Dawn Carlisle
Backdrop of project is merger of polytechs into Te Pūkenga. Other challenges: honouring obligations under Te Tiriti; ever-changing nature of technology; Covid-19.
Transdisciplinary research: methodology that sees a subject and issue from all angles and disciplines. Allows for collective understanding from the community involved in the subject and issue. (Compared to interdisciplinary research which might ‘only’ come from the point of view of a couple of disciplines.)
Explored what a future academic library service could look like in Aotearoa bearing in mind these challenges, and looking at it from all angles. Including library as space, librarians as teachers, library kaimahi, decolonization and Te Tiriti, “industry 4.0 technology” (robots, AI, AR, etc).
5 surveys with 62 participants. Interviews with library professionals; a library managers forum; a Te Tiriti workshop.
Analysed using Constructivist Grounded Theory which is a reflective iterative approach of working with data from the various interviews etc.
Insights:

• We need equity and understanding – move away from Eurocentric model; increase Indigenous staff; improve understanding of Indigenous knowledge; be comforting, welcoming spaces
• Centralisation is beneficial – but can’t lose individuality. Need to know people and histories of local land
• Technology – implemented into our work
• Treaty partnerships – work within mana whenua in our communities, keep communication open
• Improving access – currently each ITP has to negotiate its own access to databases – Te Pukenga merger is an opportunity to change this.

Lots of future avenues for exploration.
As a result of the work developed featured library guides around Aotearoa history; mātauranga Māori; Pacific knowledge. resources/services for Wintec researchers; and Equity&Inclusion.