Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi Library and Information Commons
Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi translates to ‘the house of learning of Awanuiārangi’ and is situated in Whakatane in the Bay of Plenty. As an academic institution established by Ngāti Awa, it was formally opened on February 10, 1992. The name Awanuiārangi derives from a tupuna and links all iwi and hapū within the Mataatua area through whakapapa.
Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi is one of three organisations recognised as wānanga under the Education Amendment Act of 1989. Wānanga offer tertiary education options to help Māori students achieve better educational outcomes, filling a gap in the national education system by providing progression from Kohanga Reo, Kura Kaupapa Māori and Wharekura.
TE WHARE WĀNANGA O AWANUIĀRANGI LIBRARY
Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi Library had humble beginnings. The first location of a temporary library space was in a house leased offsite, and the value of the collection was close to $10,000 of purchased and donated books. Development in 1994 saw the addition of a library building – an old prefab, on campus, suitably furnished – the appointment of a qualified librarian and a considerable increase in library resources. The development of a purpose-built library building began in 2010 and on December 7, 2012, the Library and Information Commons, Te Kōputu Kōrero a Tā Hirini Moko Mead was officially opened by Te Arikinui Tā Tumu Te Heuheu (Te Heuheu Tūkino VIII).
The library is named after the prominent Māori writer Sir Hirini Moko Mead, the foundation professor of Māori Studies at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington and one of the founding fathers of the development of Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi. Mead is a well-known and respected scholar with exceptional Māori language and culture knowledge.
Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi is one of three organisations recognised as wānanga under the Education Amendment Act of 1989. Wānanga offer tertiary education options to help Māori students achieve better educational outcomes, filling a gap in the national education system by providing progression from Kohanga Reo, Kura Kaupapa Māori and Wharekura.
TE WHARE WĀNANGA O AWANUIĀRANGI LIBRARY
Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi Library had humble beginnings. The first location of a temporary library space was in a house leased offsite, and the value of the collection was close to $10,000 of purchased and donated books. Development in 1994 saw the addition of a library building – an old prefab, on campus, suitably furnished – the appointment of a qualified librarian and a considerable increase in library resources. The development of a purpose-built library building began in 2010 and on December 7, 2012, the Library and Information Commons, Te Kōputu Kōrero a Tā Hirini Moko Mead was officially opened by Te Arikinui Tā Tumu Te Heuheu (Te Heuheu Tūkino VIII).
The library is named after the prominent Māori writer Sir Hirini Moko Mead, the foundation professor of Māori Studies at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington and one of the founding fathers of the development of Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi. Mead is a well-known and respected scholar with exceptional Māori language and culture knowledge.
Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi Library entrance. Image credit: Mereana Coleman.
“I have witnessed the joy of many visiting indigenous peoples to our library. Their expression of awe when they see the range of indigenous titles (pertaining to their culture) that are included in our holdings. One group of visitors was astonished to discover a copy of a book on their history and traditions that is no longer in print, a book they had been searching for unsuccessfully in libraries in[AC1] their homeland. The fact that they came here and found it in our modest library was the icing on the cake!” Kahupora Puutu – librarian
ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE LIBRARY
Every Monday, the staff and students gather in the library for karakia to usher in the week and offer spiritual protection and guidance. The library space is used for various activities and events, including whakatau, pōhiri, haka practices and community gatherings. Ngāti Awa Waitangi Commemoration Day is an annual event held in the library that celebrates the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in Ngāti Awa.
We serve as a focal point for events such as the New Zealand Census, and voting in October for the New Zealand Elections will again be available here. Awhi Tauira, our Student Support Services team, is physically located on the library's ground floor. This partnership provides a one-stop shop for students seeking academic and library support.
POINTS OF DIFFERENCE AS A WĀNANGA LIBRARY
A focus on Māori tikanga and mātauranga is strongly ingrained in the library and the institution’s cultural identity, and provides a distinct difference for how our library operates. We have an emphasis on the use of te reo Māori in the library. This can be seen by using Māori subject headings when cataloguing, visual signage and the preferred language of communication.
