Auckland Libraries: Te Kauroa – Future Directions 2013-2023
Adapted in accordance with Section 69 of the Copyright Act 1994 by the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind, for the sole use of persons who have a print disability.
Produced 2013 by Accessible Format Production, RNZFB, Auckland
This edition is a transcription of the following print edition:
Published by Auckland Libraries 2013
Copyright Auckland Libraries 2103
Omissions
All images have been omitted from this e-text copy of Future Direction 2013-2023.
“Writing the definitive history of modern libraries is a work in progress. 
Our best advice is to enjoy the journey and relish in the wonderment of what tomorrow may bring.” 
Thomas Frey 
DaVinci Institute Inc 
The opportunity
Te Kauroa – Future Directions is the first strategic plan for Auckland Libraries, following the creation of the amalgamated Auckland Council in November 2010.
Auckland Council has set an ambitious long-term vision for Auckland to be the world’s most liveable city. The Auckland Plan details the strategies and directions which will deliver this vision across all aspects of life in the region.
Te Kauroa – Future Directions details how libraries will contribute to the vision and outcomes of the Auckland Plan. It provides a framework for the planning and development of library services, and outlines the priorities and shifts required to deliver world-class services which meet the needs of all Auckland’s diverse communities.
Our challenge is to reshape library services in response to the digital revolution which is changing all aspects of our lives, while accommodating the rapid growth in population size and diversity which the region is experiencing.
The name Te Kauroa symbolises a tool which enables people to set direction and move forward together. This strategic plan is the tool we will use to build the future library together. This is a truly exciting opportunity, to build on the innovation and vibrancy which is our proud tradition while harnessing our new scale as the largest public library system in Australasia.
Aspiration
Auckland Libraries: your place of imagination, learning and connection.
Purpose
Auckland Libraries connects the diverse communities and people of Auckland with the world of information and ideas, providing opportunities for growth and enjoyment through inspiration, innovation and creativity.
Commitment
We are building a dynamic world class library of the future which meets the needs of Aucklanders anywhere, anytime.
Principles
Freedom of access to information, equity, freedom of expression, trust, sharing, sustainability, collaboration, value.
Auckland Council values
Pride, teamwork., service, accountability, respect, innovation.
Focus Areas
The digital library
Your library available anywhere, anytime
• be agile in response to a fast changing environment
• make it easy to access services and content from anywhere
• provide expertise when and where the customer needs it
• enable customer contributions and dialogue.
The digital library will be the area of most significant growth and change over the next 10 years. This shift will put the library in every pocket, reflecting the speed of change to mobile connection and interaction, as customers both consume and create digital content. The virtual digital library will reflect and extend the experience of the physical space. Library content, services and programmes will be available not just as ‘one-to-one’ or ‘one-to-many’ interactions as in the past, but as ‘many-to-many’ sharing of ideas and knowledge, especially with use of social media channels. Libraries will have to be agile in response to a fast changing environment and ensure robust infrastructure and networks support the growing digital library. 
Library spaces
Engaging spaces at the heart of community
• develop a quality network of library facilities reflecting local communities
• contribute to a stunning city centre
• position future libraries at the heart of multipurpose community spaces.
Library spaces are changing to become multipurpose community facilities that contribute to place-making and community connection. They are vibrant, accessible and open places for meeting, learning and inspiration and in ten years a space for creativity and participation, where people come together to share ideas and create new knowledge. They remain places of opportunity to ensure equity of access to information and technology, whatever the technology of the future may be. By 2023 Auckland Libraries will have implemented a Libraries Facilities Plan which addresses issues such as population growth. New types of spaces and delivery options will have been tried to respond to changing customer needs, and solutions identified for library spaces in a stunning city centre.
Heritage and research
Auckland's unique stories shared and celebrated
• broaden the collections to reflect the diversity of Auckland’s identity
• increase the access to and visibility of our heritage collections
• secure sustainable funding to ensure better preservation and promotion of heritage collections
• enhance Māori accessibility to Māori materials/collections
• increase opportunities for Māori to engage with taonga.
The shift is to integrate the documentary heritage collections into the daily lives of Aucklanders. We will capture, share, celebrate, create and store the new stories of a diverse Auckland community. We will promote the unique documentary heritage of Auckland that has the potential to be a major cultural attraction for visitors to the City Centre. We will look for opportunities to collaborate with partners to share the management, funding, preservation and care of unique special collections which benefit all New Zealanders.
Children and young people
Every child a reader – every child a library member
• create and nurture readers
• work holistically with parents, whānau, carers and schools to strengthen family literacy
• stimulate imagination, creativity and learning through play
• support learning, life skills and transitions for children and young people.
