Te Tōtara Workforce Capability framework has been something of a hidden gem since its development in 2022. Early adopters of the framework were either those involved in the development process or participants in the Whiria te Tangata programme. More people heard about Te Tōtara at the LIANZA 2023 Conference last year, but it would be fair to say that Te Tōtara has had a ‘soft launch’.

LIANZA has picked up the mahi to implement the framework more widely. Over the last three months the project has engaged with early adopters to find out how the sector is responding to the framework and how it is inspiring professional development in their service. 

LIANZA Te Tōtara Workforce Capability project manager Annemarie Thomas has engaged with professional leaders and managers across the sector to inform them about the framework, and 80% of those surveyed said they will implement Te Tōtara with their teams.

Te Tōtara is guided by seven principles of Māori kaupapa comprising capability areas for the library workforce. A strength of the framework is its adaptability to different contexts across the sector. Several libraries have chosen a foundational goal to work on as a team. Others have introduced Te Tōtara as a conversational tool with individual team members, allowing them to reflect on the area of development they want to progress in their role. One library, Kāpiti Coast District Libraries, has considered how the framework informs their recruitment and induction processes.
A Te Tōtara Community of Practice has been established to share the different ways teams approach using the framework and to support those who find it overwhelming at first.

Some initial hesitation is natural, considering how comprehensive the framework is. Approaching it as a reference document makes it accessible. One library and information professional said:

“I like that I can dissect the document and use what I need at the time to reassess how I do things, goals to focus on, skills to develop in order to give my best to my family, team, community and organisation.”  

Having identified an area for reflecting on your goals and learning needs, the reflecting questions support you to hone in on what it is you want to do. Two of my favourites are:

• Have I had opportunity to observe excellent performance in this area?
• What further experiences would most help me develop my capability?

 
Professional development also recognises the capabilities you hold and can share with others. As a professional development tool, Te Tōtara emphasises the potential to develop capability from within the team, the wider organisation and the community. The three self-assessed capability levels are: Mōhio – Knowledge (comfortable); Mārama – Understanding (confident); and Mātau – Wisdom (capable).

No-one is ‘mātau’ at everything, it’s about life-long learning and focusing on the things that pertain to you now in your role, to your potential, and to your team’s purpose.

If you haven’t had a look at Te Tōtara yet, go here.
​
The qualities of the tōtara tree are a great metaphor for resilience and growth: 

“Some natives are quite difficult to grow, but tōtara don’t mind being out in the open, they can handle the sunshine, the gangly youth seems to be pretty powerful in our current weather patterns, and they don’t seem to mind a lot of rainfall either, they can handle a wide range of conditions.” Philip Simpson, Botanist, author of Tōtara: A Natural and Cutural History (2019).  
 
If you would like to join the Te Tōtara community of practice, or find out more about Te Tōtara contact: [email protected]  

In this month’s column, we spotlight a local eco festival in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland and show how public libraries have played a vital role in this annual celebration of community-driven climate action. 
 
AUCKLAND LIBRARIES AND THE ALBERT-EDEN AND PUKETĀPAPA ECO FESTIVAL
First launched in 2022, the Albert-Eden and Puketāpapa Eco Festival is a month-long festival aimed at building awareness and creating localised solutions for climate action. With a jam-packed and diverse programme of events, there’s a little something for everyone: exhibitions, hands-on workshops, market stalls, film screenings, panel discussions, and so on. The festival receives funding from the Albert-Eden and Puketāpapa Local boards, with its mission to support local climate action in line with Auckland Council’s Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland's Climate Plan.
 
Local libraries across the Albert-Eden Puketāpapa Ward are essential to festival programming, says Festival Director Natalie Wotherspoon. “Our festival is as much about building networks and creating connected, resilient communities as it is about sharing ideas and skills, and with libraries being at the heart of communities and, for many, their community hub, it has a far reach into communities.” 
 
Over the past three years, Natalie has worked with the teams from Auckland Libraries’ Epsom, Mt Albert, Mt Roskill and Point Chevalier Libraries to plan and deliver a wide range of free events in and around library spaces. Natalie says that the event hosts, mostly community groups or local not-for-profit organisations, value the opportunity to use library spaces for events. “From an event organiser perspective, libraries are ideal for workshops. Event hosts know this is a reliable venue to deliver a workshop, and the participants feel welcome and comfortable attending.”
 

