December 2021
Rātangihia Steer Manager Strategic Partnerships NZLPP
Rātangihia Steer (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Porou) has been seconded to the Manager Strategic Partnerships role with the New Zealand Libraries Partnership Programme (NZLPP). She has a Bachelor of Commerce (Management), a Postgrad Certificate in Strategic Leadership and a Master of Business Management. Fun fact- she was part of the inaugural INELI–Oceania cohort. In this article she tells us about her career background and her new role.
“I’ve been in the library sector for the last decade and have worked in small libraries starting in my hometown of Hokitika, to Christchurch City Libraries and now at the University of Canterbury where I’ve managed in a number of different libraries from education and Puaka James Hight to Macmillan Brown."
There are two moments in her career that she is particularly proud of. "One was putting together the marketing strategy for UC Library’s social media platforms that resulted in us being the highest ‘followed’ academic library in NZ. The second, more personal moment to me, was being part of the setting up of Aranui Library in Ōtautahi. This was the first library built after the Christchurch earthquakes and has a similar rangatahi clientele as its cooler, older ‘sister’ library Tupu."
On her new role with the NZLPP Rā says, "I feel as though I can bring experience, knowledge and my own te ao Māori perspective to my new role with the New Zealand Libraries Partnership Programme. It also gives me a chance to reconnect to what I am passionate about which is positive community development."
Apart from the obvious, public facing, mahi the funded secondees are doing in public libraries around the motu, the NZLPP run the different work streams with three key initiatives. These revolve around:
"My role as supporting the strategic partnerships and sustainability mahi. One of the most significant partnerships that I have seen between libraries and stakeholders, that comes to mind, is that between Ngāi Tahu Archives and UC. There is a lot of amazing mahi that has already been established (and heading towards completion) in the work of the NZLPP, so and I see my role as helping to complete this. But also from a practical stakeholder engagement side, feeding back to the programme from the sector their questions and comments and thinking about how the sustainability mahi will work. NZLPP is the biggest monetary contribution to the library sector that I have seen and has the chance to really make an impact now and into the future."
"I’d like to see strong advocacy for libraries and for those outside of libraries, to recognize their value add to the communities and patrons that that they serve and to society as a whole. How we respond to the challenges and opportunities that the current situation presents is essential in helping to ensure this.
“That is a big question!” she said when asked if she had a vision for the future of libraries in Aotearoa New Zealand? “I know there are work streams looking at the value proposition of libraries and articulating that. My vision is that libraries are a place that reflect the diversity of the communities that they serve and that we continue to grow and adapt to the challenges and opportunities ahead.”
We asked Rā what advice she had for someone aiming to progress their career in libraries. She says, find yourself a great mentor, either within your organisation or the wider library field that you wish to learn from and can have those deeper discussions that challenge and inspire you.
Rātangihia Steer Manager Strategic Partnerships NZLPP
Rātangihia Steer (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Porou) has been seconded to the Manager Strategic Partnerships role with the New Zealand Libraries Partnership Programme (NZLPP). She has a Bachelor of Commerce (Management), a Postgrad Certificate in Strategic Leadership and a Master of Business Management. Fun fact- she was part of the inaugural INELI–Oceania cohort. In this article she tells us about her career background and her new role.
“I’ve been in the library sector for the last decade and have worked in small libraries starting in my hometown of Hokitika, to Christchurch City Libraries and now at the University of Canterbury where I’ve managed in a number of different libraries from education and Puaka James Hight to Macmillan Brown."
There are two moments in her career that she is particularly proud of. "One was putting together the marketing strategy for UC Library’s social media platforms that resulted in us being the highest ‘followed’ academic library in NZ. The second, more personal moment to me, was being part of the setting up of Aranui Library in Ōtautahi. This was the first library built after the Christchurch earthquakes and has a similar rangatahi clientele as its cooler, older ‘sister’ library Tupu."
On her new role with the NZLPP Rā says, "I feel as though I can bring experience, knowledge and my own te ao Māori perspective to my new role with the New Zealand Libraries Partnership Programme. It also gives me a chance to reconnect to what I am passionate about which is positive community development."
Apart from the obvious, public facing, mahi the funded secondees are doing in public libraries around the motu, the NZLPP run the different work streams with three key initiatives. These revolve around:
- Data collection and evidence, to be able to provide the data demonstrating the positive impact that libraries have in their communities.
- A workforce development strategy that looks at increasing the diversity of our workforce, along with the capability and skills we have, to better support our communities
- And the third is a strategic review of National Library’s core services to New Zealand libraries (such as EPIC, Te Puna, Kōtui and APNK services) including recommendations for the sustainability of Services to Libraries over the medium term.
"My role as supporting the strategic partnerships and sustainability mahi. One of the most significant partnerships that I have seen between libraries and stakeholders, that comes to mind, is that between Ngāi Tahu Archives and UC. There is a lot of amazing mahi that has already been established (and heading towards completion) in the work of the NZLPP, so and I see my role as helping to complete this. But also from a practical stakeholder engagement side, feeding back to the programme from the sector their questions and comments and thinking about how the sustainability mahi will work. NZLPP is the biggest monetary contribution to the library sector that I have seen and has the chance to really make an impact now and into the future."
"I’d like to see strong advocacy for libraries and for those outside of libraries, to recognize their value add to the communities and patrons that that they serve and to society as a whole. How we respond to the challenges and opportunities that the current situation presents is essential in helping to ensure this.
“That is a big question!” she said when asked if she had a vision for the future of libraries in Aotearoa New Zealand? “I know there are work streams looking at the value proposition of libraries and articulating that. My vision is that libraries are a place that reflect the diversity of the communities that they serve and that we continue to grow and adapt to the challenges and opportunities ahead.”
We asked Rā what advice she had for someone aiming to progress their career in libraries. She says, find yourself a great mentor, either within your organisation or the wider library field that you wish to learn from and can have those deeper discussions that challenge and inspire you.