I am very pleased to announce that Tomo Shibata has accepted the Kaiwhakahaere Ratonga Kiritaki | Manager Engagement and Learning Support fixed term position from now through to 27 May 2022 while Te Paea is on secondment.   Tomo knows the ELS team and services well and will be excellent in this position.   It is an exciting time for the Engagement and Learning Support team as we welcome Te Pātaka into PJH, upgrade our Library spaces on Level 4 and plan for Level 8 and 11.  Please join with me in congratulating Tomo and give your support to him in his new role.

We will shortly be advertising a fixed term replacement for Tomo’s Team Leader position.

Ngā mihi, Anne

Kia ora

The Pou Tuarua | Associate University Librarian  position has finally advertised.    It is up on the university job website and will be advertised externally either today or Monday.    Feel free to use your contacts to pass this information on to anyone who may be interested.

Anne

Kia ora koutou

I am seeking Expressions of Interest (EoI) for the Kaiwhakahaere Ratonga Kiritaki | Manager Engagement and Learning Support while Te Paea is on LWOP for six months. This a full-time  (1 FTE) band 7 role, fixed term from Monday 29 November 2021 to Friday 27 May 2022 and could be a secondment.   It will report to me in the first instance until the new Pou Tuarua, AUL, is appointed.   The position will be filled internally.

The role requires someone who can lead and manage the ELS team and services.  This includes

• Leading the front facing engagement and learning services for the Library including close collaboration with other providers to ensure a seamless services to students, staff and community, including the learning spaces
• Attracting, developing and supporting staff and building an effective team
• Contributing to the Library management team.

The integration of Library services with Te Pātaka will be an exciting opportunity.

Further details about the role are available in the position description: K:\Operations\HR\ Position-Description-Engagement-Learning-Manager-May-21.pdf

If you would like to discuss this opportunity, please feel free to contact Anne or Helen.

Expressions of Interest should be submitted to anne.scott@canterbury.ac.nz by 5pm on Thursday 18 November with Kaiwhakahaere Ratonga Kiritaki in the subject line.

Your EoI should be no more than one A4 page outlining:

• Why you are interested in this position
• What skills and experience you will bring to the position
• What technical or professional knowledge you will bring to the position

The recruitment process will comprise of the EoI and an interview.

Ngā mihi nui, Anne

I am very pleased to share that Te Paea is taking up a six month fixed term executive role, Director Mātauranga Māori (Transformation) in the office of the Deputy Chief Executive Enterprise Partnerships at the Department of Internal Affairs. This is a strategic role that reports to the DCE and is for six months.   In addition to the professional development on offer, it is a chance for her to work with Māori and non-Māori leaders to further strategic priorities related to WAI262, Maihi Karauna and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.   Te Paea will take up this opportunity on LWOP from 29 Nov 2021 to 27 May 2022.

This is a great opportunity for Te Paea in an area she is passionate about.   The Library will benefit as she will bring the new knowledge she has gained back with her on her return.    Please join with me in wishing her all the best for this endeavour.

An Expression of Interest to replace Te Paea during this period will be posted on Counterculture soon.

Ngā mihi nui, Anne

It is with mixed pleasure and regret that I have to announce that Gabrielle is leaving us to join the Ngāi Tahu Archives Team as an Archivist.   She is excited by new challenges and ready for new learning in the wider GLAM sector.    Ngāi Tahutanga is a passion of Gabrielle’s and she is looking forward to delving into research in the Ngāi Tahu Archives.  She is looking to continue her UC studies so it is likely we will see her in a student capacity over the next few years.

After seven years working in Macmillan Brown, this year Gabrielle took a fixed term position  working as the Library Administrator and  also part time for Te Waka Pākākano.   We have all benefited from her admirable people and organisational skills.    Her last day at UC will be 2 December.   I am really pleased for Gabrielle and wish her well in her new role.

We will look to replace the Library Administrator role.

Ngā mihi nui, Anne

Kia ora tatou

Every manager has done this slightly differently so I have taken the opportunity to report on a eclectic range of things that  I have been involved in to some degree over the last few days.   The vast majority of the work has been done by other library staff.

Staffing
The Kaitakawaenga and Pacific Library Liaison positions have been advertised and will close in mid November. The AUL position description is currently with Mary Boyce, our Kaiārahi, for comment. The Team Leader fixed term position in ELS will close shortly. Sara and Stuart are working on a new subject librarian position description as the first stage of replacing Fiona. We have also written a position description for a part time Project Manager for the NZLPP project which will be advertised shortly.

Policies
The updated Information Resources Policy was approved by Library Committee last week and will now go to Academic Board for consultation. The principles are similar to the last version with some of the practice updated (remove reference to Collection Plans except for MB) and some of the wordiness removed. The Borrower and Access Policy is mostly duplicated in the UC regulations. Sara is working on getting the remaining bits into the regulations and then this policy will be retired.