“No need to reinvent the wheel.. or could we?”
 
In this article, Lyn Malakou of Christchurch City Libraries presents a unique approach to the challenge of summertime reading programs. She asks how we can retain the proven methods while also exploring new possibilities for the benefit of tamariki and rangatahi.
 
Writer and illustrator Bob Kerr asked his 11-year-old grandson Owen to explain the difference between reading a book and playing computer games. This is Owen’s response:


“When I’m playing games, I have to think about what I’m doing all the time. I’m clicking on the keyboard and moving my fingers everywhere and talking to my friends all at the same time. In a game the pictures are all on the screen. You don’t have to imagine things If I’m reading, I just have to hold the book or lie in bed and listen to my audiobook. In books, there are only words. I have to imagine things. [1]
 
The team across the summertime reading kaupapa at Christchurch City Libraries tapped into the experience of colleagues from around our network. Underpinning our planning are pou that transcend individual annual themes and carry across multiple years: Facilitating reading as a social activity, supporting reader agency,  prioritising the relational and encouraging whole community participation.
 
With ‘reading for pleasure’ appearing in the refreshed New Zealand curriculum, our campaign could have wings. The literacy and well-being benefits of reading for the love of it are surely a celebration of how our libraries and dedicated staff have good news to offer.

VISUAL LANGUAGE
Findings from Read NZ Te Pou Muramura’s 2021 National Reading Survey, among other useful insights, revealed that parents and caregivers who read to tamariki largely do so at bedtime. 

In our visual campaign, we wanted to celebrate the magical twilight hour in summer, when activities are done and running and jumping are exhausted. ‘Imagine the taonga that awaits you’ illustrates tamariki together and engaged in exploring a book by torchlight.

‘Imagine other worlds’. Our Māori Services team tell of oral story traditions – the handing down of stories and cultural knowledge after the day’s work is done. The night sky presents possibilities for the myriad worlds beyond our own, spinning off into other times, pasts, and futures. Think of Gavin Bishop’s book Atua and the unleashing of colour and its soaring breadth of storytelling. The intergenerational link of culture and story remains key to our bicultural commitment at Christchurch City Libraries. ‘

​A feature of this thinking about imagination was considering rangatahi and their possible futures, and the enabling role that libraries can play. We know that reading helps us expand our choices, and we want rangatahi to ‘Imagine the possibilities’ for their bright futures.

The campaign we devised needed to be versatile enough to expand over multiple years—not only to be cost-effective but also to grow in depth and breadth as we took our message of reading promotion from last summer to next. We plan to reintroduce the programme for schools for one year and resume our promotion in time for the coming 2024/25 summer.
 
DIGITALLY SPEAKING
Summertime Reading had a webpage on the library's website. This page included the campaign events, regular programming, and reading recommendations. The campaign featured on the homepage carousel was one of the first things customers saw on the library website. Between November and February, we received a 49.88% increase in interest in Summertime Reading content, with users spending an average of 26 seconds on the site.
 
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Up to 2,300 attendees attended 22 reported summertime events, which allowed library staff to engage readers in meaningful and supportive conversations.

Successful events included Picnic in the Park, a Soft-toy sleepover, and Summer Story Fun with author and illustrator Ned Barraud and Canterbury Museum’s Morgane Merien. Camp Fire stories for rangatahi, Karamū and Maiao, an intergenerational story time with Lynne Te Aika, Wild Wednesdays at Orana Park, and Dogs and Books were also well received.
We continued to encourage library memberships, book loans and the use of
E-resources. With 52% of New Zealand teens saying, “I read only if I have to,” [1]  we want to use technology's natural draw and engage reluctant readers with ebooks and audiobooks.
 
Aligning with our outdoor, under-the-stars imagery, Macpac came on board with generous encouragement. Having these quality prizes and a committed sponsor, we were able to attract participants to an online young adults Reading Review pilot. We received a generous gift of books from our supplier and popular pool passes from our Recreation and Sports Unit colleagues.
 
