On October 30, LIANZA Te Upoko o te Ika a Māui committee joined forces with LIANZA Special Libraries and Information Services (SLIS) to deliver an inspired regional hui at Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa National Library of New Zealand. Lynn Pham tells us about the day.
We welcomed over 70 colleagues from public, academic, and special libraries in the wider Wellington Region. The theme ‘the past, the present, and the future’ waved through the different presentations even with a diverse group of presenters.
Thinking about challenges and opportunities brought about by the development of technologies, Richard Foy, the President of the Archives and Records Association NZ, presented his view on digital transformations and the importance of archives with a great sense of humour. Richard’s talk covered the concept of the digital world and its evolution into a complicated, two-sided ecosystem, including its black side. Richard suggests that maintaining the core values of our services is crucial in this digital world.
Richard’s talk paralleled Marcus Harvey’s presentation later in the day. Marcus is the Academic Engagement team manager at Victoria University of Wellington Library. He discussed the impact of Artificial Intelligence in libraries and showed us a high-level view of the current status and the potential opportunities for adopting AI in libraries. It was great to see the interactive responses from our attendees eager to debate and learn about the libraries’ fate in the rapidly changing digital world.
Freedom to read is another topic attracting attention. It reminds us how critical the legal framework is to navigate this area alongside library policies and understanding censorship in Aotearoa. Louise LaHatte, chair of the LIANZA Freedom of Information Committee, joined Deborah Gordon, Collections Lead at Kāpiti Coast District Libraries, to host an open conversation about how to provide library services to our communities while acknowledging that challenging the old norms is, and will continue to be a controversial topic.
Attendees enjoyed the interactive workshop led by Annemarie Thomas and worked together to navigate their path through the Te Tōtara Workforce Capability Framework. Annemarie emphasized that the framework was a compass for anyone searching for direction on professional development. While this focus needed more time than we could arrange during the hui, the online resources are available on the LIANZA website.
Considered by many of us to be ‘my library’, Jane Brooker – Service Manager from Wellington City Libraries, told us about the work going into the Wellington Central Library building project. We were excited to learn that Te Matapihi, the new Wellington Central Library, will reopen in early 2026, and appreciated the inside view of the development and the vision for the library. It will become the home of many core services in the city.
This was also a day for making connections and I believe each person had something to bring home from the hui.
Respondents to the evaluation survey reported that they enjoyed learning from other library professionals (87%), the range of presentations (80%) and meeting others in the sector (60%). Participants recommended attending similar events and said:
We welcomed over 70 colleagues from public, academic, and special libraries in the wider Wellington Region. The theme ‘the past, the present, and the future’ waved through the different presentations even with a diverse group of presenters.
Thinking about challenges and opportunities brought about by the development of technologies, Richard Foy, the President of the Archives and Records Association NZ, presented his view on digital transformations and the importance of archives with a great sense of humour. Richard’s talk covered the concept of the digital world and its evolution into a complicated, two-sided ecosystem, including its black side. Richard suggests that maintaining the core values of our services is crucial in this digital world.
Richard’s talk paralleled Marcus Harvey’s presentation later in the day. Marcus is the Academic Engagement team manager at Victoria University of Wellington Library. He discussed the impact of Artificial Intelligence in libraries and showed us a high-level view of the current status and the potential opportunities for adopting AI in libraries. It was great to see the interactive responses from our attendees eager to debate and learn about the libraries’ fate in the rapidly changing digital world.
Freedom to read is another topic attracting attention. It reminds us how critical the legal framework is to navigate this area alongside library policies and understanding censorship in Aotearoa. Louise LaHatte, chair of the LIANZA Freedom of Information Committee, joined Deborah Gordon, Collections Lead at Kāpiti Coast District Libraries, to host an open conversation about how to provide library services to our communities while acknowledging that challenging the old norms is, and will continue to be a controversial topic.
Attendees enjoyed the interactive workshop led by Annemarie Thomas and worked together to navigate their path through the Te Tōtara Workforce Capability Framework. Annemarie emphasized that the framework was a compass for anyone searching for direction on professional development. While this focus needed more time than we could arrange during the hui, the online resources are available on the LIANZA website.
Considered by many of us to be ‘my library’, Jane Brooker – Service Manager from Wellington City Libraries, told us about the work going into the Wellington Central Library building project. We were excited to learn that Te Matapihi, the new Wellington Central Library, will reopen in early 2026, and appreciated the inside view of the development and the vision for the library. It will become the home of many core services in the city.
This was also a day for making connections and I believe each person had something to bring home from the hui.
Respondents to the evaluation survey reported that they enjoyed learning from other library professionals (87%), the range of presentations (80%) and meeting others in the sector (60%). Participants recommended attending similar events and said:
“Definitely take the time out for a day-long event.”
“All the speakers were of high quality.”
“Really value keeping up with current trends in libraries.”
“Every talk felt highly relevant for the most part. I loved how it really felt aimed at me as an early-career librarian who knows the field a bit already but still has a lot to learn, explore and develop.”
Lynn Pham is a member of the LIANZA Te Upoko o te Ika a Māui Committee. Lynn is a customer service librarian for Wellington City Libraries.
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