LIANZA

Tena Koutou Katoa

This last year has brought much change as many librarians and information managers have had to restructure, downsize, cut budgets, adapt to the impact of earthquakes, and look to the future.

IFLA’s three messages in The Campaign for the World’s Libraries ring true– Libraries are changing and dynamic places, Libraries are places of opportunity and Libraries bridge the world.

Last week’s 10^th National Digital Forum showed that we are living in the future. The key things that resonated with me were open data, the enthusiastic spirit of fellowship, sharing and exchange of views and the changing interface with our collections. The power of knowledge was highlighted by a group presentation on the effects of the Christchurch earthquake and documenting history.

If we are looking to the digital future what will it mean for us?

A recent report by Donn Hawkins, of an address by Brad Eden, Dean of Library Services at Valpariso University, raised the need to “get further involved in social networking and talk the way our users talk” and “move organisations into the digital mentality and the digital level of education and move from the local to the network level in collaboration, metadata and resource sharing.”

(www.theconferencecircuit.com/2011/11/06/the-status-quo-has-got-to-go)

Librarians and information professionals are adapting to new and changing environments.  I think that future thinking will lead to a new agenda.  Many trends are in our society already.  We need to look at future implications.  We need to scan the horizon and see what is happening out there. Libraries, librarians and information specialists working together, locally, regionally and nationally to achieve critical mass.

Festive greetings from myself, the LIANZA Council and LIANZA office team for a well-deserved holiday break with sun, fun and time for thinking.

Ka kite ano

Jane Hill
President of LIANZA

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