Library Assistant (Fixed Term, Full Time)

As a result of recent internal staff secondment, we have a fixed term opportunity available for a Library Assistant with an immediate start. This role is full time, 37.5 hours per week, until April 2019 or the incumbent returns from Secondment, whichever is the earlier. The days/hours of work includes:

Summer (till Sunday 17 February 2019)

Academic Year (from Monday 18 February 2019)

If this sounds like you, please email an expression of interest to tepaea.paringatai@canterbury.ac.nz by 5pm Thursday 31 January 2019, outlining:

• Why you are interested in this position;
• What team skills and personal qualities you will bring to the position;
• What knowledge and experience you will bring to the position;
• What cultural contribution you will bring to the position;
• Indicate your ability and flexibility to work at different library locations, evenings and weekends as may be required from time to time.

This opportunity is advertised internally only at this time.

PD Library Assistant 2018

As part of our continuous improvement to our bicultural goals, inclusion, and the general look and feel of the libraries, we have installed the UC kōwhaiwhai pattern ‘Ngā kete o te wānanga on level 2 (entrance foyer, high demand and workroom) and level 3 (Poutama).  The kōwhaiwhai replaces the green and grey triangles.

We are fortunate to be the first of the UC buildings to use this pattern and if you are familiar with the ‘three baskets of knowledge’ and of course the LIANZA waiata, you will likely agree this kōwhaiwhai is an excellent fit for the libraries. 

Central Library customer services is participating in the UCGO scavenger hunt this year. Part of UC Bound | Terea tō waka, it’s an action packed 50mins that covers ‘top things you need to know when starting at UC’ and its great to see the library is one of them!

Date: Wednesday 5 December
Time: 1pm-2pm

The Dovedale service concluded on Thursday 15 November, in line with the end of exams. The returns box outside the Education Library was also removed on Thursday.

Kōtuku at Dovedale will still be staffed by the Subject Librarians on Mon, Wed, Fri after show weekend until they also conclude this service.

Courtesy of UC Facilities who designed, created and installed these works of art into Central Library this morning.  They are located by pillars on level 2 and level 3.  As you can see, students are already using them!  No signage necessary.

Building work on Room 422, level 4, PJH has started with internal stripping of the room. External building work, putting up screens and removing the booths is expected to take place on 30/31 October, but may commence earlier. Some tables and chairs have been moved to other places on level 4 to clear a bigger area east of the wall where the booths are, and the book collection facing the door of room 422 has moved temporarily to high demand.

“Caution, building work in progress” signs have been placed in the area to give an early heads up to students and encourage them to sit elsewhere. The signage also provides indicative timeframe of work (8-10 weeks) and to expect construction noise.

A huge mihi to the team (Brian H, Rā, Waitangi, Aaron, Jane, Hugh, Jean and wider Customer Services) who helped bring together the final part of the booth seating in Te Puna Ako on level 4 to fruition.  The welcomes/hellos in many languages artwork includes past student suggestions and is modelled on the content from the Central info desk and EPS.  The content is unique to UC, and meaningful to students, representing formal and informal ways they communicate.

On the 25th July 2018, Waitangi, Rā, and Lisa contributed to and attended the Tuākana noho marae organized by the Māori Development Team and the Student Outreach Team.  It was an excellent opportunity to collaborate and participate (teach) outside of the usual Library and Institutional environment, and in an environment that resonates with Māori students. 

This was the first tuākana noho marae (overnight marae experience), in a contemporary customary marae/pā setting that the Māori Development team have organised.  This was held at Taumutu marae.  It was a first noho marae for 8 of the 12 students in attendance, comprised of 3 Education (2nd year BTchLn, 3rd year BTchLn Honours, PhD Education candidate), 4 Arts (te reo Māori, Māori & Indigenous Studies, German Language, History Honours) 5 Science (PhD Chemical Engineering, Molecular Science, Astronomy, Technology, Biology).  The content of the noho included:

UC Puna/Library Support

1. Manaakitanga: Visibility of support and assistance to Māori students – explaining the role of the customer service front desk and first services (first point of contact)
2. Access and dissemination of information: Navigating databases, accessing specialist support, the research process
3. Understanding the basic research/rangahau process

Bicultural Pillar

1. The nature of contemporary Māori organisational structures e.g. rūnanga, hapū, iwi, iwi corporations
2. Traditional and contemporary realities of Māori society e.g. tikanga and kawa, te reo Māori
3. The processes of colonisation and globalisation. Other indigenous models of development, knowledge and behaviours
4. Critical awareness – being aware of self and others

 Cultural Support/Mātauranga Māori

1. Te reo Māori and Māori cultural knowledge: What role Ngā Puna has in reconnecting disconnected strands of whakapapa
2. Creating cultural safe spaces to talk about Māori identity 

Teaching

1. Two handouts (7 Things, and Open Access in Aotearoa) very well received – open access discussion interesting in terms of reconnecting disconnections and the role it plays for Māori rediscovering their whakapapa and genealogical history
2. Two  Powerpoint presentations – 1. The Research Cycle & Manaakitanga services 2. Being Unapologetically Māori – resonated well with Tuākana

Some student and staff feedback:

• Never knew Library offered ALL of these services
• Some frustration around why the Library isn’t being identified as the Library but a ‘study space’ when they’ve been part of tours (this was in response to the information about Library tours run by the Library, and the general tours run by wider UC)
• ‘so there are Māori working in the Library?’ expressed surprise from one student in response to having Māori library staff present
• ‘those library stats were interesting’ – in response to the stats on how the Library improves student success if students engage in our services early in their tertiary experience
• ‘your kōrero about cultural stereotyping, prejudice, and identifying bias really resonated with me’ grateful student on her journey to reclaiming her Māori identity
• Michelle pointed out how good it was for the students to meet us out there face to face, and the students were all nodding in agreement, that now they know us and can associate faces they know with the library, they will feel much more confident to come and see us for help.

A couple of bags of fruitburst lollies has arrived from Office Max.  These are in my office, if you ordered them and would like to collect them.

Te Paea

We are delighted to have Megan Dale join the customer services team in the role of Distribution Assistant, part-time, fixed term.  This role supports the new ‘Dovedale holds’ service that operates out of the Ōraikipaoa building, in partnership with COEHHD.