Gavin Hewitt joins the Library team as the Makerspace Facilitator (fixed term 5 months).  Gavin has a background in education and is passionate about learning and teaching.  He starts tomorrow, Tuesday 1 October 2019 and will be based at Puaka James Hight Library, in the customer services team, level 2.  As part of his on-boarding programme, we will be out and about on campus, popping in to meet and greet at MB and EPS.

Fantastic news! Jo Condon has kindly volunteered to be the library champion for the 10,000 step challenge.

Get your walking shoes ready folks, let’s take a giant leap for the libraries.

A Step Challenge will be coordinated through the UC Rec & Sport team for UC. The challenge is to do 10,000 Steps a day between the 19th of August through to the 29th of September and will be a part of the Australasian University Health Challenge. This is similar to the Aotearoa bike challenge earlier in the year where they had people sign up and record their bike commutes. The challenge is similar with the sign up and recording however this challenge will involve universities all across Australia and New Zealand.

Gary Gin is the UC coordinator and he advises they are still in the initial stages and promotion will likely start from 15th of July.

Have a look at this website for a bit more information https://www.10000steps.org.au/

Gary is looking for a champion from each department to spear head the coordination for that department. If you would like to be the champion for the Library please let me know by Wednesday next week.

Sandra Gover is retiring and her last working day is Friday 26 April 2019.  Helen Doidge who was the clever person to hire Sandra had this to say:

“It is your excellent sense of the absurd that I most enjoyed. When laughter bubbles out of sharing and embracing life’s utter absurdity, it lowers the blood pressure and lifts your spirits. So many awkward meetings, strange job interviews, weird borrower encounters, collegial spats and other challenging situations were relieved by a shared recognition that some things shouldn’t be taken too seriously. Lending and Restricted Loans teams were a hotbed of colleagues who believed that dressing up, cake decorating, competitive baking, Tasty Thursdays and other fine events were a fine way to de-stress and bond. From Earthquake Strengthening Projects to the actual earthquake, Sandra has stood strong and made her own unique mark on everyone she has worked with.”

To celebrate Sandra’s contribution to UC, we are hosting a two part fare thee well event and all library staff are welcome to attend.

Please pop by for one or both events for a cuppa, to share a memory, message or delight.  Details are provided below.

Part 1: Shared morning tea

Location
Level 2 workroom

Dates & Times
Thursday 18 April – from 10am onwards

Please bring something to share.  There might be fun little things on this day.

Part 2: Last day farewell

Location
Level 5 break out space (next to staff room)

Dates & Times
Friday 26 April – from 10am onwards

We will have a catered morning tea, card and gift.  Someone might say a few words too.

Help set the future academic direction of UC. E tū, kia ora – Stand together and make a difference.

Join in one of these interactive workshops, there are four dates to choose from. Registration is required as these events will be capped to allow for meaningful workshop interaction and discussion to occur. Please register for only one workshop.

• Staff Workshop 1: 10 May, 12.00–1.30pm, Undercroft 101
• Staff Workshop 2: 29 May, 12.00–1.30pm, Undercroft 101
• Staff Workshop 3: 7 June, 11.30–1.00pm, Undercroft 101
• Staff Workshop 4: 7 June, 2.00–3.30pm, Undercroft 101

All staff are integral to the development of this new strategy and we would like your thoughts on a number of questions that underpin our role as a university. These staff workshops are one of the ways you are able to engage in the development of the academic strategy.

What kind of university do we want to be when UC turns 150 years in 2023? • How can we get even better at learning, teaching and research, and service functions that enable our academic activities? • What is our academic vision? • What plan or road map do we need to achieve that vision? • What strategies do we need to employ to implement that plan? • How does a new vision and plan inform other existing plans?

Registrations close 6pm on the day prior to each workshop.

Further info is available at https://blogs.canterbury.ac.nz/intercom/2019/04/12/find-out-the-latest-about-e-tu-kia-ora/

We are delighted to share that Juliet Lackersteen has been seconded into the fixed term position of Assistant Librarian (Engagement focus).  Juliet brings current experience leading teams and projects within the engagement portfolio, and this opportunity seeks to build on that work and provide dedicated support for the range of engagement responsibilities managed by Rā.   

Building the capacity within the customer services team is a priority.  We do this by supporting staff to make use of internal opportunities in their current role, and when vacancies arise, recognising skill acquisition when they demonstrate the applied learning in expressions of interest or applications.   

Juliet officially starts in this role on Tuesday 30 April 2019 (working Tuesday to Saturday).  Backfill for Juliet’s library assistant role will be part of the recruitment process that is currently underway for backfilling Caroline and Lisa. 

Mā te mahi, ka tutuki.  Working together, we achieve.  Ka mau te wehi!

Two cases of students with measles has been confirmed.  Joan Alladyce from UC Health Centre and Catherine Moran are managing the process to notify other students who may have been in contact with the contagious person.

Concern of measles spreading is only for up to one hour after the contagious person has used a room or equipment.

If you have any concerns or become aware of any other cases, please let your manager know or contact the UC Health Centre.

We have a fixed term 12 months (April 2019 to April 2020), full-time opportunity available for an Assistant Librarian that has a focus on the Engagement pou within the Customer Services team. Working closely with the Team Leader Customer Services (Engagement) you will have the opportunity to apply your leadership experience, creative talent and desktop publishing skills, be involved with marketing and communications projects that demonstrate and increase our value-add within UC in addition to usual frontline duties.

This role has a delayed start date in late April.  The days/hours of work includes:

Academic Year

Summer

If this sounds like you, please email an expression of interest to tepaea.paringatai@canterbury.ac.nz by 5pm 28 March 2019, outlining:

PD Assistant Librarian 2018

• 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 at this time, and EOI are open to current employees of the University of Canterbury.

These positions are fixed team and provide backfill for Lisa Davies and Caroline Anderson who are on secondment.  Check out the UC vacancies for more info.  Applications close 24 March 2019.

https://ucvacancies.canterbury.ac.nz/psp/ps/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=1&JobOpeningId=7038&PostingSeq=1

There is a planned power outage for central campus which includes PJH therefore Puaka James Hight Library will be closed Saturday and Sunday this weekend.  To support students and staff who require library access, we will open EPS library on these days and staff who usually work in the weekend will work from EPS library. 

We are in contact with security, e-services and others to get this sorted asap and update any communications (online and posters).