Kia ora koutou

As you’ll recall, earlier this year we (UC Library) embarked on an external peer review process.  In June, we hosted a review panel onsite here at UC, comprising:

• Margie Jantti, Director Library Services – University of Wollongong (Chair)
• Andy Priestner, International Library UX Consultant
• Paula Rigby, Senior Advisor and Pouwhakahaere at Te Puni Kōkiri – Te Waipounamu

I’d like to take this opportunity to express gratitude on behalf of the Library Leadership Team for the time, consideration, thought and energy you all offered to the process.  The panel have reflected that they felt well ‘embedded’ in the UC environment, and could contextualise their findings well as a result. This speaks to the manaaki they experienced in their short – but clearly valuable – time with us.

The panel’s interviews, insights and observations have now been synthesised into a final report, comprising a series of their findings and recommendations.
The report has been saved on Teams in the Files section (Key Documents folder) of the Library All Staff channel.

You’ll see the panel makes 19 recommendations across 10 themes, with 5 priority recommendations identified.  There are also a number of commendations for the Library team.

We (Library Leadership Team) encourage you to read, share and discuss the report, and would welcome the chance to do this together, as we concurrently consider and work through our responses to it.

To this end, we’ll offer a series of Q&A sessions with all staff in small groups, to talk through the report contents, kōrero on findings, and – as we can – answer any questions that may arise.  Calendar invitations will be issued in the next day or so, and we encourage you to come along to whichever session/s you can.

Through the remainder of this month and into November, we will share this report with a number of stakeholders, including panel interviewees, the University’s Senior Leadership Team (SLT), Library Committee, the PFRC (Planning, Finance and Resources Committee) and Academic Board. For each of these audiences, we’ll be seeking endorsement of the recommendations, with focus on the 5 priority recommendations.

As you’ll see, the recommendations are wide-ranging and entail a long-term and multi-year commitment. We are dedicated to offering opportunities for ongoing kōrero as we work together bring these recommendations to bear.

I’d also like to signal that our 2023 Ops Plan will ‘hold’ in place through to 2024 as we:

• keep going with a number of keystone projects and initiatives (as incorporated already in the 2023 Ops Plan)
• put focus on the report recommendations
• prioritise co-creating a strategic vision for the Library (priority recommendation #1 in the report), and
• then develop the roadmap and our updated Ops Plan, once the strategic vision is in place

Again, we’re keen for ongoing kōrero through this process, and encourage you to share your responses, input and ideas.  Feel free to talk with you manager, me, other members of the Library Leadership Team, and look out for calendar invitations for small group Q&A sessions, coming shortly.

Ngā mihi,
Kat