While not a priority, staff working within a wānanga library typically have a strong understanding of Māori people, culture and language. Community engagement in the library focuses on promoting Māori research and education.
“The main reason I love working in this library is to support and see our tauira succeed. We create an environment where it is welcoming and friendly, and our tauira are awesome. Approximately 80% of our tauira are Māori and returning to study after an absence of more than 15+ years and that is where we need to pick up on those tauira who look lost. For me, it is about breaking down the fear of libraries (not everybody like/loved the library at school, I know I did not).” Bev Paul – librarian
THE LIBRARY’S SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
Accepting, appreciating and curating gifted collections have several benefits, more so than the goal of enhancing the library’s holdings. These collections support research and education and the greater goals of cultural preservation, understanding and historical significance. Gifted collections at Awanuiārangi include Sir Harawira Gardiner (KNZM) Book Collection, Sir Hirini Moko and Lady June Mead Collection, Evelyn Stokes Indigenous Book Collection, Neil Grove Collection and Waitangi Tribunal Research Collection (unpublished collection). The latter is a unique collection of Waitangi Tribunal claims research.
We have several complete collections of documentation pertaining to a Waitangi claim and we were also fortunate to acquire the collection from the Crown Forestry Rental Trust upon its closure. We recommend this collection to post-graduate students with master's and doctoral degrees.
Accepting, appreciating and curating gifted collections have several benefits, more so than the goal of enhancing the library’s holdings. These collections support research and education and the greater goals of cultural preservation, understanding and historical significance. Gifted collections at Awanuiārangi include Sir Harawira Gardiner (KNZM) Book Collection, Sir Hirini Moko and Lady June Mead Collection, Evelyn Stokes Indigenous Book Collection, Neil Grove Collection and Waitangi Tribunal Research Collection (unpublished collection). The latter is a unique collection of Waitangi Tribunal claims research.
We have several complete collections of documentation pertaining to a Waitangi claim and we were also fortunate to acquire the collection from the Crown Forestry Rental Trust upon its closure. We recommend this collection to post-graduate students with master's and doctoral degrees.
“I like that our library users are not faced with the barriers or notions of mainstream libraries that have been documented in the various Te Ara Tika reports. I also like the flexibility of doing things that are a bit different from other libraries, such as the alternative measures we take to acquire resources. We work closely with rare book dealers other than the neighbourhood bookstore to locate ‘out of print’ Māori literature. We establish relationships with lawyers, so we can ask for their documentation at the completion of a Waitangi Tribunal case.” Mereana Coleman – Library and Information Services Manager
Te Kōputu Kōrero a Tā Hirini Moko Mead Library supports activities to improve the study experience whilst boosting students’ academic success. Please stop in and say kia ora if you are in our beautiful Bay of Plenty region or travelling through Whakatane.
For further information:
Mereana Coleman is the Library and Information Manager at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi. She began her library career as a library assistant at the National Library in Wellington. On completion of the New Zealand Library Certificate she worked in library roles at the Alexander Turnbull Library, Te Puni Kokiri Library and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs Library before moving to her current role at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi. Mereana graduates this month with her Master of Information Studies. Her research report is titled Mātauranga Māori in New Zealand libraries: An annotated bibliography of resources to support BOK 11: Understanding Māori knowledge paradigms.
For further information:
- Awanuiarangi Google (2021, February 11). Te Kōputu Kōrero a Tā Hirini Moko Mead – Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi Library [Video]. YouTube.
- Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi Library website: https://www.wananga.ac.nz/support/library/
Mereana Coleman is the Library and Information Manager at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi. She began her library career as a library assistant at the National Library in Wellington. On completion of the New Zealand Library Certificate she worked in library roles at the Alexander Turnbull Library, Te Puni Kokiri Library and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs Library before moving to her current role at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi. Mereana graduates this month with her Master of Information Studies. Her research report is titled Mātauranga Māori in New Zealand libraries: An annotated bibliography of resources to support BOK 11: Understanding Māori knowledge paradigms.