This was my first LIANZA conference, but I am certain it will not be my last. I encourage other new LIANZA members to apply for a LIANZA conference grant in 2025. Once again, thanks to LIANZA for allowing me to be a recipient of a LIANZA Regional Community Conference grant.

Shiobhan Smith is the Associate University Librarian (Customer Experience) at Te Whare Wānanga o Otāgo the University of Otago. She has more than 17 years of experience working in academic libraries, including roles educating researchers on open access and supporting the use of OUR Archive, the University of Otago’s institutional repository.

Sharon Cornwall’s conference highlights

I was lucky enough to be awarded the Ada Fache Grant for travel expenses to the LIANZA conference. Before 9am there were queues of people waiting to register, but fortunately, I had arrived earlier – what great attendance for the first in-person conference since 2019.

The opening video presented real people telling their stories about what libraries mean to them. It was wonderful to hear the experiences of a wide range of library users.

In his address, LIANZA President Richard Misilei noted that we need to effectively communicate our value to leaders to prevent us from being seen as just rooms with books, which are easy targets when cuts are needed.

We listened to a fascinating keynote by Professor Rangi Mātāmua about mātauranga, and he passed on his grandfather’s wisdom that “knowledge that isn’t shared isn’t knowledge”.

In a well-attended breakout session on ‘Challenging access to information’, Trish Hepworth noted that challenges to books are nothing new, something that several other speakers also mentioned. She stated that when people struggle, it is easier to turn to conspiracy theories to explain a world that appears out of control. Fortunately, LIANZA is developing a toolkit to deal with these challenges, which Louise LaHatte discussed in her presentation.

On a lighter note, the lively SPARKY mobile outreach van was an entertaining session. It was interesting to hear about the requirements for SPARKY – compact, smart, green and not too heavy. Its bubble machine sounded fantastic.

Dr Hana O’Regan gave a very insightful talk on how Māori have been excluded from knowledge and poorly treated by the education system. Professor Beth Wahler from the US talked about the increasing psychosocial needs of library patrons and the impact that dealing with these needs can have on library staff. I can’t wait to read her book. Loopy Tunes presented a great workshop – there was not much sitting and much moving in that session. Who can forget Dan Te Whenua Walker’s dance? Let alone all his work incorporating indigenous beliefs and knowledge into Microsoft and the other corporations he has worked at.
 
We were lucky with the weather on our walking tour of Tūranga, the Law Society Library, Te Pūkenga (Ara) and Te Puna o Waiwhetū. All the libraries were interesting, and I was intrigued by the bird concept at Tūranga, with each floor relating to a different bird. The interactive photo wall made me very envious, while he art installations around Ara library were intriguing. At Te Puna o Waiwhetū, we learned about the poison book project and the conservation and storage areas. By the time we reached the end of the day, we’d walked over 15,000 steps!
 
Some of my takeaways were the need to promote what libraries do and to work in partnership or collaboration with other providers. A library is a community hub that must be connected to our user base to stay alive.
It was a most enjoyable conference, and meeting other librarians and vendors was excellent.
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Sharon Cornwall is from Waikato and has worked in various libraries, including the University of Waikato library, Waikato District Health Board library, Wintec Library and IPU in Palmerston North, and worked in England and Saudi Arabia for a short time. Along the way, she has been associated with various LIANZA committees and is currently on the LIANZA Professional Registration Board. She has been at HB Williams Memorial Library in Gisborne since March 2021, where she manages the collections area.
 

Kate Ogden and #LIANZA2023

It was a privilege to be at this conference, and so good to connect with colleagues from around New Zealand in person again. These aren’t just other people who work in the GLAMMIR sector, they are partners in providing library, gallery and museum experiences for this country. A conference like this allows us to share, support, challenge, encourage and inspire each other. And that is what we did.

PJ Bramley gave an illuminating presentation about the experiences of neurodiverse staff in information organisations. He was open, honest, and helpful.

There were several sessions about innovative library programmes and products. Phil Clarke and his team at the IHC Library have done exemplary work on creating a co-designed, outcome-focused game to support rangatahi with special needs to live independently. If you have yet to look at Stand Tall, then do it now! It is a great resource – be prepared to offer it to our customers. Please look at Queenstown Lakes Libraries’ Milk Bottle People for a taster on one of the several other programmes I learned about.
 

For me, the standouts of the conference were some of the keynote speakers. Michael Peter Edson, and Professor Andrew Pettegree and Dr Arthur Weduwen gave us two keynotes from entirely different perspectives. Michael Edson was focused on the future, looking at libraries and their role in society and social issues. He inspired us to get involved in social issues and lead community conversations. Professor Pettegree and Dr Weduwen had a perspective on the future that drew on their understanding of the history of libraries. They reminded us to be aware that not everyone in our community is moving at the same pace and that we must draw people in. The juxtaposition of these two keynotes left me questioning how we take our communities on the journey with us and how we facilitate engagement with new ideas and social change.