So, what is on the horizon for next summer? Let’s continue to share ideas, collaborate and imagine what ‘could be’ for Summertime Reading.

Christchurch City Libraries would like to acknowledge the contributions of Lauren Connolly, Stephen Clothier, Sarah Dillon and READ NZ, and the foundational mahi of Jessica Copping.
​
Lyn Malakou is a Public Programmes Coordinator at Christchurch City Libraries. Lyn has recently returned to Christchurch after over a decade in Sydney working in tertiary education, leading and supporting the student life portfolio, most recently at the University of Sydney.

In May, Kaitakawaenga Maatakiwi Wakefield and Pou Kohikohinga (Māori Collections Specialist) Ngapiu Tainui Maclure, Māori Services at Christchurch City Libraries, led the Matariki books selection for Kete Books’ Winter Reading guide.

In te ao Māori, storytelling holds a significant role. ‘Like waiata, haka, karakia, stories are a critical part of the intergenerational transmission of knowledge’, says Maatakiwi.

“Puaka and Matariki was a time whānau would gather together to recall past events, their history, and connections to places and people. It’s a time of remembrance, it’s a time of learning and so it is also the time of the whare wānaka or winter schools of learning.”

“Here in the South, Puaka is seen in the sky roughly 28 days before Matariki. It’s a signal that the old year is coming to an end. In the past, people would gather to be together during this time, to share food and to whakamoe tau which involves both a review of the season that has passed, and planning for the future,” Maatakiwi says.

“Prior to colonisation each season was considered a ‘tau’. But now ‘tau’ tends to mean a year and kaupeka has replaced it for season. Matariki and Puaka were important in the process of whakamoe tau as they are indicators of the coming year.”

“Our stories are oral, our books are preserved as names of places. Each name recalls oral traditions of events, ancestors, people and places. It was important and commonplace to lay names on hills, rivers and other features to preserve our history. These reconnect us to our lands and thus the environment. Some of those names were carried from places of origin such as the Pacific, from Hawaiki, and serve as reminders of our past.”

So, what are Maatakiwi and Ngapiu looking forward to reading themselves over the coming weeks?

Hine Toa by Ngāhuia te Awekōtuku is on Ngapiu’s list. “I’ve read through some of her earlier pieces of writing in our collections – she‘s an amazing mana wāhine.”

‘Winter is my favourite time for reading,’ Maatakiwi says as she flips through the pages of Evolving by Judy Baily, ‘I’m finding this a really lovely read.’

Their team also contributes to the So Many Stories podcast, available on both Plains FM and the Christchurch City Libraries website. This Puaka and Matariki they’re continuing on from their theme last year, inspired by Rangi Mātāmua and Miriama Kamo’s Matariki Around the World. “Some of the stories have been amazing. We’ve talked with colleagues from Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Fiji, Mexico and China – and a colleague who is first nations American about traditions around the rising of the cluster in those places,” says Ngapiu.

Maatakiwi adds, “While the star cluster is known by many names across the world, the name Matariki connects to the land we’re on and thus this country. It is uniquely Aotearoa New Zealand and so if you consider yourself a Kiwi then, as far as I’m concerned, Matariki belongs to you. The public holiday is a time for all of us to reconnect with each other, and the environment while giving thanks for what we have and remembering those who have passed during the last year.”
​
“After the first public holiday,” Ngapiu continues, “whenever I was talking to team members or people in the library, they all talked about celebrating with their whānau, connecting with family. It was amazing to hear because they knew the essence of Matariki and embraced it fully.”

Maatakiwi Wakefield and Ngapiu Tainui Maclure shine a light on the kaupapa behind this year’s Winter Reading Matariki books selection.

Throughout June, the Māori Library Services team at Christchurch City Libraries celebrate and share their mātauranga about Matariki and Puaka. Providing mātauranga Māori based programmes, the team of four deliver community education, make school visits, curate resources, support whānau days on marae and in community organisations, run training and professional development across 22 libraries, and across Christchurch city and the Banks Peninsula. They also contribute to the So Many Stories podcast on both Plains FM and the Christchurch City Libraries website.

