Kia ora koutou

My week has included some annual leave (as I welcomed my parents back to Ōtautahi) and a big focus on arrangements for the Library’s external peer review and site visit next month.

We’re near to announcing our Aotearoa panel member, who will bring valuable and expert insights on our level of Te Tiriti o Waitangi-responsiveness, and how well developed our library services are to meet the needs of our kaimahi and ākonga Māori.  A reminder, they’ll join Margie Jantti (Director, Library Services, University of Wollongong) as Panel Chair, and Andy Priestner (UX Trainer and Consultant) as Panel Member.

On which note, I had an initial kōrero with Margie Jantti this morning, to brainstorm ideas for Library staff involvement in the site visit by the panel .  As well as booked hui with various sub-groups of our wider Library team, Margie’s recommendation was to provide a “whole of team” drop in and morning tea on the final morning of the site visit (Tuesday 27 June) for informal conversation, follow up questions and comments.

Jaz and I will work with Library managers in coming days/weeks, to set up such engagement opportunities, and to finalise the contents of the document pack we’ll be sending to the panel for their pre-reading.  We’re erring on the side of comprehensive and including as much as might possibly be of interest and provide insight.

We have the Staff Forum next week (2x sessions so as many people can attend as poss) and I also welcome discussion about the peer review there (and anytime, for that matter) so we all understand why we’re doing this and the raft of opportunities it presents. Remember also the option of submitting questions prior to the Forums through the Slido link here:
https://app.sli.do/event/hG9vwEePVSRrqr8xsHB8oL
Some great questions already received, thank you!

Also on Monday, get ready for the *REVEAL* of our new library management system!

Finally, a reminder of the opportunity to take a paid Volunteer Day during 2023, as part of the 150^th Anniversary Celebrations. In case this wasn’t on your radar already, further details are available here: UC Staff Volunteer Day 2023 (sharepoint.com)

For now, happy and safe weekend all,
Kat

Kia ora koutou

Another week of hard mahi, and great to see so many of you donning pink today 😊

Library Committee met this morning and so fulsome was the discussion on the Committee’s revised Terms of Reference, we only got part-way through the meeting agenda. However, some important themes around representation, equity of voice and voting rights, and how Library Committee can embrace and enact broader UC Te Tiriti partnership aspirations, were all discussed.  These themes will continue to be worked on over coming weeks.

Ongoing mahi is taking place at Macmillan Brown with the valuation of collections, and the archival shelving replacement project, continue to bustle along.

The Library Management System replacement project has also been a focus this week, and we are tantalisingly close to the reveal!  Put a placeholder in your diaries now for something to be shared on Monday 29^th May….

Exciting news also regarding our panel membership for the Library external peer review.  We have someone very keen to take up our offer of panel membership to bring Aotearoa insights and look in particular at how well-developed we are with regard to the development of Te Tiriti o Waitangi-responsive services, that meet the needs of kaimahi and ākonga Māori.  The Letter of Invitation has been issued, and once accepted, I’ll take great delight in sharing the news with you as to who this person is!  A reminder, they’ll join Margie Jantti (Director, Library Services, University of Wollongong) as Panel Chair, and Andy Priestner (UX Trainer and Consultant) as Panel Member.

Finally, I’m fresh out of a meeting with a number of PJH based colleagues on how we can use the upcoming mid-year break to maximise study spaces on Levels 2, 4 and 7 in particular (in full compliance with the latest floor loading numbers we have to hand).

I for one am well ready for weekend respite and relaxation! Happy Friday, all.
Kat

Kia ora koutou

What a week!  Some incredible milestones achieved, thanks to ongoing hard mahi on behalf of you all!  At risk of leaving out some crucial headlines, these are just some of what hit my radar this week:

• Open ChCh tours and visits last weekend
• Visualise your Thesis launch on Wednesday. An incredible turn-out of approximately 60 budding visualisers (and at least one baby!) The power of exemplary promotions, free pizza and an awesome initiative!
• Inaugural wananga for our NLZPP research – ka pai team to get these wonderful wheels rolling
• Ongoing work on our MLM project with lots of input from very many people across our team to the evaluation and vendor demo process
• Ongoing work in PJH on re-homing the 40 seats that were removed from Level 9 at short (i.e. no) notice last week, with more thinking underway on how we might (safely and compliantly) scale up our offer of study spaces before study break and exam period is upon us
• A beautiful wānanga with Māori and Pacific staff and their managers, to kōrero and share our thoughts and feelings about how best to support ongoing mahi

Again, keeping this short in the interests of time.
Happy and safe weekend all!
Kat

Kia ora koutou

I’ll keep this brief, in acknowledgement of your time, and how much you are all juggling with incredible composure just now.  My week has reflected everyone else’s to a greater or lesser extent, I’m sure, with so much on, and so much coming at us (sometimes completely from left field)!

