Kia ora koutou

A busy week with the first draft of 2024-2026 UC budgets coming to spotlight, Chatbot UAT (User Acceptance Testing) and Library Committee, amongst other matters.  And that’s just the parts I’ve seen or been involved with!  So much more on than this – both ongoing services and signature projects.

Library Committee was particularly valuable this month – some important themes were raised, discussed and shared, e.g. ‘nefarious’ publishing models, Read & Publish agreement structures, options for sector-wide collection management decisions and what this means for access, OER and OA developments such as the CAUL Collective, the success of the Visualise Your Thesis (VYT) competition and the incredible depth, breadth and quality of postgraduate research mahi underway here, and campaign issues under the spotlight in the UCSA elections (results announced tonight) – including the need for more study spaces, both in the library and across campus.

I’d like to commend the many of you undertaking UAT for the Chatbot this week as well, as the results I’ve seen were unsettling and illuminating, in equal measure.  Sara has shared adjusted timelines with our staff via Teams, which have been pushed out while the various wrinkles are subjected to a hot iron!  We’ll stay tuned, and keep sharing our constructive feedback to the project team.

Finally, Library Managers are keen to get a sense of your communications preferences as we have a proliferation of channels and would like to know what rows your boat best! Jaz will be sharing a quick communications poll, along with some key updates about the Staff Forum, the Digital Information Project, Mental Health First Aid courses, and the Rosalind Patrick Awards process, on Monday.

For now, happy and safe weekend all.  Great to see some sunshine out there today!
Kat

Kia ora UC Library Whānau,

Rā Tōmene is approaching fast!

On the 8th September over 2500 prospective students and their families will come to UC to sample our wares.

In the past UC Library has had a stall, but in 2023 we are hoping to have a bigger impact by providing bookable Library information Sessions in Room 224 through the day.

These sessions are all booked out, and will have around 35 people in attendance. The plan is to introduce them briefly to our services through the ELS, LTR, and MB teams.  Sign up sheets for these are here: K:\Operations\Marketing\Events&Promotions\Rā Tōmene (Open Day)\Open Day Rā Tōmene 2023\Sessions and tours

We know that parents and prospective students impressions on Open Day is a key part of their choice in which University to attend, so I am excited for us to be increasing our engagement with Rā Tōmene this year, and contributing to the picutre of UC which prospective students will receive.

Please don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions around this.

Rā Tōmene team:

Brian McElwaine, Dale Wang, Isabella Stainthorpe, Lani Tukariri, Kerry Gilmour

Kia ora koutou  

We are seeking expressions of interest for a part-time Kaiāwhina/ Library Assistant role to help with the Archival Shelving Project. This is a 0.4 (15 hours a week) band 2 role with increased hours at key points throughout the project. At this stage it is anticipated that increased hours will be required for time during October 2023, February/March 2024, October 2024 and December/January 2025.  

 The role will suit someone interested in working with the archive collection at Macmillan Brown Library. While a large bulk of the work will involve moving collections in the Warehouse onto new shelving, the position will also offer the candidate a chance to learn about the collections and work with Minisis software by assisting with an inventory of the archive collection. There will be opportunity to complete preservation tasks such as boxing and wrapping items throughout the project.  

Skilled required   

• Physically able to work with shifting large amounts of archival boxes and items.   

• Desire to learn about archive management software.   
• Communication and problem-solving skills.   
• Attention to detail.  
• Ability to use Microsoft Excel.  

Desirable   

• Some knowledge of archives or an interest in archives.   
• Knowledge of library systems and processes.   
• Familiarity with handling heritage items.  

More details can be found in the Position Description- K:\Operations\HR\PD-ASP-Library Assistant.pdf 

The work hours will be within Monday to Friday, 8:30-5pm, but there is flexibility within this regarding timing of hours. 

Please submit a letter and CV to Hannah O’Dwyer (hannah.odwyer@canterbury.ac.nz) by 25 August 2023, with a short informal interview for shortlisted applicants. Feel free to ask Hannah any questions about the role.    

On behalf of the library managers, I need to let you know about a developing issue with our heating:

1. There is an issue with the main boiler that serves the campus including all 3 libraries. It has been shut down.

2. FM are firing up the secondary boiler, but it will take time to come to temp. We will effectively be without heating all weekend.

3. Multiple buildings across campus will be affected.

4. There will be residual heat from the cooling systems in the building tonight.

5. Forecast is for highs of 11 and perhaps 14 on Sunday but very cold overnight.

SLT is meeting now. Kat has recommended and SLT have confirmed that:

1. We keep standard operating hours tonight

2. We close the libraries both days this weekend

Rolling comms from UC Comms will start soonish…

Isabella and Dale are working on posters, Lib social media (will have to wait for UC comms) and contacting affected staff.

