November 2021
MICHELLE BLAKE – UNIVERSITY LIBRARIAN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WAIKATO
I’m a Kiwi who was living in the UK for the last 15 years. I started my career in libraries while studying at Otago (Classical Studies) as a shelver, then as a library assistant while completing my MLIS through VUW. I moved to Wellington working at VUW before moving to London. I held roles at the London School of Economics before moving to York University where I held three roles over 10 years (and had two babies!). My final role was as the Interim Director of Library and Archives where I led a team of 160 staff.
I have a particular passion for relationship management and co-founded the Relationship Management in HE group in 2013. I was heavily involved in the Digital Shift at Research Libraries UK (RLUK) leading work in relation to digital equity and digital skills. I’m a proponent of digital creativity and making libraries relevant, challenging traditional notions of what a library is and using UX (user experience) as a basis for this.
Tell us a little bit about your new job, moving from overseas and the trials of quarantine. What prompted this move home?
My new role is University Librarian at the University of Waikato and I’m responsible for our library services including Mātangireia and records management.
Moving back to New Zealand was something my husband and I had thought about over the last 5 years. But it wasn’t until Brexit, and then the pandemic that this became a firm plan. There are so few roles in New Zealand, and we were hesitant to move without a job. After being appointed at Waikato we were very lucky that MIQ spots were released soon after and the University’s support meant things went smoothly. We self-isolated in the UK for 2 weeks before getting our PCR tests (you need a negative test to be able to fly) and were taken to Rotorua to complete our MIQ stay once we arrived here. I’m not going to pretend it was easy being cooped up together for 14 days with little space, bad wifi and little to do (my eldest had her 7th birthday in MIQ!). But at the same time we were incredibly grateful to be back in New Zealand and knew it was only 14 days. Unfortunately, not long after we arrived the country moved to Level 4 lockdown and I started my job in Level 4. At least I was used to working online from the many lockdowns in the UK! I was able to get onsite for about 3 weeks before we moved to Level 3 again.
You’ve had some great roles in the past (Interim Director of Library & Archives at the University of York and leadership experience at the London School of Economics) what is it about this role that interests you at this point in your career?
I was really attracted to the University of Waikato with its motto: “Ko Te Tangata” (“For the people”) as I believe that universities are uniquely placed to be for all people and libraries have a pivotal role to play in this. The University of Waikato is a very different institution from many I worked at in the UK and I believe there are unique opportunities for both the University and the Library and I’m really looking forward to contributing to that future.
You like to challenge the traditional notion of what a library is (according to the University bio), can you tell us more about this? How might this play out in this role?
Libraries are all about people and this means that building and maintaining relationships are vital to our success. We need to engage and speak to those using (and not using) our services. We need to ensure we are a welcoming and inclusive physical and digital space where people feel a sense of belonging. Our services should be based on user experience and design thinking. I can’t tell you what these will look like at Waikato because I’ve only just started those conversations, but I can tell you that our services will be co-created and will be for all the people in line with our motto: “Ko Te Tangata”.
In the future, what do you hope to achieve in this role?
There are loads of things I’d like to achieve but for brevity I’ll stick to 3.
What does a fun working day in your new role include?
For me it’s all about people. I am most energised when I can connect people, knowledge, and ideas together that create new opportunities. I’m currently meeting all my team as well as staff more generally across the University. I love finding out more about people’s journeys into how they also got to their current role (if you throw in some good food that is literally my perfect day!).
What advice do you have for someone aiming to progress their career in libraries and may be looking at going overseas for more experience?
New Zealand is very small and if you can move countries then I think it’s a brilliant thing to do. Experiencing different libraries, whether that’s different types of institutions, different sectors, or different countries – is a great thing to do. One of the things I love about librarians the world over is the diverse backgrounds of those I meet. I think this is a real strength as there is so much experience and knowledge to draw on across a team. In my experience being open to new things has been positive and led to opportunities I would never have otherwise got. I’d also recommend that people try to get themselves a mentor. I’ve had a number of mentors across my career (both formal and informal), and I’ve really benefited and valued their advice, wisdom and experience.
With the pandemic I think employers are also becoming more open to remote working so if you can’t move geographically there might still be opportunities available elsewhere - especially with the rise of online education providers.
