Kia ora Koutou,
Some of you may have heard on the grapevine about a new addition to the library family: A Betta Splendens (Commonly known as a Siamese Fighting Fish).
This unnamed (as yet) Male Betta is living in a 25L watery home in the Alcove behind Te Rua in PJH.
A solitary fish, this particular chap enjoys gliding through plants, spitting out small snails and investigating his heater.
Please visit him!
Do reach out to me (Dale) if you have any questions!
UC Libraries again participated in the architectural ‘Open Christchurch’ Event on Sunday 7 May 2023.
This year we offered a more complete look at our buildings and architectural offerings. Erin Kimber provided guided tours of our archives collection as well as organising talks by Ian Lochhead hosted at Macmillan Brown Library. These tours were booked out early on and saw 30 people experience our wonderful archives.
Puaka-James Hight was also opened up to the public, and the team (Isabella, Hui, Zina, and Dale) were on sight from 10:00am to provide impromptu guided tours, answer questions and support our guests to understand the rich history and heritage of our brutalist marvel in the heart of Christchurch. Zina also worked on a fantastic display in Central Library, which is still up. This display featured architectural drawings, photos from its history (including the fabled picture of Margaret Thatcher’s visit), and descriptions of other major events (such as the earthquakes). We had 37 groups of around 87 unique people come through. We provided postcards of our libraries, badges with images of our libraries and two bookmark designs as well. These were popular, and helped us engage with our visitors, many of whom shared stories about the library when they were students in the 90’s or earlier (one guest spoke about the time when she was studying in the University in the arts centre during the transition to the Ilam campus and her experience studying IT at the time!)
Overall, this was another successful Open Christchurch event which engaged with our community to further their and our own appreciation for our buildings and collections. Future participation could look at expanding what kind of offer we have in Puaka-James Hight and Macmillan Brown to further engage with our communities.
Kia ora All,
Apologies for the delay! Below is a summary of the Summer Starter Event held Thursday March 2nd.
Brian McElwaine provided his reflections in the connection section.
Principles
The Summer Starter Event put on by the UCSA is one of our core events in which we seek to connect with new users, and engage with those who are ready to use our services more. Summer Starter was strategically set aside to promote our subject librarians and their services.
Connection
It was a lot of fun, there was a good buzz in Haere-roa: students wandering around clutching snacks and tote bags full of freebies, dodging wandering pups and each other, while we stall-holders competed for their attention. We spent our time chatting to students as they passed, giving out fruit burst and postcards, and the odd subject librarian business card when a student expressed an interest. We mostly had general chats with them, or tried to get them to participate in our unscientific poll about the best and worst fruit burst. There was the occasional opportunity to talk up the subject librarian service, especially when we discovered that a student was with one of our departments. We hope it went some way towards demystifying us in the eyes of some of our ākonga, and making our subject librarian services seem a little more approachable. We had 206 people engage with us at the stall over the 4 hours we were there. Huge thanks to all of the other librarians who stepped up to occupy the stall and help make it a success for our team!
Kia ora Koutou,
On Sunday the 7th May, UC Libraries will participate in the city-wide event, Open Christchurch.Open Christchurch is a celebration of architecture and city planning run by Te Pūtahi, Centre for Architecture and City Making.
As part of our support of this we will have a display in PJH celebrating its design and architecture, and providing self guided tours. This is a repeat of what we have run for Open Christchuch in the past.
At Macmillan Brown, Erin Kimber will be running guided and bookable tours of MBL and our warehouse to get a behind the scenes look at architectural drawings – this is new and will be a great way to connect with our wider community and hopefully those in our student/academic body who have an interest and are unaware of the facilties we have on campus.
Ngā Mihi,
Dale, Erin, Isabella, and Zina
Kia ora Koutou,
From now until April 14th there will be a display in Room 224 of the work from the Architect in Residence at UC’s Department of Civil & Natural Resources Engineering, Matthew Dudzik.