Amongst other initiatives, I note that Macmillan Brown staff are involved with our valuation project, that many of us are immersed in evaluation of vendor proposals for our new Library Management System (including attending the vendor demos on two afternoons this week), and that a number of PJH-based staff swung into magnificent action with short (well, really, it was “no”) notice when fire egress compliance issues on Level 9 were brought to our attention on Thursday.  All this while heaps of our ongoing mahi continues, all the name of incredible service for our community.

May is here now, so NZ Music Month has commenced, May the Fourth took place with its usual hilarity, Open ChCh is underway this weekend (special mention to library staff who are hosting these tours!) and next week is Rotuman Language Week!

For now, have a lovely weekend.  The forecast tomorrow is beautiful.  Do enjoy, especially if you are out and about exploring local architectural delights as part of Open ChCh!
Kat

Kia ora team,
We had some concerns about the ‘squeeziness’ of shelving and seating layouts on Levels 6, 7 and 9 in PJH, and asked FM to work with fire engineering consultants and undertake a fire egress compliance assessment of these floors.  The last assessment was undertaken in 2011.

Initial findings:
Library managers were briefed earlier today on initial findings, which show we have some issues:

• We need to reduce the number of seats on Level 9 down to 60 seats in total.
• We don’t have the required 1m clearance around the shelving/seating in certain places on each of these floors.  This is exacerbated by library users spreading out their bags and gear, thereby blocking fire exit routes.

Now:
First thing tomorrow morning (before the library opens and students arrive) we are removing enough seats on Level 9 to bring the overall floor quantum down to 60.  We are prioritising the removal of seats that abut onto range ends (i.e. those seats that create most obstacle where they are currently). Those excess seats from Level 9 will be relocated to our Level 5 staff workroom area for temporary storage, so they don’t take footprint elsewhere that can be used for students/study spaces.

Today we are also deploying signage throughout the building to ask users to put their bags/packs under desks, to keep fire exits clear.

Next:
We are still awaiting confirmed findings and receipt of the report.  In the meantime, we have asked the fire engineering consultants to:

• assess every floor in PJH. This is so we can understand how best we can configure each floor, to ensure compliance across the whole building
• provide floor plans of shelving/furniture layouts on each floor, which ensure we are compliant.  Note, we may need to reconfigure shelving layouts and move some sections of collection off some floors to create the 1m clearance around range ends, but this is to be confirmed.

Communications and questions:
There will be communications with the wider university, particularly Library Committee and our UCSA reps.  In the meantime, I’m keeping Ian (our DVC-Research) in the loop, who is liaising with other senior leadership team (SLT) colleagues.

This represents an opportunity to get things right and make things better, but I appreciate it is a big body of work, in the mix of other big pieces of mahi on our plate!

Please don’t hesitate to ask me or your manager if you have any questions or concerns.
Kat

Kia ora koutou

A bit of a stop/start week, with some important time on Tuesday to come together and remember for ANZAC Day.  But lots of mahi is taking place, and students are visibly and emphatically back for more as semester 1 resurges into life!

Helen, Aurelia and I met with our TEU delegates this week (Nick, Dave and Tim O) for our quarterly kōrero, where we discussed the upcoming external peer review, and what this will involve. As mentioned in last week’s update, we’re still finalising full panel membership for the review, but have now had the Terms of Reference (TOR) confirmed by SLT (Senior Leadership Team).  These TOR have now been shared with managers who are happy to on-share and discuss (as am I).  The TOR have also just been sent to two of our three prospective panel members, along with Letters of Invitation.

I’d like to emphasise that the overall aim of the review is to help us (the UC Library team) set a long-term strategic vision, which is fit for purpose now and in the future, Te Tiriti-responsive, places the user experience at its centre and is in direct alignment with the overarching institutional strategies and priorities of the University.

To help us do this, the review is an exploratory analysis of where we are currently, and where we can position ourselves for future opportunities.

In terms of approach, once we have received positive responses from panel members to our Letters of Invitation, the panel will then be sent a pack of relevant documents (e.g. Library Ops Plan 2023, Ngā Awa e Rua, Library Committee Terms of Reference etc.).  They will then be invited to visit us here at UC (we are hoping for this to occur in late June) to undertake interviews with key stakeholders (including library staff) so that they can understand the ‘on the ground’ nature of our service and the experiences we offer. The panel will then draw together their analysis, culminating in a report of findings and recommendations which will go to SLT and Academic Board for their November meetings.