This year, Kaitakawaenga Maatakiwi Wakefield and Pou Kohikohinga (Māori Collections Specialist) Ngapiu Tainui Maclure have added one more star to this cluster of activities: leading the selection of Matariki books in Kete Books’ Winter Reading guide.

Their selection brings together 18 books from the more than 90 new titles submitted by publishers for this year’s guide. It includes books for children on Matariki – available in English and te reo Māori like Miriama Kamo’s The Kai Stars of Matariki, and the new adventure story Ariā and the Kūmara God by Witi Ihimaera. Dahlia Malaeulu’s Mataali'i a story rich in Samoan cultural values, is here too. However, the selection also features books that weren’t specifically written or published for Matariki but which, through kaupapa and subject matter, connect to one or more of the nine Matariki whetū (stars).

“We were thinking about helping people to look at the bigger picture and deeper meaning of Matariki,” says Maatakiwi.  “We’d like people to realise how interlinked and woven together everything is.”
Christchurch City Libraries has celebrated Matariki within its communities for more than 20 years. In 2016, not long before Maatakiwi joined the first iteration of this Māori Library Services team, Māori astronomer Professor Rangi Mātāmua began teaching Te Iwa o Matariki.

“It’s from Rangi Mātāmua’s teachings, and local oral traditions, that our team base our programming and deliveries. I’ve been fortunate to have studied under Rangi and Kāi Tahu astronomer Tori Campbell which has also seen us incorporate Kāi Tahu oral traditions relating to Puaka into our deliveries,” says Maatakiwi. “Matariki and Puaka are environmental indicators. Observing them and learning more about them, helps us to connect with our environment.”
Learning and teaching this mātauranga Māori is something Ngapiu has enjoyed over her three years with the team. “Mātauranga Māori is a living knowledge, it is active knowledge,” she says. “Through intergenerational practice, it helps us connect with our environment which is increasingly important in today’s climate.”

To make this selection of new books, Maatakiwi and Ngapiu – first independently, then together – considered how the titles submitted potentially related to each star’s kaupapa. The final list includes books for eight of the nine whetū, with only one star, Waipunarangi the star associated with ua or rain, not represented.

In early 2023, an out-of-the-blue email sparked an ongoing international partnership between 10 Delawarean libraries and the 12 branches of Wellington City Libraries. Our ‘Dear Delaware’ pen pal program has now been running for ten months and has a total of around 600 participants who write letters that travel over 14,000 kms around the globe.

Our participants are really enthusiastic about the program, and it’s proved surprisingly popular among all age groups. Upon launching, we quickly discovered that many kids had never written a letter before and had no idea what a pen pal was. Parents are thrilled to see their children put so much effort into their letters. They love that it allows them to practice their writing skills and learn while making new friends- trading stories of kiwis and coyotes. Adults have really responded to the nostalgia of having a pen pal. Connecting with someone slowly without instant digital technology allows a unique way of getting to know someone. The patience required is sometimes a learning curve, but nothing beats the feeling of receiving mail!

PLANNING AND STRUCTURE
Working closely with my Delawarean counterpart Robin, we took the time to plan and exchange ideas, considering our population sizes and differing structures of library networks. Being very responsive and open-minded from the get-go helped facilitate a positive exchange as we set up the program. We agreed that while some elements we could figure out as we go, an important point to be aligned on from the beginning were the terms for children’s participation and our obligations around sharing participants' details to match pen pals safely. We settled on a library-to-library format, where all participants pick up and drop off their letters at their local library, which are then centralised and sent in one bulk package. This ensures no personal addresses are shared and no cost is incurred for participants.

We allowed a month to promote the program to the public and register participants, offering paper forms in branches and an online version (for ages 16+ only). Lots of our libraries made fun, creative displays and crafted mailboxes for the desk. We never expected the initial uptake to be as successful as it ended up being! During this launch period, we regularly compared our registration numbers to ensure the demand for the program aligned and that neither side would end up on a long waitlist. We also closely watched the age ranges of children registering, as we agreed to only pair within a +/- 2-year age bracket. We set up a dedicated staff member at each branch with whom we could liaise directly - they play an integral role in ensuring everything runs smoothly at each branch.
 

