Meet the New Crew - 2020
LIANZA Office and Council offer hearty congratulations to the new LIANZA President-elect Erica Rankin and new regional councillors for LIANZA Te Whakakitenga aa Kaimai, Ikaroa and Otago Southland – Mel Chivers, Kristen Clothier and Alex Bassett respectively. Our new appointments will join LIANZA Council on July 1 when outgoing members will be thanked and farewelled. As LIANZA President, Rachel Esson says in her column: We know all of them will bring energy and enthusiasm to their roles. Welcome to all!
LIANZA President-elect, Erica Rankin
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Erica Rankin, Community Libraries Manager at Christchurch City Libraries, comes to us highly recommended and we are all looking forward to working with her. You can get to know Erica a little better by reading this issue’s We Are LIANZA column, where she chats with LIANZA’s Comms Advisor, Helen Heath.
Carolyn Robertson, Libraries and Information Manager at Christchurch City Council and LIANZA Past President (2010), says: ‘Erica’s ability to inspire and unite teams to achieve a shared goal will be a real asset to LIANZA over the coming term. I am confident she will embrace the many opportunities this important role presents.’ |
LIANZA regional councillor for the Te Whakakitenga aa Kaimai region, Mel Chivers
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Mel Chivers says she is excited to take on the role of LIANZA regional councillor for the Te Whakakitenga aa Kaimai region. Mel has been a member on the Te Whakakitenga aa Kaimai regional committee since 2015 and is an Academic Liaison Librarian at the University of Waikato.
We are really pleased to have Tertiary Libraries represented on LIANZA Council. You can find out a bit more about Mel by reading her contribution to Six Hot Picks in this issue. |
LIANZA regional councillor for Ikaroa, Kristen Clothier
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Kristen Clothier, a Children and Young Adults Librarian with Hastings District Libraries, is looking forward to working with librarians from across the district and sectors, to find out what is wanted and needed; and do what she can to help support this as LIANZA regional councillor for Ikaroa. Kristen says: ‘I come from a family (a shush) of librarians. With a parent, a sibling and a cousin all about the job, was there really any other choice for me?’ Find out more about Kristen ‘Keeping it in the Family’. You can also see Kirsten talking about graduating with her library qualification here.
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Keeping it in the family with Kristen Clothier
When you think of a family business, library work wouldn’t normally be on the list. Yet with my brother, my mother, my cousin and I all in the field, it really is a family business for us. Between us, we span school and public libraries, and archives; entry level to management; sole charge to large organisations; and we cover half the North Island!
Having older family members on the job means there’s always help and advice on tap. When I was studying and needed someone to listen to me work out what I wanted to write for an assignment, or to give me feedback, help was never more than a text or phone call away. Stressing over job interview questions – family role play. Need to learn about a workplace – have lunch together and visit. The support net is always there for those times when things aren’t going so well either and it’s there 24/7.
My brother and I both work with children and young adults. Even though we live in different parts of the country, we’re forever sending ideas back and forth: – our favourite stories for story time, holiday programme ideas, successful (and unsuccessful) teen events. We make the most of being lib-lings. Or maybe we’re lib-sibs? Either way, it’s great to throw ideas around without fear of ridicule.
Similarly, we’re never in fear of sitting alone at conferences or training days. If the other family members aren’t there, then someone who knows them will be on the lookout for you.
Librarians on holiday is a whole other story. On family holidays, no-one thinks it’s odd that a trip to local libraries is on the itinerary alongside other, better known, tourist spots. In fact, it turns out that being ‘just two librarians on holiday’ is actually a secret code that unlocks sneak peeks and behind the scenes tours around the globe, as Mum and I first discovered in Australia.
By keeping it in the family, there’s never a ‘get better work stories’ moment. People get just what you mean when you talk about the perils of shelving in the 700s, or the deep satisfaction of a well-weeded section, the delights of book chats, the chaos of straight-after school time and the pleasure of a successful Harry Potter Book Night. And there’s always someone up for playing Guess the Dewey Number on long car trips (not a game that we have actually played before but might get added to the list).
Best of all, there’s always someone to help you celebrate success. Whether it’s a phone call, text, coffee or dinner date, there’s nothing quite like sharing your success with people who understand exactly what that means. We have celebrated new jobs, qualifications, successful events, programmes and offerings, as well as everyday life together. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Follow Kristen on Twitter: @librarykristen1
Having older family members on the job means there’s always help and advice on tap. When I was studying and needed someone to listen to me work out what I wanted to write for an assignment, or to give me feedback, help was never more than a text or phone call away. Stressing over job interview questions – family role play. Need to learn about a workplace – have lunch together and visit. The support net is always there for those times when things aren’t going so well either and it’s there 24/7.
My brother and I both work with children and young adults. Even though we live in different parts of the country, we’re forever sending ideas back and forth: – our favourite stories for story time, holiday programme ideas, successful (and unsuccessful) teen events. We make the most of being lib-lings. Or maybe we’re lib-sibs? Either way, it’s great to throw ideas around without fear of ridicule.
Similarly, we’re never in fear of sitting alone at conferences or training days. If the other family members aren’t there, then someone who knows them will be on the lookout for you.
Librarians on holiday is a whole other story. On family holidays, no-one thinks it’s odd that a trip to local libraries is on the itinerary alongside other, better known, tourist spots. In fact, it turns out that being ‘just two librarians on holiday’ is actually a secret code that unlocks sneak peeks and behind the scenes tours around the globe, as Mum and I first discovered in Australia.
By keeping it in the family, there’s never a ‘get better work stories’ moment. People get just what you mean when you talk about the perils of shelving in the 700s, or the deep satisfaction of a well-weeded section, the delights of book chats, the chaos of straight-after school time and the pleasure of a successful Harry Potter Book Night. And there’s always someone up for playing Guess the Dewey Number on long car trips (not a game that we have actually played before but might get added to the list).
Best of all, there’s always someone to help you celebrate success. Whether it’s a phone call, text, coffee or dinner date, there’s nothing quite like sharing your success with people who understand exactly what that means. We have celebrated new jobs, qualifications, successful events, programmes and offerings, as well as everyday life together. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Follow Kristen on Twitter: @librarykristen1
Me and my mum.
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Stephen and me at my graduation
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Heather, mum and I celebrating my new job.
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LIANZA Regional Councillor for Otago Southland, Alex Bassett
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Last but by no means least, we welcome Alex Bassett, LIANZA Regional Councillor for Otago Southland. We asked Alex to share what it has been like living and working in one of the worst hit regions of New Zealand post-COVID-19 lockdown. Read on to find out more.
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Queenstown challenges and resilience with
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