LIANZA welcomes future focus
The Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa (LIANZA) is pleased to see the final report on the
future structure of Queenstown Lakes District Council indicates that the reduction in library staff hours is not as
large as originally proposed however, the reduction of qualified library staff still poses a threat to the integrity of
the region’s library services.
While LIANZA is happy there have been some improvements in the total staffing numbers across the entire library service,
there are still concerns about the reduction of professional qualified library staff, especially at Council management
level.
LIANZA President Heather Lamond says “the disestablishment of the Shared Services Library Manager role is of particular
concern and the fact that the District's Libraries could be under direct management of someone with no professional
library knowledge or experience”.
“This has the potential to result in misinformed decision-making in terms of the Libraries’ future direction and
strategic planning” she says.
As the professional association for libraries and librarians in New Zealand Aotearoa, LIANZA will support the affected
library staff and Ms Lamond says “our thoughts are obviously with our colleagues in Queenstown Lakes as they face the
stress of implementing these changes”.
LIANZA looks forward to being consulted as part of the wider "review of libraries" signalled in the full report released
yesterday.
ENDS