Vandalism and damage to new pipes last year have caused issues for the Kolovai library. This is not the first-time damage has occurred to the plumbing. Water was blocked from the volcanic eruption two years ago. The damage to pipes is almost $2000 and vandals have also been capping the water.

Kahoa Corbett, Kolovai Library's founder says:

"Who would do this to a library that is there for the community and has had a lot of money and effort invested in it over the last six years - mostly by only the founders."

With only one volunteer working two days a week, Kahoa is putting the call out again for volunteers to support the library.

Volunteer with the Kolovai Public Library in Tonga
 
Come and enjoy working in the friendly TONGAN LIBRARY. Help encourage children, youth and adults to join up and borrow books or try your hand at cataloguing. Organise reading programmes, and different activities eg. art day, weaving day, cooking, and crafts 
 
Kolovai Library's Ben and Kahoa Corbett can offer you free accommodation, free WIFI and computers and 10 laptops already in the library, landline and mobile phone to use, free coffee and tea, lemon grass drink available fresh from the garden, lots of beaches and fresh fruit nearby and bicycles to use. It's 10-15 minutes biking to any of those beaches locally in Kolovai.
 
The library is very well secured and people of Kolovai and nearby villages are popping in and out to Kolovai Public Library Monday - Saturday. 

​"My experience working in the first Tongan library in Kolovai was extremely rewarding. I met some new friends and was able to contribute to this incredible initiative by Kahoa and Ben. I assisted categorising books ready to go on shelves and developed some signage for the new library. It was an interesting experience meeting other volunteers and locals. I look forward to helping out with the next Tongan library." Janine Gillions volunteer

• Email [email protected]

• Register to be a member nor donate to Kolovai Public Library

• Support Kolovai Public Library by making a donation www.kolovailibrary.wordpress.com
• People can also donate towards the Tongan library projects via the library's Kiwibank account 38-9000-0114295-01
•  find them on Facebook facebook.com/kolovailibrary

 
The Kolovai Library has been supported with donated goods and service from Auckland City Council, Auckland Libraries, Sky TV, Bunnings Mt Roskill, and Catalyst NZ. All of the books and equipment are shipped for free by Onehunga-based Freight Company CFR Line NZ.

Background 
​
In 2018 Mangere Bridge local, Kahoa Corbett, and husband Brendan, established the Kolovai Library,
 
The very first public library in the Kingdom of Tonga. Since then, it has been packed with books donated from Auckland Libraries. Now that they are well-stocked for books, Kahoa would love to have more volunteers to help at the library, offering free accommodation near the library for people able to stay for several months or longer.
 
Volunteering includes cataloguing and shelving books, running activities like reading programmes, and helping with registering new customers especially children, mothers and babies, people from all walks of life.
 
The idea was borne from the devastation of Cyclone Gita in 2018, when Kahoa and Brendan were in Kolovai, Kahoa's home village, and saw that local schools needed books. They began to collect and donate books to the schools and when they discovered an unused whare ( fale ) in the village of Kolovai, it sparked the idea to turn it into a library.
 
Kolovai library was officially opened in 2019 by the New Zealand Acting High Commissioner Peter Lund and Prince Ata, the youngest son of the current King of Tonga.
 

The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) delivered an engaging and very full programme that I attended in Adelaide from May 6 to 9. It was an opportunity to meet with my Australasian colleagues and to learn from Australia’s library and information experts and practitioners. With the strong theme of ‘Truth and Dare’, here’s two of the top sessions I attended.  

Alison Hamilton from Northern Beaches Library Service delivered an engaging presentation on their library's 24/7 branch service. The library implemented this service to offer a space for library users to work and socialise at no significant extra cost. It resulted in a 45% increase in visits compared to the previous year, with 20% of visits occurring outside regular staff hours. The service attracted new members and provided an innovative way to connect with the community. 
 
New features, such as a touchscreen OPAC and noise requirements, were introduced to manage the extended service effectively. Safety and security were paramount in the design, incorporating measures like low shelving, secure work rooms, CCTV, and duress buttons.  

