 ***THE ASLA DANZ CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARD 2025 SHORTLISTS ARE ANNOUNCED***
Graphic Novels Ghost Book by Remy Lai (Allen & Unwin) Neverlanders by Tom Taylor and Jon Sommariva (Penguin Random House) The Sweetness Between Us by Sarah Winifred Searle (Allen & Unwin) Non-Fiction Our Mob by Taylor Hampton & Jacinta Daniher and illustrated by Seantelle Walsh (Ford Street Publishing) Looking After Country with Fire by Victor Steffensen and illustrated by Sandra Steffensen (Hardie Grant Explore) The Trees by Victor Steffensen and illustrated by Sandra Steffensen (Hardie Grand Explore) Poetry Pasifika Navigators by 52 Pasifika Student Authors (Mila’s Books) It’s the Sound of the Thing by Maxine Beneba Clarke (Hardie Grant Children's Publishing) Young Adult Catch a Falling Star by Eileen Merriman (Penguin Random House New Zealand) Into the Mouth of the Wolf by Erin Gough (Hardie Grant) Inkflower by Suzy Zail (Walker Books Australia) Congratulations to all the authors, illustrators, contributors, and publishing teams for wowing our young judges with these stunning and entertaining books! Winners will be crowned at a glamorous awards event at the ASLA Conference on Friday, May 30th at Higher Mark, GMHBA Stadium, Geelong. The incredible Joel McKerrow will be the host and tickets are now available for purchase. Please contact us asap should you be interested in coming along or sponsoring the event. The ASLA DANZ Awards celebrate diverse children’s fiction published in Australia and New Zealand. The awards honours books that challenge stereotypes, push boundaries, and highlight diverse and marginalised communities, including those representing disability, culture, LGBTQI+, race and religion. Be sure to check out the 2025 longlist here - celebrating authentically diverse Australian & NZ children's literature, they are also a wonderful collection development tool for school library staff. If you would like to support our valuable and much-needed award, which spotlights and rewards authentic diverse people, lives, and experiences, we would love to hear from you. With you and the generosity of those already onboard, we allow all children from all backgrounds to be seen, accepted, and celebrated. Please reach out to Kate at [email protected] or Martha at [email protected] to discuss how you can be involved. Thank you for joining us in celebrating these wonderful books. Best, The DANZ Committee www.thedanzchildrensbookaward.com @DANZCBA
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Kia ora koutou, The School Library Association of New Zealand Aotearoa (SLANZA) is thrilled to announce an exciting opportunity for students across Aotearoa: the Aotearoa School Library Week 2025 (ASLW25) Poster Design Competition. SLANZA is inviting talented student artists to design the official poster for ASLW25, which will take place from 4-8 August 2025. This is a fantastic chance for your students to showcase their creativity and contribute to the promotion of the vital role of school libraries throughout the country. As the primary visual for ASLW25, the winning artwork will be used extensively in our promotional materials and on all collateral for the year. We are looking for an A3 portrait poster design that captures the essence of a school library and appeals to a wide audience, from tamariki to rangatahi. Think about what makes your school library special:
Key Guidelines for Entries:
The winner will receive a $200 Prezzy Card. Entries must be submitted by 11:59 PM on Friday, May 2, 2025. We hope you promote competition far and wide in your kura and look forward to receiving many exciting entries. Ngā mihi nui, The Aotearoa School Library Week Ohu Mahi Twenty-nine books have made the longlist for the 2025 ASLA DANZ Children’s Book.
