Introduction

Welcome to the first issue of Inside Out.  Library Managers have been discussing ways we as a group can improve our communication which has led to the idea of this ‘Inside Out’ column.  We’ll be taking it in turns fortnightly to each write something from our perspective about happenings both inside and outside the library.  And I get to go first 😊.  The content and length will vary from fortnight to fortnight.

Library Managers “coloured meetings”

You might have come across the idea of “coloured meetings” as part of the TMP exercise we did last year.  Library managers have a strategy meeting once a month.  They’re normally from 9am-12pm on a Wednesday and while a three hour meeting might sound like a terrible idea (!), I actually find these meetings really interesting and energising.  We usually follow the ‘Yellow’ or ‘Green’ style of meetings (TMP terminology) where we focus on exchanging, exploring and assessing ideas.  While this meeting style speaks to my TMP profile I am reminded by colleagues on the opposite side of the TMP wheel to me that ‘Red’ meetings (about getting things done) and ‘Blue’ meetings (about checking and reviewing) are equally important.  More about the TMP meeting styles here.  Question for reflection – could it be useful to apply the idea of ‘coloured’ discussions in your sphere of work?

Wellbeing

At our last strategy meeting we discussed the topic of wellbeing and how we can improve our resilience in a world where change and uncertainty is the norm.

All library teams have experienced or are experiencing some degree of change in the last 6-12 months.  At the heart of it is that we want to be more effective, to be well placed for any future reviews and to be in step with the UC strategy.  Each area will be presenting a session for all Library staff so you can hear about what’s been happening in each area.  Most recently we have heard from LT+R and LAC, with ELS and MB to follow in the coming months.

Thank you to everyone who came to a recent Discomfort Pain and Injury refresher session.  Jenny and I have really appreciated the efforts of Jane, Glenna and Swee Hoon in presenting the sessions.

You might be aware that UC has a wellbeing plan – Mahere Oranga which uses a model called Te Pae Māhutonga.  This is a metaphorical framework of six whetū, or stars (which make up the Southern Cross), which relate to six wellbeing objectives.  We briefly talked about this model in the DPI refresher sessions replacing the ACC model we used in the past where we talked about ‘psychosocial factors’.

The six objectives are:

• Toiora – Healthy lifestyles
• Waiora – Physical environment
• Te Oranga – Participation in society
• Mauriora – Cultural identity
• Ngā Manukura – Community leadership
• Te Mana Whakahaere – Autonomy

I’ve personally found it helpful to reflect on a number of these and mention this by way of an example (Te Mana Whakahaere | Autonomy).  A self-reflection question for me has been what I can do to improve my own wellbeing and health and how am I intentionally making changes in my life.

Library management structure

We’ve also been talking about the Library management structure and how as a leadership team we align to the UC strategy.  This includes the AUL position currently vacant, the roles of the managers and our reporting lines to the AULs.  We’re getting close to sharing our thinking with the wider Library and we’ll be really interested to hear your ideas and views in due course.

Developments with Open Educational Resources (OERs)

A number of us join in a 6 weekly Zoom catch up with interested staff from other universities around the country to talk about what’s happening in the OER space.  These are largely unstructured, informal sessions where we share what developments we’ve observed happening with OERs.  I’ve found it useful to hear what other institutions are doing.   Have a chat with one of us who have joined in the Zoom calls this year (including Fiona T, Sara, Lisa, Mariko or myself) and we can share the Zoom link if you’re interested.

In other news, CAUL has recently pulled together a project team to create an Open Educational Resources Collective. The goal is to develop CAUL members’ capacity in open publishing by piloting a cross-institutional open educational resources platform (hosted on Pressbooks). Fiona T is on the project team, working with representatives from across Australia on developing, implementing/managing and evaluating a CAUL Open Resources Collective. The team is currently working on developing a model, surveying the CAUL membership and undertaking an environmental scan for best practice.

Ngā mihi,
Tim Stedman