While unauthorised access has been the primary ongoing issue, the library has addressed this through inductions, feedback channels, and follow-up on reports of inappropriate behaviour.  

Despite minor challenges, such as people attempting to sleep in the library and higher-than-expected popularity, the library has not experienced any theft or property damage. The presenter stressed the significance of risk assessment, appropriate building location, and fostering a culture of shared responsibility among members to ensure a successful 24/7 library service. 

Lydia Hartwig, La Trobe University's Bendigo campus, delivered a thought-provoking presentation on participatory design and its potential to enhance social design through participatory frameworks and initiatives in academic libraries.  

The ‘participatory library’ concept emerged in 2006 amidst the rapid growth of digital technologies. This concept involves engaging library users to influence the operation and collection of the library through their participation. Many libraries, particularly public libraries, still use participatory design principles as an integral component of user-focused action and impact assessment. 

Lydia emphasised the importance of defining the ‘library user’ and proposed a new definition that includes any person who interacts with the library in any capacity, such as patrons, students, staff, academics, industry partners, vendors, and the local community. By redefining the library user in this way, their value is no longer transactional, and they become an integral part of the library, actively influencing its physical and digital spaces. 

Lydia shared insights from La Trobe University Library's social initiative, the IDEA Network.  This initiative incorporates elements of participatory design to support and enhance Inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility for all users. The network connects individuals and pre-existing support groups, highlighting the experiences of marginalised groups and informing library stakeholders about the issues they face. 

By incorporating participatory elements and bypassing traditional research hierarchies, the ISEA network fosters a co-design relationship with library users, actively involving them throughout the design, feedback, and implementation processes.  

Lydia concluded by emphasising that the movement towards user-centric and social design philosophies has laid the foundation for a new form of participatory design that re-examines the role and perceptions of the modern library user. By incorporating participatory elements throughout LIS research and design processes, libraries can build meaningful relationships and authentic actions, ultimately fostering a collective belonging that better reflects libraries as social institutions.

He kitenga kanohi, he hokinga mahara
A familiar face stirs one's memories
 
He kawenga mahara, he hāpori kitea
A collection of memories is a community seen
 
Aotearoa’s first Queer History Month, with te reo Māori name Pūmahara Ia Te Wā, is coming this July, breathed into being by Kawe Mahara Queer Archives Aotearoa and the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa. 

Around Papatūānuku libraries are queer people’s chosen whānau. This idea has a long history. We come to libraries seeking ourselves and our histories, seeking the manaakitanga to find our stories, seeking the affirmation that our memories and our communities are not only welcome but actively invited in and protected.

Our libraries and our communities throughout Aotearoa all hurt when we are intimidated and our basic rights to share our expressions, memories and stories, and to strengthen our communities, are threatened.

Learning about our queer tīpuna and our taonga affirms queer lives and is a vital part of the whakapapa of takatāpui and tāgata Moana in Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa. Queer people always were and always will be.

We encourage libraries across the motu invite Aotearoa’s queer and takatāpui whānau – your whānau – into your whare this #QueerHistoryMonthAotearoa in July. Invite and show your manaaki for your local queer communities by holding space, planning displays, or simply having kōrero with your kaimahi and manuhiri about how you can help keep your local queer histories alive.

Kawe Mahara Queer Archives Aotearoa (formerly the Lesbian and Gay Archives of New Zealand Te Pūranga Takatāpui o Aotearoa) and Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa are hosting an all-day hui, both in-person and live-streamed from the National Library in Te Whanganui-a-Tara on Tuesday 9 July 2024, 9AM to 4:10PM. The hui taumata will mark the passing of the Homosexual Law Reform Act in Aotearoa on 9 July 1986, and will stress the importance of preserving and sharing Aotearoa’s iconic yet undershared queer histories.

We have an incredible line-up featuring Aotearoa’s first queer Poet Laureate Chris Tse, the founder of the International Committee on LGBTQ+ Queer History Months Ronald C Wilson, mana takatāpui Elizabeth Kerekere, Kevin Haunui, Dr Clive Aspin and our stunning Tīwhanawhana whānau, as well as Kawe Mahara kaitiaki, and queer researchers Will Hansen, Rebekah Galbraith, Dr Welby Ings, Dr Patrick Thomsen, and Dr Ashwinee Pendharkar on why queer archives and queer networks are so crucial, yet so undervalued.