Jenny is getting our eResources team to add messaging to our Online resources.

More to come…

Simon Burge

Kia ora koutou

It’s been a while since my last update, and there is plenty to share and celebrate!
Let’s start with some milestones and key achievements:
* The FOLIO contract with EBSCO has been finalised, and we’re now moving into the project kick-off phase – yay!
*Henry Field Store has now been fully emptied of library items. What a great achievement – ka pai!
* We have a new addition to the library team – a Siamese Fighting Fish (Betta Splendens) now ensconced on Level 2 of PJH, who needs and prefers to live alone (see Dale’s post and pic from Wednesday this week). There’ll be a pet naming competition for this piscine pugilist in due course!
* The Research Student Showcase held on Tuesday night this week, featuring the Visualise Your Thesis (VYT) Award Ceremony.  It’s such an uplifting testament to the breadth, depth, quality and talent in place across our postgraduate student research cohorts.  And felt very much like the Oscars!  Such fabulous mahi from Rachel and the VYT Library Team – on behalf of us all, ngā mihi nui for your sterling efforts! And the winner is:

Finally, just bringing the Library External Peer Review back to mind, following the panel’s very successful and engaging site visit back in June.  The panel are currently working away at the review report, and have been in contact with a few managers this week to fact-check and request additional information, about some sections. We expect the report to be delivered by the end of this month, for sharing with SLT, the Library Committee, and us all throughout the Library team. It is due to be tabled at Academic Board before their November meeting, so we are well ahead on the timeline here.

Just an assurance and reminder that the report will comprise findings and recommendations. The recommendations will likely include some commendations for great work underway, as well as areas for us to develop further.  These recommendations will also give us a unique opportunity to shape our future direction through next year and beyond.  It’s an exciting time, but I appreciate it can be somewhat unsettling as we sit on the cusp and wait for the report to arrive.

On this note, a heads-up that we’ll be focussing our August Staff Forum on change and wellbeing, with Tracey Robinson joining us from P&C Wellbeing as well as our MLM Project Change Manager (Nicola Adams) from Digital Services.  We’re also wanting to focus on the chance to come together, share kai and have some breakout/group kōrero. More details to come!

For now, stay warm!  Happy and safe weekend,
Kat

Mōrena all,

We can now announce that we have contracted Dexion Supply Centre to install the new archival shelving. They have great experience with this type of shelving, including installing at Archives NZ. While final details need to be made, work is likely to begin on the first tranche late September/October.

In the meantime, we’re busy preparing the space for the work to start and looking forward to farewelling these empty wooden shelves…. Keep an eye out for the call to take some of these off our hands!

Ngā mihi

Hannah

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!

Kia ora koutou,

The 2023 10,000 Steps Challenge is happening soon!

This will be the 4th year in a row that we have entered a Library team for the challenge and we invite you to join the Library team.

What is the 10,000 steps challenge?

10,000 steps is an Australasian University Health Challenge, which encourages NZ and Australian universities to compete in tracking physical activity over a period of 6 weeks. This year the competition runs from Monday 21st August to Sunday 1st October.  The goal is to complete 10,000 steps each day for the six week period.  It sounds daunting, but it is surprising how quickly steps add up over a day.

What if I can’t do that many steps per day?

It doesn’t matter!  All steps are useful for wellbeing and for increasing our step total. Some days will be filled with more steps than other days.

More details will be coming very soon on how you can join the challenge.

If you have any questions, please get in touch.

ngā mihi,

Sara

We are having an ongoing problem with access to Wiley content off-campus and through the UC wifi. Open Athens and Wiley are working on it, but cannot provide a timeline: OpenAthens resource status page Status.

On campus access through UC computers or docking stations seems unaffected.

If you are contacted by anyone having issues with Wiley content, please let them know it is being worked on. We’ll need to suggest on-campus access or send them the articles directly, if an alternative source is not available.

Ngā mihi,

Claire (on behalf of eservices)

I’m delighted to announce that Jane Agnew will re-start this week as Project Coordinator to assist with both the Henry Field Relocation Project and the From Physical Collections to Learning Spaces Project. Jane will be working 0.5FTE in the coordinator role for the next 6 months and continue with her current ELS team role for the other half.

This week, the remaining items left in Henry Field building will be decanted.  Books are moving to both the Dovedale Annex and the Law Basement.  The remaining shelving and furniture will be removed as well to make way for the refurbishment of Henry Field building for the Digital Screen campus occupation.

Some new shelving will be installed in the Law Basement in the NorthWest corner in a few weeks, and this space is being prepared and tidied this week.

Jenny