LIFE
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News & Updates<br />
3<br />
NĀ TE KAITĀTARI<br />
Ngā mihi i roto i te wā o<br />
Matariki, Kia ora tātou!<br />
This issue of Library Life is<br />
focusing on biculturalism,<br />
Matariki, and the<br />
makerspace scene.<br />
Biculturalism, our<br />
partnership with Māori, is<br />
an aspect of librarianship<br />
that I don’t feel particularly<br />
comfortable with. For<br />
example, we have a large<br />
Pacifica community here<br />
in Oamaru but I hardly<br />
ever get to interact with<br />
Māori. This has made me<br />
think about what I can do,<br />
and what the library can<br />
do to initiate and support<br />
conversation, connection<br />
and collaboration with<br />
our Māori community.<br />
The more I thought this,<br />
the more I realised how<br />
much I have to learn about<br />
biculturalism. This isn’t just<br />
in the library world, it’s also<br />
in my everyday life too.<br />
For example, I’ve only just<br />
learned about the origin<br />
of the name of my town-<br />
Oamaru. I’ve learned that<br />
Oamaru is derived from the<br />
full name Te Oha-a-Maru, a<br />
very ancient and beautiful<br />
name that remembers<br />
Maru, a Māori ancestor of<br />
this area. Makotukutuku is<br />
the name of the local pā<br />
that was established at the<br />
top of the rocky headland<br />
that is known today as<br />
Cape Wanbrow, and it<br />
wasn’t until the town area<br />
was settled by Europeans<br />
that the name Oamaru was<br />
more commonly used.<br />
I was keeping an eye on<br />
the tweets from the recent<br />
Waikato-Bay of Plenty<br />
Weekend School (hashtag<br />
#raglan16) and I noticed<br />
something President Elect<br />
Te Paea Paringatai said ‘do<br />
different things, do things<br />
differently’. I’m going to<br />
apply this statement to<br />
my new commitment to<br />
learn and do more about<br />
biculturalism.<br />
As well as articles<br />
submitted about<br />
biculturalism, there are also<br />
articles looking at Matariki<br />
and makerspaces around<br />
the country. I hope you<br />
enjoy reading about the<br />
innovative programmes<br />
happening in our libraries.<br />
I’d also like to acknowledge<br />
Te Rōpū Whakahau for<br />
their support, advice and<br />
contributions to this issue.<br />
Kia manahau!<br />
Julia<br />
If you want to contribute to making Library Life the voice of our industry in<br />
Aotearoa, email jderuiter@waitaki.govt.nz or tweet me: @JuliadeRuiter<br />
Issue 446 • Library Life • www.lianza.org.nz
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