Auckland Libraries TALANOA
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Auckland Libraries TALANOA BC5535 Transforming through shared stories and respect 2 Table of Contents Foreword .............................................................................................................................. 3 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 5 2 The Present ................................................................................................................... 7 3 The Future ................................................................................................................... 11 4 Recommendations ...................................................................................................... 12 Cover image: Mama Teuke Malaga and Frances Kelly Auckland Libraries, West Auckland Research Centre Pacifica Arts Centre Collection PAC-PLAF-D-2012-006. Copyright: Pacifica Arts Centre 3 Foreword Reverend Uesifili Unasa ‘Our place, our story’ I vividly remember my small village upbringing in Samoa. There were no computers, televisions or mobile phones. There was just story-telling. Mothers, grannies and aunties had a way of weaving magic and wonder into our little minds. Many years later, when I recall these stories, I am sure they indelibly shaped and inspired my own life. Today, storytelling is so much more - more words, more ideas, more learning, more experiences, more colour, more pictures, more storytellers and, of course, more places to tell them. We are very fortunate our public libraries provide our Pasifika communities with a place to read, listen and watch stories from all around the world. Here we learn of other people’s and cultures different from ourselves. There is a wealth of information through learning facilities and materials to aid our understanding and learning. More importantly, our libraries are our place. It is where we can shape and tell our own Pasifika stories. Like the days of old, it is the place where magic and wonder can be woven. I can think of nothing better or more inspiring. This is not only important for understanding and self-improvement. It is essential for our survival. 4 Mirla Edmundson General Manager, Libraries and Information, Auckland Council Auckland is one of the world’s significant Pacific and Polynesian cities. Auckland Libraries is well placed to provide spaces, services and collections that both support and reflect the aspirations of Pacific communities and Pacific Aucklanders. This talanoa document is written down at a point in time but within an ongoing discussion of the many ways in which Pacific families can get more benefit from their public library. It is a guide to ensuring that services designed with customers at the centre put Pacific peoples at the centre too, for learning and leisure, as well as for valuing, preserving and providing access to Pacific stories and culture. Pacific staff and a culturally-aware workforce are at the heart of a library service that delivers for Pacific Aucklanders. Let’s take talanoa as our mandate to grow the appeal of libraries to Pacific Auckland. 5 1 Introduction Auckland Libraries and Pacific Aucklanders offer each other significant transformative benefits. The role of talanoa is to help bring those benefits into realisation. This will be done through: 1. Libraries engaging with Pacific Aucklanders who understand and value what we currently offer so that we learn what helps them identify with Auckland Libraries. 2. Libraries identifying and addressing, with Pacific Aucklanders, the barriers preventing others accessing the service. 3. Identifying transformational opportunities for better outcomes for Pacific communities. 4. Keeping the lines of communication open between Auckland Libraries and Pacific Aucklanders. 1.1 Context This is the culmination of a comprehensive research process that included a survey with library members and non-members, two talanoa sessions with library staff, a literature review and interviews with noted Pacific members of the community. A draft of initial findings was then critiqued to define recommendations based on all the feedback received from the research process. 1.2 Background An often quoted line about this city is “Auckland is one of the most diverse cities in the world”. It is an actual fact. According to the World Migration Report 2015, Auckland is the fourth most diverse city in the world, ahead of cities such as Sydney, London and New York whose populations are substantially higher.1 Within this diversity of 1.4 million people, nearly 15% are of Pacific descent.2 This 15% brings into focus another often quoted statement, “Auckland has the largest Pacific population in the world”. While this line is not as easy to verify, Auckland unquestionably has a very significant Pacific population by international standards. Gagana Samoa (the Samoan language) is the third most spoken language in the region. In approximately 20 years’ time, Auckland’s Pacific population is forecasted to grow to 18%. A 3% increase may seem minimal but compare that to the region’s total population growth and you will see an increase of almost 120,000 in the Pacific population by 2038. 1 International Organization for Migration, 2015 2 Statistics in this section sourced from the census 2013 6 The Auckland Council, through its driving document the Auckland Plan, recognises that the strong Pacific population, with its languages, cultural practices and customs, gives the region one of its distinctive qualities. Furthermore, Auckland Libraries, through its supporting document Te Kauroa-Future Directions,3 looks at three specific ways to cultivate its Pacific service: uplifting and strengthening Pacific resources working in collaboration with the Pacific community to develop culturally relevant programmes and events collecting and preserving stories from the Pacific community. In Te Kauroa-Future Directions, Auckland Libraries has developed Universal Access Principles. These centre on growing the knowledge and understanding of residents and celebrating the diversity found in Auckland. Through these principles Auckland Libraries constantly strives to make itself an organisation that is accessible, understandable and appealing to all people. It also aspires for Pacific Aucklanders to feel an ownership for and identify with their public library service. Louisa Lavakula ~ Niuean, Ōtara Library The libraries should have combined annual events for Pacific people - which means that each Pacific people can say what they want, how they would like it to happen and where it’s leading the Pacific person to in the future. I cannot talk for Samoans and other groups; I can only give information or things that I think for Niueans alone…language weeks, sometimes for Niueans this year, a lot of things happened in Māngere because the libraries in Māngere link with the pre- schools and also with churches and Ōtara should be looking at that and as I mentioned before to you to see if you can visit PIC ministers of churches and three ethnic groups in that church – Niuean, Samoan and Cook Island and that’s how things can happen. But if nothing is done. Language is very important because if we look at fluent Niueans in English we could translate it, interpret it and we can always be called to hospital for translations and being the voice for Niuean patients and all that and that’s how we look at it, the variety of areas that can be identified and developed as soon as possible because some generations of Niue are passing away and less people in the age group before me be present to make sure things happen. I have got resources myself for Niuean language but I only share it with my children and grandchildren and it should be out to everybody. Basic Niuean should be something that is available to the libraries of Ōtara and Manukau. 3 http://www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/EN/About/plansandpolicies/futuredirections/Pages/futuredirections.aspx 7 2 The Present 2.1 Pacific staff and workforce Throughout internal and external talanoa, customers and staff recognise the value and importance of Pacific staff at Auckland Libraries. Pacific participants talked of the importance of the visibility of Pacific staff and the need to have more working at Auckland Libraries. This was named as a way for the library to be seen as Pacific-friendly, raise confidence in the service and address perceptions of libraries ‘not being a place’ for Pacific peoples. There is a need for all library staff to gain or continue to develop cultural awareness given the perceived lack of cultural awareness across the board. Libraries should reflect the community. This does not mean staff in a team need to be of Pacific descent but Libraries should reflect Pacific values and principles. 2.2 Offering a Pacific experience Auckland Libraries needs to offer experiences specifically designed for Pacific peoples, allowing them to tell their stories in their own ways, finding importance in Pacific heritage and being aware of Pacific pedagogy/learning styles. Auckland Libraries needs to be mindful that the definition of success can be different for Pacific peoples. Pacific collections, programmes and events need to be of a high standard and show clear and visible linkages with formal schooling and learning. Searching and locating resources is a huge part of learning and education. Because libraries are experts in this, there is a need to increase their use and role in the teaching of the school curriculum for Pacific students. Programmes and events need