MICHELLE BLAKE – UNIVERSITY LIBRARIAN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WAIKATO
I’m a Kiwi who was living in the UK for the last 15 years. I started my career in libraries while studying at Otago (Classical Studies) as a shelver, then as a library assistant while completing my MLIS through VUW. I moved to Wellington working at VUW before moving to London. I held roles at the London School of Economics before moving to York University where I held three roles over 10 years (and had two babies!). My final role was as the Interim Director of Library and Archives where I led a team of 160 staff.
I have a particular passion for relationship management and co-founded the Relationship Management in HE group in 2013. I was heavily involved in the Digital Shift at Research Libraries UK (RLUK) leading work in relation to digital equity and digital skills. I’m a proponent of digital creativity and making libraries relevant, challenging traditional notions of what a library is and using UX (user experience) as a basis for this.
Tell us a little bit about your new job, moving from overseas and the trials of quarantine. What prompted this move home?
My new role is University Librarian at the University of Waikato and I’m responsible for our library services including Mātangireia and records management.
Moving back to New Zealand was something my husband and I had thought about over the last 5 years. But it wasn’t until Brexit, and then the pandemic that this became a firm plan. There are so few roles in New Zealand, and we were hesitant to move without a job. After being appointed at Waikato we were very lucky that MIQ spots were released soon after and the University’s support meant things went smoothly. We self-isolated in the UK for 2 weeks before getting our PCR tests (you need a negative test to be able to fly) and were taken to Rotorua to complete our MIQ stay once we arrived here. I’m not going to pretend it was easy being cooped up together for 14 days with little space, bad wifi and little to do (my eldest had her 7th birthday in MIQ!). But at the same time we were incredibly grateful to be back in New Zealand and knew it was only 14 days. Unfortunately, not long after we arrived the country moved to Level 4 lockdown and I started my job in Level 4. At least I was used to working online from the many lockdowns in the UK! I was able to get onsite for about 3 weeks before we moved to Level 3 again.
You’ve had some great roles in the past (Interim Director of Library & Archives at the University of York and leadership experience at the London School of Economics) what is it about this role that interests you at this point in your career?
I was really attracted to the University of Waikato with its motto: “Ko Te Tangata” (“For the people”) as I believe that universities are uniquely placed to be for all people and libraries have a pivotal role to play in this. The University of Waikato is a very different institution from many I worked at in the UK and I believe there are unique opportunities for both the University and the Library and I’m really looking forward to contributing to that future.
You like to challenge the traditional notion of what a library is (according to the University bio), can you tell us more about this? How might this play out in this role?
Libraries are all about people and this means that building and maintaining relationships are vital to our success. We need to engage and speak to those using (and not using) our services. We need to ensure we are a welcoming and inclusive physical and digital space where people feel a sense of belonging. Our services should be based on user experience and design thinking. I can’t tell you what these will look like at Waikato because I’ve only just started those conversations, but I can tell you that our services will be co-created and will be for all the people in line with our motto: “Ko Te Tangata”.
In the future, what do you hope to achieve in this role?
There are loads of things I’d like to achieve but for brevity I’ll stick to 3.
- Actively support the University’s ambition to become the first anti-racist institution in New Zealand.
- Ensure the Library remains relevant by creating partnerships at all levels (local, national, and international), continue to provide key services and lead in those areas that the library is uniquely and best placed to do this
- Develop future library leaders.
What does a fun working day in your new role include?
For me it’s all about people. I am most energised when I can connect people, knowledge, and ideas together that create new opportunities. I’m currently meeting all my team as well as staff more generally across the University. I love finding out more about people’s journeys into how they also got to their current role (if you throw in some good food that is literally my perfect day!).
What advice do you have for someone aiming to progress their career in libraries and may be looking at going overseas for more experience?
New Zealand is very small and if you can move countries then I think it’s a brilliant thing to do. Experiencing different libraries, whether that’s different types of institutions, different sectors, or different countries – is a great thing to do. One of the things I love about librarians the world over is the diverse backgrounds of those I meet. I think this is a real strength as there is so much experience and knowledge to draw on across a team. In my experience being open to new things has been positive and led to opportunities I would never have otherwise got. I’d also recommend that people try to get themselves a mentor. I’ve had a number of mentors across my career (both formal and informal), and I’ve really benefited and valued their advice, wisdom and experience.
With the pandemic I think employers are also becoming more open to remote working so if you can’t move geographically there might still be opportunities available elsewhere - especially with the rise of online education providers.