This display is across the back of the teaching space, and will be set up over today and tomorrow. There is a small celebration on Wednesday evening after 5 for the department to celebrate the end of the Residency and showcase Dudzik’s work.
In the meantime, the space is still bookable, and feel free to close the doors as you see fit when using the space. We have not removed any seating form the space – and it will remain a study space throughout the time that the display is up.
Any questions, please see/ask Dale.
Ngā Mihi,
Dale
Kia Ora all,
Since Meeting Room 9 is no longer present on the new booking system, I am just putting a post out here: on Friday 3rd February we will be using it all day for recruitment.
I will put a handwritten note on the door too, as I take bold strides into the early 20th C of room management.
Please do let me know if this is going to cause any issues (like if you too wanted to use it for recruitment or some such), and we can probably work something out.
Ngā Mihi,
Dale
Kia Ora Koutou!
The Engagemnt Survey 2022 Teams is pleased to share with you all the final report from the Engagement Survey conducted in 2022. This report is a summary of the results as a full analysis would be significantly longer! As it is, we hope this repot can give you an overview of the results and an idea of further insights we can glean from them with some more focused analysis over the next year or more.
I have also sent a full staff invitation to a teams meeting where the survey team will report back on the findings, go through some more of the data with you all, and answer any questions.
This was a large project that took a lot of the latter half of last year to complete and I want to acknowledge all the support of the library managers, the work of the Survey team (Isabella Stainthorpe, Juliet Lackersteen, Margaret Paterson, Sarah Johnson, and Kerry Gilmour) and to thank all those who took part in the consultation meetings last year, as these were great for ensuring all the important mahi you do was represented in the survey, as well as all those who supported us as we engaged students with the survey.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me, and I will try to answer them at the report back hui on the 9th February.
You can find the report here: K:\Projects\Engagement_Survey_2022\Report_final_survey_2022.pdf
Dale and the Survey Team
Kia Ora Koutou,
I have finished the poem judging. Well, the AI has finished the poem judging, as it accepted the criteria I laid out in the original post, and judged each poem accordingly. (This required less work from me).
There is a clear winner as you will see below.
First though, here is a disclaimer the AI wished to share to preface it’s judgements:
Certainly, here is a summary of my notes on this poem based on the judging criteria you provided. As a large language model trained by OpenAI, my opinions are based on my training data and algorithms, and they may not align with those of human judges or readers. Additionally, my knowledge is limited to the information in my training data, which ends in 2021, so I may not be familiar with more recent poems or literary trends. With that in mind, here is a summary of my notes on this poem based on the judging criteria you gave me…
| Poem Author (In order of entry) | Originality (/10) | Relevance to Christmas themes (/5) | How epic it makes librarians seem (/10) | Style (/5) | Total (/30) |
| Joanna #1 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 19/30 |
| AI Summary: The poem is a fairly standard ode to librarians, and it does not offer any particularly unique or interesting perspectives or insights. It does portray librarians in a positive and admirable light, but its relevance to Christmas themes is limited, and its style is fairly basic and unadorned. Overall, the poem is a fairly typical example of a poem about librarians, and it does not stand out in any particularly noteworthy way. | |||||
| Linda #1 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 20/30 |
| AI summary: The poem is a fairly standard ode to librarians, and it does not offer any particularly unique or interesting perspectives or insights. However, it does focus specifically on the role of librarians in creating a festive atmosphere in the library, which is a slightly less common theme in poems about librarians. The poem is primarily focused on Christmas themes, and it describes the decorations, lights, and festive atmosphere of the library during the holiday season. It portrays librarians in a positive and admirable light, but its style is fairly basic and unadorned. Overall, the poem is a fairly typical example of a poem about librarians and Christmas, and it does not stand out in any particularly noteworthy way. | |||||
| Fiona T #1 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 21/30 |