It was a treat to hear Professor Rangi Mātāmua speak, and we were honoured by his acknowledgement of the sector’s work on Matariki. He didn’t demand more thought or action from us so much as provoke a desire to do more and to do it well.
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Dr Hana O’Regan did not hold back and was much more explicit about the appalling wrongs of the past and the need to be very thoughtful and aware in our work now. Coloniality was a new term, but it describes a concept I recognise. Dr O’Regan left us with many things to think about and challenges to rise to. What will I do to make sure the whole story is told, and that mātauranga Māori is understood, handled and accessed on an equitable footing with Eurocentric knowledge and its frameworks?
 
Kate Ogden is the team leader for New Brighton, Parklands and Aranui libraries in the east of Christchurch. Kate started her career in tertiary libraries in London, and in the 22 years since emigrating to New Zealand, she has had 16 different jobs in Christchurch city libraries. She is passionate about the work public libraries do to improve people's lives in our communities

Winston Roberts’ perspective on #LIANZA2023

My primary purpose in attending the conference was to participate in an information session with other IFLA committee members to promote sector engagement with IFLA (the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions).

This session was proposed to give feedback from the World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) in Rotterdam and to give some advance information on WLIC 2024 in Dubai. With the cancellation of the event in Dubai, it seemed even more critical to give New Zealand colleagues a future perspective on the meaning of IFLA for the wider Asia-Pacific region.

By good fortune, two senior IFLA colleagues were present: Leslie Weir, Librarian and Archivist of Canada and President-Elect of the IFLA, and Te Paea Paringatai, Chair of the Professional Council of the IFLA Governing Board. IFLA committee representatives Elizabeth Jones, Kim Taunga and Cellia Joe-Olson were also at the session.

Leslie and Te Paea commented on IFLA policies in a challenging world. At the same time, we spent some time explaining how to get involved in the IFLA committee and project work, and the personal and professional benefits that can provide. I was keen to highlight that librarians from New Zealand have significantly contributed to different facets of IFLA work over many years – we should be proud of that contribution and continue it. This work was in collaboration with other countries in our region. We currently have an Australian, Vicki McDonald, as President of IFLA and we are represented on the Regional Division Committee by Kim Taunga, LIANZA's past president. Our Pacific library colleagues are looking to us for support.

More support for this international work is needed. Colleagues wanting practical advice on using their skills and expertise internationally may contact me at [email protected].
 
MY TAKE-OUTS ON THE MAIN PROGRAMME
For me – somewhat an ‘outside’ observer with a head full of years of international work for IFLA but remembering Christchurch as it once used to be – this conference was an exceptional experience. It was small by international standards, but right up there with the best due to the quality of the venue, the organisation, the general ambience encouraging thinking and networking and the quality of the speakers.

There were some ideas that stood out clearly from presentations and discussions.

• Maintaining people’s trust in information, and library services as providers of truthful information, in the face of what seem to be campaigns of misinformation and disinformation is a worldwide problem.
• Ensuring that young people are given the most trustworthy digital information or books to read for pleasure – and combatting retrograde attempts at censorship.
• Being conscious of ‘coloniality’ – Hana O’Regan was strikingly clear on this – coming to terms with it, overcoming it and helping develop new cultural perspectives for the country, which bring together the people of the land and the people of the treaty.
• Building multicultural awareness into the language of library services and the very fabric of the buildings that contain and deliver these services, whether that is Tūranga in Christchurch or Te Ara Tahi in Wellington.

• Modelling a mindset of accepting and defending human rights, equality, diversity and freedom of expression.
• It was appropriate to be in Ōtautahi Christchurch, to discuss the trauma of seismic events in all senses of the word.
• “People matter most,” said Beth Wahler in her thoughtful presentation on trauma among library staff in the US. How to support staff experiencing PTSD or burnout? She advocated for applying reflective practice, with self-care and community care, and this resonated with the conference audience.

• Taking advantage of the benefits of AI to run our services, but not fearing it – there is no tool that society cannot put to both good and bad use.

• Encouraging reading in a society where people’s attention spans and tolerance of complexity and long sentences are getting shorter.

In summary, the library sector in Aotearoa New Zealand is innovative and dynamic. Through all the presentations and discussions, Aotearoa New Zealand’s distinctive character and its complete professional integration with the rest of the global library sector was clear.
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Winston Roberts is the former chair of the Regional Division Committee of IFLA for Asia-Oceania and a member of the Regional Council. Winston was a senior business advisor/international with Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa National Library of New Zealand until his recent retirement.