Tēnā koutou i tēnei ahiahi!
This week the University has celebrated the return of students back to study following the summer break, and on Friday 18th (O’Day) we welcomed the 2022 UC cohort into our libraries!
Due to current Covid-19 restrictions, this herea tō waka (O’Day) was quite different compared to previous years. There was no Ori-market, so instead we set up a self-service information table on level 2 of PJH with handy resources for students to browse and collect as they ventured into the library. The resources included printed Puna passports, Te Rua invites, 2022 library guides, manaakitanga library-info handouts, the newly designed postcards, and a bowl of badges that were made in Te Rua. Around the table we had a labelled box for Puna passport entries, the newly designed UC Puna banner, and a mannequin displaying a UC hoodie which was up for grabs. A small selection of collateral was also made available at both EPS and MB libraries (both libraries had the new banner as well). These resources will remain on the table for students to browse and take over the next few weeks, and will be part of the library’s broader induction phase for new-to-UC students (stay tuned!).
Although we weren’t able to gather engagement stats from the Ori-market stall as we normally would, we were able to estimate levels of engagement by counting the number of Puna passports that were taken by students. For this challenge, students were required to visit all 3 UC libraries (plus the Te Rua Makerspace) to collect a unique sticker from each location. Once submitted, they would go in the draw to win 1 of 5 UC branded hoodies – this challenge was aimed at helping students familiarise themselves with our libraries and so they would know where to find them once semester began! In total, 200 passports were printed and dispatched to each library. To date, 160 passports have been taken, and 40 are leftover (15 at MB, 15 at EPS, and 10 at PJH) – several passports have even been submitted already! The Puna passport challenge will run for several weeks into semester so 500 more passports have been ordered from UC Print. Once the challenge has ended, the winners will be drawn and contacted about their prize. Overall it was a successful day!
If you’re working on campus, you’re welcome to pop down and check out the Puna passports, stickers, postcards etc. (which were designed in-house by our creative team members – ka rawe!).
~Isabella
