Kia ora koutou

I’m keen to share an update with you all.
Firstly, I want to underscore how wonderful it is to be back with you all onsite for part-time hours this week!  I’ve deeply appreciated your cheery welcomes and smiley kia oras, as I get back into the groove.
I’d also like to express my enormous gratitude to you all for covering my recent absence with total aplomb and tireless effort!  Noting in particular the formal delegations in place with Helen as Acting UL, Sara as Acting AUL, Kim as Acting Manager – L&T and Kathryn providing additional cover for Kim, with additional support by you all and by the management team.

I’m happy to report complete success on my breast cancer surgery, with no further treatments required and my recovery continuing to go well.  Yay!

However, during the operation I had a troublesome mole removed from my left arm, which has turned out to be melanoma.  I’m now therefore starting diagnostics for skin cancer, and have surgery booked next Monday 6 May for excision and biopsy work.  Recovery time is one week, so I will be back Monday 13 May onwards in a fulltime capacity.

To provide ongoing cover, we’ve extended the formal delegations noted above.  These will run through to Monday 13 May.  Thank you Helen, Sara, Kim and Kathryn for this.

Also ngā mihi nui to you all for your ongoing support and well wishes!  I’m looking forward so much to coming back, being back and staying back with you all in due course.
Kat

Kia ora koutou

A couple of important updates to share.  Firstly, thanks to Māori and Pacific staff for your feedback over the last month on our draft Library Ops Plan 2024.  We have incorporated all suggestions and uploaded the latest version of our Plan to the Library All Staff Teams site, in the General channel, under Files | Key Documents.

Please take a look as you can, and have a chat with colleagues and your manager if you’d like to feedback or discuss further.  We look forward to your input.

Sending our best wishes and thanks to Erin for this afternoon’s “Drawing Connections – Exploring the Architecture of Cecil Wood” exhibition opening at the Southbase Gallery, Tuakiri at Tūranga. This exhibition uses the architectural drawings of Cecil Wood from our UC Archives collection to explore the cultural and historical context of Ōtautahi’s built environment, and is a partnership between CCL, UC Art History and the UC Library – ka pai!

Also best wishes and thanks to Fiona and Lydia, who have done much hard work on a review of our Art Collection Policy.  The revised policy has been presented to and endorsed by Library Committee, and goes to Academic Board for discussion (and we hope approval) later today.  Ka rawe!

Finally, an update on my whereabouts over the next couple of months.  I’m clear to fly to Hawai’i this weekend for the IFLA 2024 Library Buildings mid-term conference: Storytelling and Imagination Embracing Indigeneity in Architecture and Transforming Difficult Library Buildings

Then will return to Ōtautahi for one day prior to breast cancer surgery booked for 20 March.  There’s a 6-week recovery time for the surgery I’ll be having, so assuming all goes well, I’ll be back to work from 1 May onwards.  Helen is Acting University Librarian from next Monday 11 March up until Tuesday 30 April, and you’ll have seen the EOI to back-fill her substantive role (AUL – Research) posted to Counterculture earlier this morning.

I want to thank you all for your wonderful well wishes and aroha as I knuckle down to deal with what’s ahead – it makes a world of difference to know how much support is out there.

Kia pai te mutunga wiki,
Kat

Kia ora koutou

Keeping this brief as know how busy everyone is.
Our student numbers have increased again this year, as well publicised in the media lately, and we are all seeing it firsthand in demand for study spaces, our services, and our welcome.  Just moving across campus at the moment needs additional time built in, to weave a path through the flash mobs of eager ākonga!

My gratitude and admiration to you all, for doing your utmost to deliver great service and high quality learning experiences, while pressure is all around.  I appreciate also that our upgrade to FOLIO, and the changes we’ve made to our Discovery services, is adding complexity at this time.  We’re continuing to build our understanding of the issues while working closely with the vendor, to resolve any issues identified.

My thanks too to the team who participated in, and led programme sessions, at the NDF / Cantage / ARANZ community day on Wednesday.  Attending were Fiona, Cherilyn, Hannah, Sarah and Helen, with Damian helping with set-up.  Erin and Lydia both presented – ka rawe!

