LIANZA 2021 Conference Committee - call for expressions of interest

​E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā karangatanga maha o ngā hau e whā, tēnā koutou katoa
 
He mihi tēnei ki a koutou o te whānau whānau i whakarauika mai i raro i te kaupapa nunui o Te Rau Herenga o Aotearoa 2019.


​The LIANZA 2021 Conference offers a wonderful opportunity to bring together people from across our diverse library and information sector.

The conference will be held Tuesday November 2 to Thursday November 4, 2021 at the TSB Arena and Auditorium on the waterfront in Wellington.

The association’s aim is for the 2021 conference to meet the diverse professional needs of people engaged in collection, curation, preservation, archiving and sharing of information, tools and taonga that empower and connect our communities. 

If you are keen to make this happen, we are seeking people keen to become part of the LIANZA 2021 Conference Committee. The committee will be led by a Conference Convenor supported by the Programmes Chair, Social Co-ordinator and Bi-cultural Convenor and two additional members. The committee is strongly supported by LIANZA Office and our professional conference organisers, Paardekooper and Associates. The conference convenor role can be shared by two co-convenors.

The conference committee will develop the LIANZA 2021 Conference vision and theme, create the programme and play a key role in the delivery of the conference. What issues do you think the library and information community need to focus on in 2021?  Information democracy?

We are seeking passionate, energetic people with wide experience and understanding of library and information sector opportunities and  issues and an awareness of national and international trends, willing to work as a team to deliver an outstanding conference. Prior conference organising experience is definitely not required, but your passion for the impact and contribution of the library and information sector is a must-have!

The conference committee members do not need to be located in Wellington and people are sought from any role within the wider library and information sector. You can indicate your interest in a specific role on the committee, or just indicate that you are willing to contribute. All members of the committee, except the Bi-cultural Convenor, need to be personal members of LIANZA or Te Rōpū Whakahau.

LIANZA Council approves the appointment of the conference committee. A programmes committee and social committee will be recruited in the middle of 2020.

Meetings will be held by Zoom and other communication will be by email. A minimum meeting time commitment may be an hour each month from April, 2020 and more frequently in the six months prior to the conference.

To learn more about the timeline see the  LIANZA 2021 conference project plan.

To express your interest, simply tell us why you want to be involved, what you will bring to this work, and what you think LIANZA2021 conference  needs to achieve for the sector. If there is a particular role on the Conference Committee you are interested in, please let us know.

If you want to find out more or indicate your interest, simply email Ana Pickering, LIANZA Executive Director at [email protected] by  Friday March 27, 2020.

Being involved in the conference committee is a fantastic professional experience. Our 2019 co-convenors Judy McFall-McCaffery and Richy Miseli share what they gained from the experience of convening the LIANZA 2019 Conference in Manukau City, last October:

​Judy’s personal experience
For myself, this was a milestone development and achievement for  LIANZA PIMN SIG and Pasifika in the Libraries & Information Management sector. Some of my key highlights in co-convening LIANZA with amazing supportive whanau included:

• The opportunity to contribute, learn and share with LIANZA colleagues across the profession in a context that valued our diverse languages, cultures and identities in Aotearoa.
• Acknowledging that we are a Pacific nation throughout the conference
• A new approach (model) of convening that focused on a collective Pacific concept and values that was successful and really satisfying
• Collaboration, collegiality, and raising the profile of PIMN in the profession
• Opportunity to engage, learn and collaborate with so many talented people
• Capacity building, PD opportunities, and increasing Pasifika engagement with LIANZA 
• Drawing on the hidden talents and potential in PIMN
• Relationship and partnership with Māori – Pasifika participating in the Pōwhiri with Tangata Whenua kaumatua
• Putting Talanoa into action – sharing insights, research evidence and professional practice on Pasifika ways of working and approaches.
• Supporting student involvement and engagement
• Community engagement – bringing the community into the information sector spaces.

The entire experience for myself (and from the feedback) received was very positive, and it is encouraging to see these developments come together in PIMN’s convenorship of LIANZA 2019. We have come a long way since PIMN was established in 2004.

I look forward to the strengthening of partnerships established and pursuing the outcomes of the conference together. Thanks, Fa’afetai tele, Vinaka vakalevu, Malo aupito, Meitaki  to all who contributed in so many ways.
Ia manuia Ngā mihi nui
Judy

Richy's personal experience
​“Immensely rewarding” is how I’d describe the experience of being a LIANZA Conference Convenor. This description doesn’t negate the feelings of stress and being overwhelmed at times, but those feelings get fully eclipsed when the conference you had planned with your convening group, LIANZA Office and conference planners (Paardekooper) is executed, and viia le Atua (glory to God), it pulled off even better than you even anticipated.
 
Last year’s conference was convened by the LIANZA PIMN SIG and I feel like this model worked very well for the type of conference we were after – being a Pasifika themed conference conveying Pacific values: Alofa, Fa’aaloalo, Va Feiloai, etc., and being held in the Pacific heart of our nation. Having the leadership and mana of individuals such as Judy McFall-McCaffrey (UoA), Elenoa Mo’aSili-Mati and Kim Taunga (AL), and passionate hardworking individuals such as ‘Asilika Aholelei (Otahuhu College), Sana Saleem (Unitec), John Mataafa, Trina Roycroft, Mack Leala, Irene Tufuga, Ian Toki (AL), and of course, our bi-cultural convenor, who did a wonderful job of weaving both the Maori and Pasifika worldviews together, Jennifer Barnett (AL), did a lot to deal with the mountainous amount of work, and it brought a level of creativity never seen when it is just an individual working.
 
At a debrief we had weeks after LIANZA 2019 concluded, I shared with the team that I enjoyed the conference so much, that after the poroporoaki, it felt like the last day of high school – you were happy it was done, but guttered that such an amazing time had concluded. I would encourage anyone to get involved with convening a Lianza conference. I was blessed that my organisation allowed me the opportunity to grow and develop skills one can only get by conference planning and execution, but it helped me to also forge deeper relationships with various co-workers and admire our industry further because you view even more so, how vital we are to society.
 
Ia manuia,
Richard (Richy) Misilei