Awards, selected by over 110 children and teenagers from across Australia and New Zealand. The longlist came from an outstanding field of 135 books made up of Graphic Novels, NonFiction, Poetry, and Young Adult Novels celebrating diverse people and communities in a balanced and authentic way. Graphic Novel Category
Non-Fiction Category
Poetry Category
Young Adult Novels Category
The shortlists will be announced online on Thursday, 3rd of April and the winners crowned at this year’s ASLA Conference Dinner on Friday, 30th May held at the iconic GMHBA Stadium in Geelong. The 2024 and 2025 longlists are being made available as a valuable resource spotlighting quality diverse literature for educators, booksellers, parents and carers. The colourful brochures are designed and distributed by BookPeople Kids. Online versions will also be made available. This project is supported by The Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund. Visit www.thedanzchildrensbookaward.com to learn more about the award. Any queries or concerns can be directed to the DANZ committee at [email protected] Since the award does not charge an entry fee, support in all forms, from monetary donations and the sharing of services, is welcomed and encouraged to help take the award to the next level. Please reach out to Kate at [email protected] or Martha at [email protected] to discuss how you can make a difference. For more information or interviews, contact Kate at [email protected] Introduction
I am writing this submission on behalf of SLANZA (School Library Association of New Zealand Aotearoa). Our organisation provides community, guidance and professional development on library practice and programmes for school library staff in Aotearoa, while honouring the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in our work. SLANZA’s aims include empowering and supporting school library staff and strengthening and promoting school libraries in Aotearoa. We achieve this by advocating for the critical role of school librarians, providing a national voice for our library sector, and administering professional development for our 547 members. SLANZA is strongly opposed to the Treaty Principles Bill currently under consideration and we recommend the Bill be abandoned. Reasons Why As an educational organisation SLANZA honours the mana of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Te Tiriti o Waitangi is one of this country’s founding documents and is vital to upholding human rights in Aotearoa. We see Te Tiriti as a taonga for this nation, it is an agreement of peaceful co-existence between two peoples, each while retaining their cultural identity - tangata Tiriti and tangata whenua. SLANZA understands that the Waitangi Tribunal report on the Treaty Principles Bill found that the proposed Bill will breach the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and cause prejudice to Māori. Likewise, twelve national education leaders: Te Akatea, NZEI Te Riu Roa; New Zealand Principals' Federation; PPTA Te Wehengarua; Secondary Principals' Council; Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand; Pacific Principals' Association; Te Rito Maioha Early Childhood New Zealand; Montessori Aotearoa NZ; and NZAIMS, all say they reject the Treaty Principles Bill, which is based on a fundamental misinterpretation of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is deliberately misleading. These groups said they will oppose the Government’s proposals to downgrade Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the Education and Training Act. SLANZA stands alongside these educational organisations with the same concerns. We believe Te Tiriti o Waitangi has been woven into the laws of Aotearoa to redress colonial wrongs and guarantee a degree of fairness and equity for Māori. The Ministry of Education developed culturally responsive pedagogy to reduce gaps in achievement levels among Māori and Pasifika students. The Education and Training Act requires schools through their Boards of Trustees to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi by:
Impacts School librarians have an important role in supporting the requirements currently set out in the Education and Training Act as well as their school’s strategic plan. SLANZA believes that by devaluing Te Tiriti o Waitangi in this Act will severely impact our country’s educational outcomes. Without Te Tiriti guiding educational policies, providing the more equitable learning environments and achievements our schools have worked hard to obtain would no longer be possible. The negative impacts will not only affect Māori ākonga, kaiako, and whānau but will adversely affect the whole school, the wider community and the nation as a whole. Recommendations Our organisation surveyed our members and over 83% opposed the Treaty Principles Bill. SLANZA emphatically opposes the Bill. We call on the Select Committee to abandon the Treaty Principles Bill immediately. Julia Smith SLANZA National Executive Communications The steering group for the Aotearoa School Libraries Research Project has continued to meet regularly over the year, working closely with NZCER to ensure progress with this important mahi.
We have reviewed the draft survey report and provided detailed feedback to NZCER that will help shape the final version. Next week, December 11, we are excited to be meeting with NZCER in Wellington to finalise our feedback on the survey findings and case studies in the draft report. Additionally, the Steering Group will work together to plan a release timeline, along with supporting materials, scheduled for early Term 1, 2025. We look forward to sharing the outcomes of this mahi with members and sector stakeholders early next year. You can find previous updates about this project here. Find out more about our project here.  By Trena Lile
Late in Term 3 I represented SLANZA in a meeting with Hon. Brooke van Velden, Minister of Department of Internal Affairs. The meeting was in reference to a joint sector library briefing paper sent to the new Government early this year. Ivy Gao, President of LIANZA, Bernie Hawke, Chief Executive of Public Libraries New Zealand and I met via Zoom with the Minister. Ivy had prepared a statement around LIANZA’s concern for Archives New Zealand and processes pertaining to policy affecting job cuts in that sector. After that Ms van Velden asked questions relating to each of the sectors. She asked about why only one third of schools have a library. I talked about the inadequate funding from MoE for both physical libraries and the staff to work in them. I talked about the support given by school libraries to foster the love of reading and the requirements to provide rich and varied texts to complement the structured literacy being rolled out. While there was financial support put into structured literacy there was no support to fund schools to provide a library of diverse books to support the programme. She asked about the need for physical spaces for Public Libraries and whether they were still necessary given the high volumes of borrowing on eResources. All three of us were united in our views on how important the physical library space is to communities and how often it is seen as the home of reliable information about numerous things, whether that be the tomes they hold or the services they provide, especially in times of crisis. Discussions were had about collaboration with National Library and how vital that service is to schools, school libraries and their staff. Discussions also covered collaborations between school libraries and public libraries. This meeting with the Hon. Brooke van Velden was a valuable opportunity to discuss the critical role libraries play in our communities and to advocate for increased government support. Regular meetings with government representatives are essential to ensure that the needs of the library and information sector are understood and addressed. These meetings provide a platform for sector leaders to raise awareness about current issues, such as ongoing adequate funding for libraries and archives. They also allow for collaborative discussions on how libraries can contribute to government priorities, like digital inclusion and literacy. By working together LIANZA, PLNZ, and SLANZA can amplify their collective impact by presenting a unified voice to government representatives. SLANZA thanks LIANZA for organising this meeting and creating an opportunity to collaborate with fellow library advocates in shaping the future of our sector. Such cross-sector partnerships are vital for driving positive change and ensuring libraries receive the resources and recognition they need to flourish.  SLANZA National Executive is calling for nominations for the position of President Elect. The President-Elect is successor to the President. The position requires this person to aid and support the current President while gaining an insight into the functions of the Presidential role of SLANZA. This position requires an in-depth understanding of the workings of SLANZA and its stakeholders. More information and a full position description can be found here. Nominations opened in July 2024 via an email to members and was included in all AGM communications, and will close on Friday 29 November 2024. Voting will be from Monday 2 December to Friday 13 December. President-Elect will be announced on Tuesday 17 December. This role will commence at the 2025 AGM.  Success of Draft English Curriculum Requires Investment in School Libraries - Media Release28/8/2024 The School Library Association of New Zealand Aotearoa (SLANZA) is pleased to see reading remains a core component of the draft English curriculum released this week, but is concerned that the lack of resourcing for school libraries limits its potential success.