| AI Summary: The poem is a fairly standard ode to librarians, and it does not offer any particularly unique or interesting perspectives or insights. However, it does focus specifically on the role of librarians in helping visitors find joy and peace in the library, which is a slightly less common theme in poems about librarians. The poem is primarily focused on Christmas themes, and it describes the festive atmosphere and special services offered by the librarian on Christmas Day. It portrays librarians in a positive and admirable light, but its style is fairly basic and unadorned. Overall, the poem is a fairly typical example of a poem about librarians and Christmas, and it does not stand out in any particularly noteworthy way. | |||||
| Linda #2 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 21/30 |
| AI Judgement The poem is a fairly simple and straightforward ode to librarians, tuis, and cats, and their role in bringing solace and peace to readers. It focuses specifically on the summer and Christmas season, and it highlights the joy and memories that these special times can bring. The poem is primarily focused on the librarians, tuis, and cats, and it does not delve into any specific Christmas themes or traditions in more detail. Its style is basic but pleasant, and it includes some interesting and evocative imagery, such as the tuis twittering and the cats watching with their dazzling eyes. Overall, the poem is a typical example of a poem about librarians, tuis, and cats, and it does not stand out in any particularly noteworthy way. | |||||
| Joanna #2 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 18/30 |
| AI Judgement: The poem is a fairly simple and straightforward ode to librarians and the work that they do, particularly during the Christmas season. It focuses specifically on the silence and calm of the library, and it highlights the librarians’ role as “Santa’s elves” who help to put books on the shelves. The poem also mentions a “makerspace” on the second floor, where students can come to take a break and make Christmas gifts. However, the poem does not delve into any specific Christmas themes or traditions in more detail, and it focuses primarily on the work of the librarians. Its style is basic but functional, and it includes some simple imagery and repetition to create a basic rhythmic flow. Overall, the poem is a typical example of a poem about librarians and their work, and it does not stand out in any particularly noteworthy way. | |||||
| Joanna #3 (actually AI) | 8 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 22/30 |
| AI Judgement: This poem takes a familiar Christmas setting – the library on the night before Christmas – and adds a unique and unexpected twist: a pack of dogs that show up to spread holiday cheer. The poem uses a simple and straightforward style to describe the scene, and it includes some basic imagery to create a sense of wonder and surprise. The poem also incorporates some elements of the traditional “Twas the Night Before Christmas” format, but it does not rely too heavily on it. Overall, the poem is a charming and lighthearted take on the Christmas season, and it includes some subtle references to the work of librarians and the joy that books can bring. It does not delve too deeply into any particular themes or issues, and its style is basic but effective. | |||||
| Jemma #1 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 17/30 |
| AI Judgement: This poem is a bit difficult to summarize, as it includes a range of different elements and images that are not always connected in a clear and coherent way. The poem begins by describing a teacher who is reading and appears to be angry at a preacher, but it is not clear what this scene has to do with anything else in the poem. The next few lines introduce a librarian who is running near a book, and who is described as worn and admired in some way. The librarian is also associated with a sleepy car that runs on tragic, and with a pet Santa and lots of sleaze. The Santa is depicted as chasing dreams, and the teacher is shown shuddering at alien pages. Overall, the poem is quite surreal and fragmented, and it does not have a clear narrative or message. The imagery and language are evocative, but they do not add up to a coherent or cohesive whole. | |||||
| Stuart #1 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 18/30 |
| AI Judgement: The poem uses the imagery of Christmas elves to describe librarians, portraying them as silent and serene figures. It is relevant to Christmas themes and uses straightforward language, but it does not showcase the impressive skills or abilities of librarians and does not have a particularly unique or striking style. | |||||
| Stuart #2 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 22/30 |