On panel membership, I’m delighted to confirm that one of the panel members is Andy Priestner, of user experience (UX) fame.  Some of you were part of Andy’s UX workshops here last November.  Because we have this opportunity to bring Andy back to UC as a panel member, we’re also looking at running a 2-day UX workshop with him, after the panel site visit and interviews.  Library managers can share more details about this opportunity with you, but please sing out if you have any questions (and if you were part of last November’s UX cohort but are keen for another bite, please feel welcome to put your hand up again! There’s always something new to learn 😊)

I see the external review as a positive opportunity to get a comprehensive, current evidence-base of where we’re at, along with some robust recommendations for where we can go.  But if you have questions or are feeling uncertain about any aspects of the process, please feel most welcome to talk with your manager and/or come talk with me, Helen or Aurelia.  We all have an open door and would be happy to kōrero at any point.  You may like to come along with some colleagues and support people.  I know that your TEU delegates (Nick, Dave and Tim O) are happy to be with you and/or bring questions to managers directly, if you’d like them to support you in this way.

Finally, you’ll have seen that we’ll have a Staff Forum in the last week of May, taking the form of two repeated hui so that as many folks as possible can join in.  Full agenda to follow, but this will be a great chance to Q&A together on a range of matters and hear/share about some recent professional development opportunities some of you have been part of.

For now, safe weekend all,
Kat

Kia ora koutou

A five-day week for many of this week, which felt particularly jarring after a couple of short weeks!

But a great week it was.  Particular highlights for me included being part of the NZLPP ‘Dress Rehearsal’ focus group on Tuesday. It was so valuable to test the methodology and contribute kōrero to this significant project, which aims ultimately to show how we can make the library experience better for our ākonga Māori.  Ngā mihi nui to Jess, Isabella and my focus group members on the day, who made this experience for me one of epiphany and enjoyment, in equal measure!

I was also delighted to see so many of you take some time on Wednesday this week to join me in a walk/talk through my recent experiences at the IFLA Library Buildings and Equipment Section (LBES) mid-term congress in Sydney.  The recording is here, for viewing at your leisure, as time and inclination is available:

 Presentation by Kat Cuttriss – recent IFLA library buildings visit to Sydney_Wollongong-20230419_150206-Meeting Recording.mp4

I’d welcome any and all ongoing discussion on the themes shared during this presentation.  We have much to be inspired by, some of which would fall into the category of long-term aspiration for us, and some of which we may be able to do in the here & now under our own steam.  In every case, the relationship between the library kaimahi, the library community and the library physical design and layout is fundamental to ensuring user experiences are positive, enriching and full of manaakitanga.  I get a strong sense that we have this deeply embedded in our mindset and outlook already, which is a powerful platform from which to move forward.

During the presentation I also mentioned the IFLA LBES YouTube channel where you can find previous webinars on a range of international themes, available for free, and to view at your leisure.

Another main focus of mine this week has been finalising the draft Terms of Reference, and panel membership, for the external peer review of the Library.  I’m hoping to have details confirmed in the next week or so, and look forward to sharing updates with you soon.

Friday afternoon is now conclusively drawing to a close.  Safe (and dry) weekend all,
Kat

Kia ora koutou

Two short weeks, back to back, and I hope you were all able to take some time out over the Easter break to reconnect, recharge and do whatever fills your metaphorical (and maybe literal) cup! My family and I took the opportunity to explore a little more of this beautiful city and region, taking day trips to Te Onepoto | Taylors Mistake and Diamond Harbour, interspersed with copious amounts of chocolate consumption and sofa time.

This week has been both short and action-packed!  I’ve been working with leadership team members on some finance forecasting, now that various projects and initiatives for the year ahead are taking firmer shape so we can project what’ll be involved.

Helen took Jaz and me (thank you Helen, and welcome Jaz 😊) through a background to and overview of the Visual Management Board. This was so valuable, and handily relates to an action in our 2023 Ops Plan to assess and streamline, as part of library governance, our comms channels and meeting set-ups.

I’m fresh out of the monthly Academic Board meeting this afternoon, at which a handful of new courses were proposed as part of the CUAP (Committee on Academic Programmes) process. It was interesting and helpful for me to see this part of the overall process, as there are significant implications for us in terms of library provision of services, collections, and spaces to projected student cohorts, for new or changed qualifications. It’s also heartening to see how the University is strategically positioning so that our graduates can meet current and future Aotearoa bicultural, community, economic and industry related needs.