Inspired by the United States of America’s Black History Month (founded in 1926), the world’s first LGBTQ+ History Month was founded thirty years ago in the United States. It was established as an opportunity to highlight the long-neglected histories and experiences of queer people in the United States. Since its founding, eighteen other History Months have emerged, including most recently in Italy, Cuba, and Uganda. Aotearoa New Zealand’s history month will be the world’s twentieth. 
 
Read more about the event and register for the livestream here
 
Kawe Mahara Queer Archives Aotearoa
Kawe Mahara Queer Archives is a rich pātaka of queer and takatāpui taonga and stories. ‘Queer’ is an umbrella term for people who identify with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions and innate variations of sex characteristics, in acknowledgement of the fluidity of identities and the multiple acts of identifying and finding ourselves through time and space. Kawe Mahara Queer Archives Aotearoa welcomes the many intersections with other identities, communities and politics that ‘queer’ holds.
Kawe means ‘to carry, convey, bear’ and mahara means ‘memory, recollection, knowledge’. Kawe Mahara stands for carrying the memories of all our takatāpui and queer communities in Aotearoa from the past, present and future, so that our communities can grow and thrive. Having survived an arson attack in the 1980s, and kept alive by volunteers through decades of discrimination, Kawe Mahara is a testament to the power of community archives.

We are the LIANZA PIMN SIG.

PIMN stands for Pacific Information Management Network, which began over 20 years ago as a special interest group for LIANZA. We were set up to ensure that professionalism and networking in the Pasifika GLAM sector were given the attention that was needed. Our Pasifika communities were growing and there was a need to prioritise the appropriate and relevant services.

Over the years, there have been several gatherings, workshops, fonos, food sharing, and conferences. One of our proudest moments was holding the 2019 LIANZA conference with a fabulous Pacific flavour and theme throughout. The enjoyment and feedback following the conference was overwhelmingly positive. The success was a result of intentional collaboration, learning and leadership.

Other memorable moments include museum visits, talks, and receiving visitors to help increase our knowledge of the sector and be inspired by what is happening within our communities. The ongoing networking has enabled relationships to form and sustain PIMN to serve our people and communities better.

Due to COVID interruptions and various changes in the GLAM sector, PIMN is revisiting our kaupapa and vision to enhance and grow from where we had started. It is still of the utmost importance for PIMN to actively advocate for and improve the lives of Pasifika peoples. Mentoring and a Community of Practice will be vital to PIMN’s commitment to our people. Currently, we are working on how best to deliver this. Watch this space for our new plans and vision.

​MEET TRINA SCHUSTER AND SANA SALEEM 

Trina Schuster
Ko Fito tōku maunga
Ko Tofoa tōku waka
Ko Moana-nui-a-kiwa tōku moana
Ko Moata’a tōku hapu
Ko Ngāti Hāmoa tōku iwi
O lo’u igoa o Trina Schuster
Malo le soifua maua ma le lagi e mama.
I am the proud mother of four, aged 17 to 30.
I have been recently appointed and started in a new role for Selwyn District Council as Head of Arts, Culture & Lifelong Learning. I have been working in libraries for most of my adult life and am very passionate about serving our people & our communities. I believe that when we can bring our 'full selves' to mahi, our communities will receive the support they deserve from wide-ranging, diverse, and passionate people. I have loved seeing the changes within libraries over the years, how we are with people and how we serve and what we offer.
I am the current convenor for PIMN and have learned so much since being involved with this SIG. The people in this group are committed, passionate, and caring. They work hard to ensure Pasifika peoples receive the support, care, attention and alofa they deserve. Building up our knowledge base, our cultural capacity is important to me. Networking is such a strong way of ensuring we can all build the relationships we need to help us in our day-to-day mahi.

It’s great to be a part of this and enabling our people to shine. I am looking forward to the new and updated version of PIMN and would love to have you join us on the journey.