Emergency Management
Library Managers did an emergency exercise last week over at the UC EOC (Emergency Operations Centre) about a plane hitting the old Rutherford building in a storm to test out the Library emergency response and the Library Business Continuity Plan (BCP). Many events can be managed as part of BAU but in some cases the speed, size or complexity of an event means it is better to pull a team together to decide on the best way to respond. As an example the Library Managers formed a response team during the COVID lockdown which met daily via Zoom. There are key roles in a Response Team. Library Response Manager, normally the most senior staff member present; Communications, who receive and disseminate information to stakeholders; and Welfare who focus on providing staff with support they need to be effective during the emergency. Often in an emergency there is a strong desire to do something, to be seen to run the response, but best practice indicates that often it is more effective to create the space to think and take in the big picture view. The Library Response Team will work either from Level 5 PJH or online. So next time there is an emergency this may be what your manager is doing. Our next exercise will be on a Cybersecurity attack on the university.

COVID
COVID has had an impact on the Library but spare a thought for Auckland. Today I have been in meetings with Auckland University and Auckland Council Libraries who have now been in lockdown for 71 days. University of Auckland Library is running a click and post service but all other services are online. The university is likely to mandate vaccination for everyone on campus (the Stuff article is a bit premature). Auckland Council Libraries are providing an online service only which is frustrating for library staff and borrowers alike https://thespinoff.co.nz/books/27-10-2021/why-is-the-library-running-out-of-e-books/.

The Value of Libraries
NZLPP are creating a list of evidence for the value of libraries.  I have been asked to comment on the draft by Friday.     If you have a favourite recent paper that highlights the value that libraries create, send it through to me, preferably with APA reference.

Ngā mihi, Anne

I have had a conversation with People and Culture about Paul O’Flaherty’s request earlier in the year for staff to forecast all leave in advance.   It has not achieved the intended outcome of encouraging more leave to be taken, and makes processes more complicated for both Library staff and managers.    Going forward please only add leave into PeopleSoft if you intend to take it.    You do not need to forecast all your leave for the year in PeopleSoft in advance.  If you do add leave into PeopleSoft you can change your mind as usual.    The exception is excess leave (over 25 days or part time equivalent) which must be forecast and taken in 2021.

I would also like to strongly encourage you to take leave before Christmas, in particular 20-23 December.  It has been a tough year and now is an opportunity for rest and relaxation while the South Island is still free of COVID.  Feel free to talk to your manager about this if needed.

Ngā mihi, Anne

Kia ora

People and Culture have paused the current GSRR round for 2021.

The bargaining conversations between the University and the Union’s are progressing, and UC would like to await the outcome of those negotiations prior to running the GSRR process.

I will update you when we know more.

Ngā mihi, Anne

Kia ora koutou

You may be aware that the bargaining process between the University and the Unions in relation to the University’s Collective Employment Agreements (CEAs) has not yet concluded.   As a result there will be  a GSRR round for 2021 but it has been condensed into a short time frame which will start on Monday 4 October 2021.  This will be based on the existing (expired) CEA.  This will come out  via Tū ki te tahi, probably today.

Your manager will be working on the recommendations and justifications next week.    This will be informed by your regular Mahi Tahi.    In addition you can if you wish to talk to your manager or any other manager to recommend yourself or another staff member for recognition.  Please do this by 11 October 2021.   The GSRR guidelines below explain the criteria for the four types of progress, automatic progression below the merit, accelerated progression below the merit, progression above the merit and one-off bonus payments.

For more information please see

• 2021 GSRR Timeline
• GSRR Guideline

The Library timeline will be:

4 Oct 2021     GSRR process begins
11 Oct             Final day to talk to your manager (you can also talk to other managers)
12 Oct              Recommendations complete
13-14 Oct       Recommendations discussed with University Librarian and ranked across Library
15 Oct               Submission of Library recommendations
18-22 Oct       Discussions with People and Culture on submissions, meeting with Ian Wright
2 Nov                 VC approves outcome
8-12 Nov          Manager distributes outcome letter to successful staff

If you have any questions feel free to ask your manager or me.

Ngā mihi nui
Anne

I am really pleased to announce that Fiona Tyson has accepted the position of Kaiwhakahaere Taonga Tuku Iho | Manager, Cultural Heritage and Macmillan Brown Library.

Fiona first came in contact with Macmillan Brown Library as a student when she spent a lot of time studying in MB during her Arts degree. She has since spent 14 years working for UC Puna in various roles in Customer Services before becoming a Subject Librarian in 2016 focusing on supporting education and sports coaching. She is currently on the Information Resources Working Group for the Library and has an interest in marketing library services, playing a leading part in our Twitter. She has been leading some innovative projects including setting up and running Visualise your Thesis and a project on Open Textbooks for CONZUL, and is on the CAUL Open Access Textbooks Group. Fiona likes helping people, and is good at listening and connecting.

Fiona has been working on her te reo Māori and bicultural understanding. She is on the College of Education, Health and Human Development Pasifika Success Group and has been working with a number of staff supporting our Māori and Pasifika students.

Fiona will start in Macmillan Brown Library on 18 October. She will be easing into the position as she completes existing commitments in Learning, Teaching and Research. We will begin some of her induction over the next few weeks. As Rā’s final day is on Friday, Caroline and Helen will continue to support MB in the interim. Fiona will report to me and Helen will also continue to also provide support.

I would like you to join with me in wishing Fiona well in her new position.

Ngā mihi nui
Anne