A long and varied career in libraries, with breaks for overseas travel and work in the film industry, has given Flora Wallace an appreciation for the people she works with. You can read about her career in the library and information sector here.
Flora Wallace was born and educated in Hastings. After high school she studied anthropology, archaeology, New Zealand history and Māori studies completing a BA at the University of Auckland Waipapa Taumata Rau. After graduating, she got a job in the circulation area of the university library and so began her library career.
Flora left Auckland and moved to Wellington in 1989 to complete the post-graduate diploma in library and information studies (now the Masters). She says, “I enjoyed the contact with people and the work in the circulation team, so I decided to train as a librarian”.
Flora went on to work in a legal publishing library, a law library, and then in an international school library in Tokyo, Japan. When she returned to New Zealand from Japan, she worked in various media libraries (TV and Dom/Post).
An opportunity arose to train in continuity work in films and television. So, she took a break from libraries and worked as a continuity supervisor in TV, the New Zealand series ‘The Tribe’ amongst them. She also worked as a library contractor between the continuity contracts.
I manage a small special library with a team of three full-time librarians and two casual assistants. We provide a library service for everyone working for the Ministry of Education across the country, all the education agencies (NZQA, Tertiary Education Commission, ERO and Education NZ), and other specialist providers in learning support and resource teachers who work in New Zealand schools.We have an extensive collection in the learning support area. This is used by speech language therapists, occupation therapists, physios, psychologists, and others working for learning support in the ministry along with resource teachers and therapists in schools. These specialists are our biggest client group. We also provide library service and media updates to policy people and management across all the education agencies.
One of the best parts of working in a specialist library is working with a variety of different professionals who are passionate about the work they do.
I love the people I work with. They make every day brighter!Did you always think you would be a librarian?
I loved the library as a kid. I would go every week and get a pile of books, read them, and go back the next week for a new pile. The library was one of my favourite places to visit.
While it wasn’t necessarily the career I intended to go into, I’ve found the work interesting, and it’s offered me the challenge to develop my skills in the areas that suited me.
I get satisfaction from knowing that the people who are working with the children that need extra support – that they have the information they need at their fingertips because the work they do is so important, and they are there for whānau all over New Zealand.
There are some challenges in working in a special library such as this and there has been a lot of change in the nearly 20 years that I’ve worked here.
We incorporated the libraries of ERO, NZQA, TEC, and Careers Services over 2007-2013 managing their collections and services as a cross-sector library service. This was followed by an internal restructure in 2017 and we are now in the middle of a ministry-wide restructure.
It’s important to stay flexible and resilient in these times of change – and to be kind – change can be unsettling.”
Are there any career highlights you’d like to share with us?
My most recent highlight was getting our new website up and running. It involved a lot of work, and my team were fabulous, especially Kirsty. Setting up a cross-sector library service was a rewarding challenge too.
Do you have any advice for those who are currently finishing their LIS qualification/ degree?
I’d advise anyone who is finishing their qualification to become professionally registered and to join the professional bodies like LIANZA and SLANZA and LIANZA SLIS. It shows that you are committed to the profession and to your professional development as a library and information professional.
A lot of my most important learning has been on the job and professional registration gives you the opportunity to reflect on what you learned while working.
Who or what would you say is one of the biggest influences on your career to date?
My ex-boss, Hilary Rendell, was a major influence on me and my work. I came in as a contractor and she saw my potential and by supporting me into more challenging roles allowed me to grow. She was a good mentor.
If you could recommend only one book to someone, what would it be?
I’ve read all David Mitchell’s books and would thoroughly recommend him as an author. I’m currently reading his book Utopia Avenue and loving it.
What do you think libraries will look like in the future?
Libraries have changed so much since I started in this profession – and I’m sure they will keep changing. This is important because we need to respond to the changing needs of our communities and be as relevant as possible.