A reminder that our Library Strategy Navigator fixed-term role is still open for applications, closing this Sunday 3^rd March.  Noting that for an existing member of the team, we would explore setting up a secondment.  More info, and the position description, available here: Library Strategy Navigator – University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha

Finally, I’m excited to share with you the IFLA Library Buildings Section Seminar Programme, to be held at the University of Hawai’i in two weeks. The seminar theme is: Storytelling and Imagination Embracing Indigeneity in Architecture and Transforming Difficult Library Buildings

And we have keynote sessions as follows:

• Whare Timu, Warren & Mahoney, Aotearoa – Voices of Indigeneity: The Potential of Co-Design
• Robert Iopa, WCIT Architecture, Hawai’i – Native Hawaiian architecture
• Elisabeth Martin, MDA-Design Group, New York Transforming and Renewing Existing Libraries: Examples and Field Notes from the Field
• Gili Meerovitch, Pfeiffer Partners, Los Angeles – Beyond Renovation: Turning Constraints into Opportunities in Library Transformations

I look forward to sharing back insights from these sessions and speakers, when I return.  I’m leaving for Hawai’i on Sunday 10 March.  Aurelia will be Acting UL in my absence.  Ngā mihi, Aurelia!

Kia pai te mutunga wiki,
Kat

Kia ora koutou

I’m pleased to announce that our fixed-term Library Strategy Navigator role is open to applicants!

See more details, including the position description, here:
Library Strategy Navigator – University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha

Just noting we have some flexibility around start/end dates, and could look at 0.8FTE instead of 1FTE.

Aurelia, Helen or I are happy to answer any questions, or discuss further with any interested folks – do feel free to get in touch!

Ngā mihi
Kat

Kia ora koutou

Wow – so fabulous to see the campus come to life with Welcome Day !  2024 is shaping up to be an exceptionally big and buzzy year, if today is anything to go by!!  Thanks to you all for warm welcomes and massive manaaki for our incoming (and returning) student cohorts – it’s so great to see.

Accolades also to you all for our go-live with FOLIO and MultiSearch on Monday!  It was an extraordinarily tight timeline for implementation, and while I never had an iota of doubt that a team of your calibre could bring it home, I appreciate the work needed was immense and the pressure never let up.  I’m so immensely proud of you all, of your positive and collaborative spirit, and of your support to each other through some of this project’s multitude of challenges.  You have been collectively nothing short of awe-inspiring.

I also appreciate there’s no let-up right now or time for a decent celebration, as we hurtle together into semester 1.  But we will do this, fulsomely and well, when we have time to draw breath!

Finally, I have some personal health news to share.  I’ve recently been diagnosed with breast cancer, and am in the midst of diagnostics (MRI, biopsies) at the moment, ahead of a treatment plan being decided upon.  It seems clear that surgery will be the first step, though timelines are yet to be confirmed.  Library managers and I have been working together closely to map out how we can best provide continuity and support during the days ahead.  This will be a bit of an evolving situation, as more information comes to hand including timelines for my absence.  For now, I’m here and feeling really well 😊
I’m also absolutely happy for you to share this news with other UC staff as/if it comes up – the more we all know, the better support we can provide each other.

Kia pai te mutunga wiki,
Kat

Kia ora koutou

Hard to believe we’re here in February already…. Time is whirling by and I think it’s testament to the vast volume of incredible mahi you are all ploughing through! FOLIO implementation is obviously top of mind for all, and I’ll keep this brief to not add to your bandwidth.

Firstly, I’m delighted to announce that we’ve had approval to commence recruitment for the fixed-term role of Library Strategy Navigator.  If we cast our minds back for a moment to the 2023 Library Review, you may recall a priority recommendation was to co-create our library vision and strategy, and develop a project framework so we can scope and prioritise our review recommendations. The Library Leadership team has co-created the position description for this role, and we’re excited to start recruitment (internally and externally) in the next week or so – stay tuned!  I’m happy to answer any questions anyone might have about this opportunity and how we see the role working, in the meantime.

You may also be aware that the Library Leadership team has drafted a 2024 Ops Plan to guide our work for the coming year.  Please be assured this is very much draft, and your input to re-frame any areas that relate to you and your colleagues’ work is welcomed and appreciated!  But also please be assured this is a closing off of 2023 and a carry forward to 2024, with us capturing only what is ongoing and of continuing relevance.  We don’t want anyone to feel unduly pressured by this.  So if you don’t have any scope to cast your mind to this until after big pieces of mahi are behind us, that’s absolutely fine.

Suffice to say, it’s going to be a dynamic and action-packed year ahead!  Noting that as well as exciting developments on our own Library radar, early indications are that student enrolment numbers will be as buoyant as they were in 2023.