Next week I’ll share impressions and pics from my recent IFLA Library Buildings tour and hui in Sydney, Wollongong and Illawarra.  Looking forward to any questions or discussion that may arise!  (Please RSVP is you can’t make it and would like to, as we can record it and/or schedule a repeat for another day)

Also sharing here the link to the recording from a recent Neurodiversity webinar, hosted by Callum McKirdy, which I know a few of you attended and found great value in: RECORDING AVAILABLE HERE

For now, the weekend beckons.  Safe one all,
Kat

Kia ora koutou

Wow – winter popped by to say an emphatic hello earlier this week!  I’m personally very happy to see the sun back again today.

Last week saw me in Sydney, and south down the Illawarra coast a bit, touring a raft of beautiful public and university libraries (Sydney, UTS and Wollongong in particular) as part of the IFLA Library Buildings Section conference.  I’ll shortly book in a slot to present back pictures, observations and points of note from this incredible experience.  I realise though I have taken approximately one squillion pics, so editing this down to something malleable enough for a decent length ‘show and tell’ session may be a challenge, but I’ll do what I can 😊

Thanks again to you all for ongoing great effort, as various chunky pieces of mahi continue apace.  At the University hui I’ve attended this week (i.e. Research Committee, Teaching & Learning Committee and the VC Q&A Seminar Series), our record-breaking student numbers has been a constant topic of conversation. Typically, in non-lockdown years of yesteryear, we had started to see a distinctive tail off of student presence on campus after about week 3 or 4 of semester 1.  But this year has completely bucked that trend and we had >42,000 visitors to our three libraries last week!

This is a wonderful problem to have, and very much a singular UC phenomenon too – other NZ universities are seeing a downturn or at best plateau in their student enrolment numbers this year.  We alone are facing this unique opportunity, and while the University is seeking commensurate increases in funding levels for these additional students, this will take some time to come to bear.  So for now, all staff and service units across campus are looking at ways to scale up and support this highly engaged cohort.  For us here in the Library, it means looking at:

• Space utilisation and seeing how/where we can increase study spaces comfortably and safely
• The user experiences of our physical spaces and digital platforms & access tools (more details to come on this, as key UX work from Purple Shirt takes final shape) – noting the keystone role our MLM Replacement Project has here!
• Joining up with other teams and service units, to ensure the student experience is as positive as possible (I’m aware of recent examples of library staff stepping in to provide support for students when wider systems are wobbling or falling over – ngā mihi nui for this!)

Easter is now just around the corner, and a very well-deserved break for all.  Also, clocks go back an hour this weekend, so we all gain some extra precious time to do extra precious things with.  Enjoy!

Kat

Kia ora koutou

I really am not sure how it is Friday already (though concede I’ve taken two half-days’ leave, which has thrown my whole sense of space/time continuum into the void!).

A couple of highlights to note this week include our Business Continuity Plan (BCP), which has just been revised for 2023. This is our “go-to” document to enable us to respond to any number of possible – and potentially sudden – developments in the wider environment. It’s updated regularly with useful phone numbers and plans for how we deal with everything from floods to computer system failures. Please contact Helen if you notice we’re missing anything or something is incorrect.

Library Committee met this morning, and received our tabled Library Ops Plan 2023 and Ngā Awa e Rua with support and commendation.  Resourcing limitations were noted, and an interest in following progress and tracking achievements over the year to come.  We (Helen, Aurelia and I) emphasised the fact that a raft of core work in library teaching, enquiries, circulation, research, spaces, digital resources, online environments, print collections, art, rare books, archives and cultural heritage underscores all of what “surfaces” to an Ops Plan, and while this scope of activity may not be explicit in words in the actual document, this deserves special notice.

On this note (i.e. the incredible breadth of our services), Library Managers have been working on shaping up our Terms of Reference (TOR) for the Library External Peer Review later this year. As we’ve pulled this together, it’s become obvious that the scope of everything we do borders on the “gargantuan”!  We will therefore need to ensure the panel can be focussed on priority areas as part of their site visit, interviews and analysis.

We are also firming up aforementioned panel members, and have had some very positive responses so far.  I’ll look forward to sharing more details on this in due course, as we reach confirmation.

I’ll be spending Tuesday-Friday next week in Sydney at the IFLA Library Buildings Section conference, based at the University of Sydney.  I look forward to sharing back the latest thinking and innovations in architectural and spatial developments from Australasia and worldwide, upon my return.

Helen is also on leave next week, so Aurelia will be Acting in our stead, along with support from the wider Library Management Team.  Ngā mihi, colleagues!

Take care and see you again on 27 March!

Kat