Sustainable Future A Key Priority For Libraries’

On 13 and 14 June 2023, leaders across the library and information sector have gathered in Wellington for the Sustainable Impact Symposium. The purpose of this symposium is to provide feedback on the Strategic partnership grants from the New Zealand Libraries Partnership Programme.

Funding was allocated for the library sector to explore and establish initiatives that will ensure the sustainable future of libraries. The New Zealand Libraries Partnership Programme then worked on distributing various strategic partnership grants across the library sector to produce sustainable initiatives.

“This programme and symposium demonstrate the power that libraries have in working together to benefit their communities. It is also exciting to hear mātauranga Māori being emphasised for our communities,” says Rachel Esson, National Librarian Te Pouhuaki at the National Library of New Zealand.

One of the major focus areas with these grants is centering the work on mātauranga Māori and making libraries more accessible for Māori.

One of these projects is He Kupenga Horopounamu grant, led by the Māori Outcome Delivery unit - Te Waka Kerewai at Auckland Council. This project is looking to change libraries’ practice and service design to achieve better outcomes for Māori communities.

Tammy Potini, Pou Takawaenga in Te Waka Kerewai, shares that the work that they’re doing is advocating for the voiceless. “Whānau Māori rarely use the library services. These buildings are a foreign place for many of them. So, we’re working with whānau to co-create a service model to enable their potential. This requires us to adapt to their needs so that they can access the resources and information to empower themselves and whānau.”

Judith Waaka, Head of Māori Outcomes Delivery (Te Waka Kerewai), further expands that it is important that all layers of library organisations be invested and committed, Māori and non-Māori. “We owe it to whānau to take what they tell us and to put it into action. When we do this, library services will meet their aspirations rather than libraries making assumptions on what their needs are. This is a whānau-led kaupapa to design the solutions that contribute to Māori success. We see the potential for impact for Auckland Libraries and the whānau of Tāmaki Makaurau as well as whānau and kaimahi right across Aotearoa.”

Through the New Zealand Libraries Partnership Programme (NZLPP), the National Library awarded eleven strategic partnership grants.

These grants demonstrated sector collaboration on initiatives such as Developing Data, Research and Evidence resources, supporting communities most in need, and strengthening the skills that librarians have to offer.

Libraries provide vital services to their communities, especially in difficult times these grants are part of a wider vision to build sector wide collaboration to ensure its sustainability.

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