 | Message from Bill Macnaught Kia ora koutou I am reaching out to you in the spirit of friendship and collegiality that is the hallmark of the library sector. Who could have predicted the strange isolation in which we find ourselves right now? My main purpose in writing to you is to check if you are okay and to ask if there is any help that you need from the National Library. |
,We have, of course, temporarily suspended many of our services in our current state of rāhui that is Level 4 lockdown. For those of you in public libraries we have suspended the APNK public internet access including the wifi that many of you valued as a way of keeping the public informed during the COVID-19 crisis. Let me briefly explain why we took that decision. We had a small but growing number of public libraries asking us to switch off the wifi service because of concerns expressed by police or local COVID-19 crisis management teams. The concern was that people gathering outside the library to get free wifi was increasing the risk of transmission. Other public libraries were still keen to maintain the wifi offer so that people could get access to information about COVID-19. In a national crisis there is a National Crisis Management Centre coordinating all the advice and instructions on how to manage the crisis so I presented that dilemma to the NCMC for them to determine which course of action would best support the effort to stop the spread of the virus. The answer was to suspend the public library wifi offer and that advice, I understand, was sent to every Mayor and CEO across all local councils. Please rest assured that I will be seeking the reinstatement of the APNK wifi service as soon as possible when the Level 4 restrictions are eased.
So returning to my earlier question about what else you might need from the National Library, please do let me know if there is something else we could be doing. As the restrictions are scaled down it will become easier for us to help. In the near future we will be sharing some more news of what my staff have been doing while we’ve been working from home. I don’t mean sharing photos of home baking; I mean sharing news about the work-related achievements that we have still been able to deliver while working remotely. You might be reassured to know that our collections are still being kept safely. Like most of you however, I have been really clear that the priority in this crisis is the health and welfare of people. In these uniquely strange times my message to my staff has been very simple: Stay at home, stay safe and save lives. Not original of course, but it is a message that seems to be working for the country. I sincerely hope that you are able to stay safe in your bubbles, large or small.
Ngā mihi, mai tōku poihau ki ō koutou poihau,
Bill
So returning to my earlier question about what else you might need from the National Library, please do let me know if there is something else we could be doing. As the restrictions are scaled down it will become easier for us to help. In the near future we will be sharing some more news of what my staff have been doing while we’ve been working from home. I don’t mean sharing photos of home baking; I mean sharing news about the work-related achievements that we have still been able to deliver while working remotely. You might be reassured to know that our collections are still being kept safely. Like most of you however, I have been really clear that the priority in this crisis is the health and welfare of people. In these uniquely strange times my message to my staff has been very simple: Stay at home, stay safe and save lives. Not original of course, but it is a message that seems to be working for the country. I sincerely hope that you are able to stay safe in your bubbles, large or small.
Ngā mihi, mai tōku poihau ki ō koutou poihau,
Bill
RSS Feed