| AI Judgement: The poem uses the imagery of stars in the summer sky to describe librarians, portraying them as epic and serene figures. It is relevant to Christmas themes and has a simple and straightforward style, but it does not have much complexity or depth and does not have a particularly unique or striking voice. | |||||
| Stuart #3 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 4 | 25/30 |
| AI Judgement: The poem, titled “Brains that Cool: A Christmas Sonnet,” uses the imagery of Christmas lights to describe librarians, portraying them as wonderful, kind, and passionate individuals with vast knowledge and bright minds. The poem also compares librarians to a symphony, suggesting that they are skilled, precise, and organized in their work. However, the poem includes some cliched and hackneyed references to librarians’ love of chocolate, coffee, and beer, which detract from the overall originality and freshness of the poem. | |||||
| Joanna #4 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 21/30 |
| AI Judgement: This poem is titled “In the library on Christmas Eve.” It tells the story of a group of wombats that visit a library on Christmas Eve, dancing, singing, and reading aloud. The librarians are surprised and delighted by the wombats’ visit, and the poem ends with the suggestion that the wombats will return the following year. The poem is whimsical and imaginative, but it is somewhat lacking in substance and depth. The inclusion of the wombats is an interesting and original choice, but the poem does not explore the significance or implications of their visit in any depth. Additionally, the poem is somewhat repetitive and predictable, relying heavily on cliched imagery and language. Overall, the poem is a light and enjoyable read, but it could benefit from more careful development and revision | |||||
As You all can see, Stuarts Sonnet titled: “Brains that Cool: A christmas Sonnet” is the winner! stuart, see me for your chocolate or crisp high five.
Special Mention: Joanna’s 3rd offering was the most original – the pack of dogs being quite a twist!
I reproduce Stuart’s Winning poem below:
Brains that Cool: A Christmas Sonnet
Glorious librarians, wonderful and kind
Their knowledge vast, their passion never wanes
Like Christmas lights, they shine and light the mind
In summer heat, they cool us with their brains
They love chocolate, like a child at play
And coffee too, to keep them sharp and bright
They even like a beer, at end of day
To relax and unwind, a welcome sight
Their work is like a symphony, composed
With care and skill, each note in perfect place
They guide us through the stacks, as if enclosed
In a treasure trove, a hidden, secret space
Librarians, like a gift, bring joy and light
Their love of learning, a beautiful sight.
Kia Ora koutou,
I have discovered a new tool: the chatbotGPT3 which is a natural language AI (I think) which can do some pretty cool things!
https://chat.openai.com/chat
I, however, have ignored all those cool things and gone straight to asking it to do silly things. So I present a quick competition I will judge this Friday morning (the 9th December) (the winner will receive a chocolate or a high five, winners choice!).
See if you can create the best themed Christmas poem about librarians from prompts to the chatbot:
I have my most recent example here:
‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the stacks, Librarians hustled and bustled, with interlibrary loans on their backs.
They packed up their sleighs with books of all kinds, Determined to deliver to patrons in a bind.
Through snow and ice, they trudged on their way,
Hoping to make it before the break of day.
As they travelled, they faced many a foe,
From grinches who grumbled to blizzards that blow.
But the librarians persevered, with grit and with grace,
For the love of books and the joy on a patron’s face.
Finally, they arrived, just in time for the feast,
And brought cheer to all with their literary feast.
So here’s to the librarians, the unsung heroes of yore,
Who brave the elements to deliver books to your door.
Submit your ai generated poem in the comment below to be considered.
I will judge the poem on the following four criteria:
Originality /10
Relevance to Christmas themes /5
How epic it makes librarians seem /10
Style /5
Happy ‘composing’
Dale
Kia Ora Koutou,
As the end of the year approaches the Library Access and Collections team has wound up book ordering in order to a) help us invoice and receive as much as possible this year and b) to meet Finance’s requirements for end of year finance reporting and forecasting.
If there is something for Summer school, or has some urgency please contact the acquisitions team and we will deal with them on a case by case basis.
We will be able to resume ordering again in December once the 2023 budgets are opened. Turnaround time for eBook purchases is relatively quick however physical book supply will be more prone to any shipping delays as we approach February 2023.
Many thanks for your assistance,
Dale