National Library Update

6 March 2017               

2017 Strategic Work Programme

This month formally marks the end of the development phase of our strategic work programme and the start of the implementation phase. To support this work I have appointed a strategic lead for each of our three strategic themes, to keep us thinking big and on course to meet our aspirations for 2030. As highly experienced staff from within the Department and the National Library, their names will be familiar to many:

• Taonga: Steve Knight (steve.knight@dia.govt.nz)
• Knowledge: Richard Foy (richard.foy@dia.govt.nz)
• Reading: Elizabeth Jones (elizabeth.jones@dia.govt.nz)

The strategic leads joined my leadership team in a full day workshop last week to refine our priorities and strategic work programme for the year ahead. Significant activities already underway include:

• Re-launch of Services to Schools online offerings from March, including Any Questions delivered in partnership with the Ministry of Education and libraries;

• Engagement with authors, publishers, libraries and others in a roundtable discussion in Auckland this week to explore the role that libraries can play in supporting the creative sector, including the future role of the public lending right;

• Opening of the He Tohu exhibition and associated public programmes in May in our Molesworth Street Wellington building in partnership with Archives New Zealand;

• Discussions with public libraries to agree a collaborative solution to address the limitations of the current model for public internet services provided through the Aotearoa Peoples Network Kaharoa.

Each of these activities highlights to me the importance of partnerships and collaborative approaches as we start the implementation of our strategic directions.

I will have more to share once our strategic leads are fully up to speed and as our work programme progresses.

Collaboration in-house

To encourage innovation and collaboration on a smaller scale in-house we have recently established the National Library’s own Business Innovation Group. This group of staff meets fortnightly to create, consider and assess proposals that will foster professional development, collaboration and innovation in our daily work.

All this in addition to business as usual at the National Library, so we are looking at a very busy 2017! I look forward to working with you.

Ng? mihi

Bill