Wishing you all a happy weekend, and safe holiday travels if you’re taking Monday off.
Kat

Kia ora koutou

This will be a quick missive of well wishes to all for a wonderful festive season and summer holiday 😊

It has, as noted at our Staff Xmas Lunch, been a year to remember. We have many achievements in the bag, some significant projects in hand, and are making sterling progress with these across the board.  The Library review was a massive undertaking, and has been received with widespread support and enthusiasm throughout the UC community.  And all the while, our SOBAU (significant ongoing business as usual) continues apace and provides the platform from which every good thing happens.

I want to thank each and every one of you for your efforts, your fortitude, your service ethic and your hard mahi this year. Please take time to be with whānau, friends and loved ones this coming holiday season, relax, have fun, unwind and recharge.  We have lots of opportunities ahead for 2024 – it’s going to be a pearler!

Meri Kirihimete!
Kat

Kia ora koutou

I’m delighted to announce that Juliet Lackersteen will be our new Library Tautāwhi | Administrator, commencing in role from Monday 15 January 2024.

Juliet will be supporting and working closely with me and the Library Leadership Team in this role, and we’re all looking forward to the many and varied opportunities 2024 will bring!

Juliet notes she’s going to miss being in the ELS team, but is glad that full and final farewells won’t be necessary as she’ll be but a stone’s throw away!

Congratulations and welcome, Juliet 😊
Ngā mihi,
Kat

Kia ora koutou

The Library Review Report continues to be shared and socialised with a number of UC committees, tabled this week at PFRC (Planning, Finance & Resources Committee) and at Research Committee. And it is on the agenda for next week’s Learning & Teaching Committee meeting.  We’re also engaging with colleagues in Digital Services about the report findings and recommendations next week.

At every hui so far, the level of interest, engagement and support is notable. Don’t forget to keep an eye on, and add to, the Library Review Report feedback (padlet.com) – to capture and share our ongoing kōrero, and potentially inspire follow-on conversations, as well.

Since my last update, we’ve shared a very special experience at our Pacific Talanoa Day last week, co-designed by the Pacific Development Team and our Pacific Liaison Library staff.  We’ve also travelled together in groups to Tūranga, where we were hosted by CCL colleagues in the Māori and Multicultural Services Team and gifted a guided tour of the building’s cultural narrative. This was followed by kōrero with the team on embodying meaningful Tiriti-centred ways of working in our professional library practice.

Both experiences were immensely valuable and insightful, for us individually and for us collectively.  I give thanks to all of you who helped make this happen, and who provided gentle guidance and support alongside.  We (Library Managers) are keen to harness the momentum and keep our collective focus increased in this area.  We’re spending time just now identifying what this could best look like over coming months and into 2024, in terms of events, activities, shared learning and ongoing support.  We’d like to hear and share thoughts with you all too, and welcome your ideas at the follow-up hui coming soon and in your calendars!

It was also lovely to host Tim Darlington from Massey University Library this week, for him to soundboard on, support and see our progress with Folio implementation (Massey went through exactly this two years ago).  Tim shared his immediate reflection with me that our team comprises such a broad spread of incredible talent and capability.  I already knew this, but it was heart-warming to hear it from a trusted former colleague, whose views I deeply respect.

We’re on the home straight to summer festivities now, but I appreciate there is a lot still on and a lot still to get through.  Take care, one and all.

Mā te wā,
Kat

Kia ora koutou

I’ll keep this week’s entry brief, as I’m about to join Academic Board to share the Library Review Report and invite/receive feedback and questions.  The report went to SLT this Tuesday, and was well received there, with much interest and engagement.  I also enjoyed meeting with many of you at our Q&A session on Wednesday, where lively discussion took place.

We’re collating themes and questions on the Library Review Report feedback (padlet.com) – there’s a lot more there now than there was a week ago!  This is a way of both capturing our kōrero, sharing it amongst each other and potentially inspiring follow-on conversations and questions. Please keep adding notes!

On Monday we have our Pacific Talanoa Day to look forward to, co-designed by the Pacific Development Team and library staff.  The talanoa is such a fantastic opportunity for us to develop our cultural awareness and capacity to better support Pacific students and staff.  I know a number of you are attending, and supporting colleagues to attend.  It will be a special and valuable day, and I look forward very much to coming together in this way.

Visits to Tūranga, hosted by CCL colleagues in the Māori and Multicultural Services Team, continue next week too.  We are so fortunate to have this opportunity to experience a guided tour of the building’s cultural narrative which relates to mātauranga mana whenua and our local environment.  And I know we also value this opportunity to discuss with the team ways we can embody more Tiriti centred ways of working in our own professional library practice.

These are wonderful opportunities to engage with, and I’m very grateful to library staff who have worked hard to bring them to bear for us all.

Mā te wā,
Kat