This today on the NZLibs listserv from Sue Sutherland:

Kia ora

The Chief Executive of the Department of Internal Affairs, Brendon Boyle, has today announced the new National Librarian. He is Bill Macnaught, currently manager of New Plymouth's Puke Ariki.  Bill is very well known to our sector and has a strong understanding of the opportunities and issues facing libraries and the wider sector.  The National Library leadership team joins with me in congratulating Bill on his appointment and we look forward to welcoming him to the National Library on 2 May.

Nga mihi nui ki a Bill.  Nau mai ki Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa

Supplied biography:

William (Bill) Macnaught is the present Manager of Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, a position held since 2005. Before coming to New Zealand, he was the Director, Libraries and Arts and later Head of Cultural Development at Gateshead Council in the north of England. He was awarded a CBE in the UK for services to public libraries and cultural life. He was Chair of the UK Advisory Council on Libraries and was a visiting Professor (Librarianship) at the University of Northumbria

In his five years in New Zealand Bill Macnaught has led a multidisciplinary team at Puke Ariki – the flagship library, museum and visitor information centre in Taranaki.

Since 2006 he has been a Commissioner on the Library and Information and Advisory Commission (LIAC) advising the Minister for the National Library. He is the 2010/11 Chair of the Association of Public Library Managers and the Deputy Chair of Museums Aotearoa.

Bill Macnaught is a founder member of the Governance Group for the Aotearoa People’s Network Kaharoa programme which was inspired by a UK project in which he was involved. He initiated the discussions that led to the National Library supporting the current Kotui project, designed to deliver better value for public libraries through the collective procurement of library management IT services.

Donna Watt
Communications Leader, SLANZA

This is a wonderful piece of trans-tasman solidarity in the aftermath of the Christchurch Earthquake and has been posted on the OZTL_NET listeserve yesterday:

It is one week since the devastating earthquake that has shattered Christchurch and its people and there would be few schools in Australia that do not have a student or a staff member with a Kiwi connection.

Psychologists say that the trauma can be intensified by a feeling of wanting to help but being unable to do so, so to help overcome this a group of Kiwi teacher librarians teaching in Australia is proposing
ALL BLACK DAY

We are suggesting that on March 22, 2011 students be allowed to wear all black instead of their regular school uniform and pay a gold coin for the privilege. 

If school regulations demand students remain in uniform, then an alternative could be to create a coin trail over the words ANZAC, Aotearoa, Christchurch, or Otautahi (Maori for Christchurch).

Any other form of fundraising would also be welcome. If you have ideas, please share them with us to share with everybody.

The money raised will then by donated to the Christchurch Earthquake Appealhttp://www.christchurchearthquakeappeal.govt.nz/through whatever financial procedures schools have to follow to do this.

Amounts raised would then be reported to a state co-ordinator who will tally them so we can determine the total contribution of Australian schools and share this with participants. We are planning to establish a Facebook page so state and national totals are available and even photos of students participating can be posted.

We need you to
· publicise this event as widely as possible, sending it to any network you belong to
· consider volunteering to be your state co-ordinator which will just involve receiving emails from schools with their tallies and sending the total to a central co-ordinator. We already have co-ordinators for NSW and Queensland, but no doubt they would appreciate help.
· spread the word about your school’s activities with any media connections you have

Barbara

Barbara Braxton
Teacher Librarian
COOMA NSW 2630
AUSTRALIA
[email protected]
Together, we learn from each other