“The draft curriculum requires teachers to ‘choose texts that expose students to a wide range of genres, reflect the languages and cultures of students, and explore the stories of Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific’,” explains SLANZA President, Sasha Eastwood. “To provide this variety of texts demands access to a well-resourced school library with a specialised librarian to aid teachers and students in making these choices, and to ensure that this choice is indeed possible,” says Sasha. Likewise, the draft curriculum requires reading for enjoyment and reading aloud to be part of students’ everyday experiences and SLANZA agrees that these are key to developing literacy and a love of reading. Yet it is currently estimated that two-thirds of students in Aotearoa do not have access to a school librarian, the key person to champion and bring the magic of literacy to life for them. “SLANZA is concerned that without access to school libraries and specialised librarians to promote, encourage, and facilitate the enjoyment of reading, the potential of any literacy programme or strategy will always be limited,” says Sasha. SLANZA urges the government to mandate that every student have access to a well-resourced school library and specialised librarian, to ensure that all students have equitable access to the resources needed to achieve their reading and learning potential. Contact: Sasha Eastwood - [email protected] Ngā manaakitanga SLANZA Advocacy Ohu Mahi Schools across the country are celebrating Aotearoa NZ School Library Week this week, embracing all the ways that school libraries enrich our students’ lives through bringing books to life, providing safe spaces, and allowing the freedom to choose books that are crucial to their literacy and learning success.
The School Library Association of New Zealand Aotearoa - Te Puna Whare Mātauranga a Kura (SLANZA) announced this year’s theme as ‘School Libraries Build Readers’, reflecting the importance of school libraries in underpinning the structured literacy framework. “School libraries are essential to ensure that the building blocks of structured literacy are strengthened by developing the joy of reading, increasing reading comprehension, empathy, and the capacity to learn,” says Leonie Grigsby, SLANZA President elect. It is currently estimated that two thirds of students in Aotearoa do not have access to a school librarian, the key person to champion and bring the magic of literacy to life for them. “SLANZA is concerned that without access to school libraries and specialised librarians to promote and encourage reading for pleasure, the potential of literacy programmes will always be limited,” states Leonie Grigsby. SLANZA urges the government to mandate that every student have access to a well-resourced school library to ensure that all students will have equitable access to the resources needed to achieve their reading and learning potential. Contact: Leonie Grigsby, SLANZA President elect. Email: [email protected] Ngā manaakitanga SLANZA Advocacy Ohu Mahi
Kia ora school library enthusiasts,
It's almost 2024 Aotearoa School Library Week! We are excited to celebrate library joy across the motu again in 2024. Our theme is School Libraries Build Readers; with so much attention on structured literacy after the budget, we wanted to create a way for you to emphasise the work you do every day in your libraries. This year we have been blessed with the opportunity to have our very first Aotearoa School Library Week StoryWalk®, thanks to the generosity of Scholastic NZ, Swapna Haddow and Daron Parton. The SLANZA ASLW Ohu Mahi have put this year's activity guide together with you in mind. We are hopeful you can find inspiration here to create an atmosphere of excitement in your libraries this week. Some activities will need to be adapted to better suit the year level of your ākonga; we trust you know your community and what will work best for them. We encourage you to share photos of your activities and events online, using the #ASLW24 hashtag, so that as a community, we can all whakanui together. We know that School Libraries Transform our students in so many ways. Let this week be the celebration of all the mahi your library does. Ngā mihi nui, ASLW Ohu Mahi |
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