The shift in this focus area requires Libraries to work in active partnerships as part of the wider learning ecosystem, so that every child in Auckland from birth has the opportunity to experience the magic of reading and discovery that libraries offer. It will mean working closely not only with the child or young person but with those who make the biggest difference to a child’s learning - parents, carers, schools and whānau. It will mean supporting whole families with their literacy and reading journey, particularly in communities where English is not the first language. Using community expertise to complement library skills and extend library capacity, and taking programmes out into schools and the community is part of this shift.
Customer and community connection
Programmes and services that inspire learning and participation
• activate library spaces with innovative programmes and events
• position libraries as citizen spaces for sharing knowledge and ideas, and for thinking and debate
• support readers and promote reader development
• connect with new customers through targeted community outreach
• increase capacity to respond to enquiries from Māori.
Customer involvement and responsiveness to changing needs will shape Auckland Libraries’ rich variety of programmes and services. While continuing to support the reading interests and engagement of its strong customer base, the shift will be to connect more strongly with customer groups that face access barriers or are new to libraries. This will include ensuring that all programmes and services contribute to Māori wellbeing. There will be greater emphasis on reflecting the different Pacific communities’ cultures in Auckland and on new migrant or newcomer communities. Programmes will encourage lifelong learning and literacy, awareness, debate, participation and creativity. We will look for new ways to take “library” to the people, as vital points of connection to the world of knowledge and the local community.
Collections
Sustainable and customer-driven collections
• safeguard open access to a broad and deep range of library materials
• deliver an effectively managed regional resource with local flavour
• grow the range and ease of use of digital content.
The significant shift in this focus area is the rapid growth in eContent and the move to reading on a hand held device. Managing and accommodating the two modes of reading and supply of content will require streamlined practices and a reallocation of resources over time. Digital media provide opportunities for those who cannot read standard print and who have never been able to use public libraries fully, or for whom print is not the dominant way of transmitting knowledge. Exposing Libraries’ data and content in multiple channels can drive new customers to content held by Auckland Libraries and make it available for reuse.
Our development approach
Achieving Te Kauroa – Future Directions for Auckland Libraries will mean we experiment, do some things differently and think about the library business in fresh and interesting ways. We will achieve more by working with others with similar aspirations and goals. It means working smarter and making sure we have the right people with the right skills and attitude to bring about the transformation envisaged. Key to success will be working with customers to shape services that meet changing needs.
Customers at the centre
• enable independent self-help and ease of use
• make every interaction count
• provide library expertise at point of need
• involve customers in shaping services
• harness customers’ expertise
• take a more agile development approach
• prototype and try things out
• encourage creativity and innovation within our teams
• evaluate and learn from successes and failures.
Experiment, innovate, learn
• take a more agile development approach
• prototype and try things out
• encourage creativity and innovation within our teams
• evaluate and learn from successes and failures.
Collaborating and partnering for success
• leverage from others to deliver more
• develop relationships and networks
• provide leadership in the national and international library sectors
• strengthen our impact and visibility in the community
• develop services that are Whānau centric
• use and promote Te Reo Māori.
Working smarter
• align policies and practices for greatest impact
• foster continuous business improvement
• use management information for smart decision making
• evaluate all we do to assess what we can stop doing
• use technology to drive efficiency and effectiveness and improve service.
Empowering our people
• develop workforce planning and talent management
• develop leadership at all levels in the organisation
• strengthen and nurture leadership through innovative staff development
• foster a learning culture
• recruit staff with a rich range of strong skills and a ‘can do’ attitude that embraces change
• focus on outcomes and accountability
• build the confidence of staff so they feel trusted to lead change.
The journey to 2023
Te Kauroa – Future Directions looks out 10 years to 2023.
It envisages tangible shifts in focus and delivery in order to remain the best possible library service for Aucklanders. Like the Auckland Plan, it is ambitious in its aspirations, and there is much to do. Careful planning is required to get the desired results, including identifying the priority actions and timeframes.
Working together we will develop action plans for each focus area. At the same time we will identify some quick wins and get these underway. Ten years is not a long time in this rapidly changing environment and we need to keep moving.
Initial priorities will include: development of a facilities plan; preparation of a Maori engagement framework; workforce planning and skill development; a library digital strategy; an innovation approach, and extension of early literacy programmes to reach more children.
We will also focus on the five development approaches because the way we work with others will be as critical to the success of Te Kauroa – Future Directions as the actions we take.
The outcomes we want for Auckland are:
• libraries available anywhere, anytime
• every child is a reader and a library member
• engaging library spaces at the heart of communities
• programmes that inspire learning and participation
• Auckland stories shared and celebrated
• sustainable customer-driven collections as the life-blood of all service
• empowered people.
Libraries cannot do this alone. We are committed to developing our skills and resources to deliver great library service. We will also work in partnership with our customers and communities to create a world class library service befitting the world’s most liveable city.
End of Auckland Libraries – Future Directions