TE MĀTĀPUNA AT TE WĀNANGA ARONUI O TĀMAKI MAKAURAU (AUT)

The unveiling by LIANZA President Kim Taunga with Kim Tairi. Image credit: Te Mātāpuna Library & Learning Services.

Te Wānanga Aronui o Tāmaki Makaurau (AUT) became a university in 2000. Built on a proud vocational education foundation and is now Aotearoa New Zealand’s second-largest university. And this year, for the first time, is ranked New Zealand’s second-placed university in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2023. The library is, therefore, the youngest academic library in Aotearoa New Zealand. There are three branches across Tāmaki Makaurau – Waihorotiu, Akoranga and Manukau, ensuring our students have access to welcoming study spaces with literature relevant to their courses on their campus.

THE GIFTING OF A NEW NAME – TE MĀTĀPUNA

On July 22 they were gifted a new name – Te Mātāpuna, which has a whakapapa to the waterways of Tāmaki Makaurau. The name was given to the library by Dr Valance Smith, Taituwha King and Erana Foster. Being gifted such a beautiful name was an honor. The name was unveiled at AUT ki Waihorotiu on that day by LIANZA President, Kim Taunga.

Twelve months prior to the name unveiling, Troy Tuhou and the AUT Library Māori Engagement Group (LMEG) started work with Dr Valence Smith, Assistant Pro-Vice Chancellor Māori on this important kaupapa. According to Kim Tairi, Kaitoha Puka (University Librarian), “The gift of Te Mātāpuna is an important pou that lets our community know that together we are on a journey to indigenise our services and work towards embedding more Te Tiriti o Waitangi honoring practices into our strategy, planning and practice.”

Te Mātāpuna can be translated as ‘the wellspring’, it speaks to the special connection AUT has to the underground waterways, tributaries and rivers that continue to flow through Tāmaki Makaurau connecting us to both the Manukau and Waitematā harbours. Te Mātāpuna also alludes to the faces (mata) of those present within the space, not only of our students, but of those who work within it. ‘Ki’ means ‘at’ or ‘to’, therefore it is the mātāpuna for the campus in which it resides. Each mātāpuna is seen as the fountain of knowledge for their campus. In that sense, the City Campus Library is known as ‘Te Mātāpuna ki Waihorotiu’, the North Campus Library as ‘Te Mātāpuna ki Akoranga’, and the South Campus Library as ‘Te Mātāpuna ki Manukau’.

Te Mātāpuna ki Waihorotiu takes its name from the Waihorotiu Stream that still flows beneath Queen Street and runs into the Waitematā Harbour. Akoranga, meaning ‘the place of learning’, becomes ‘the source of learning’ for Te Wānanga Aronui o Tāmaki Makaurau for Te Raki Pae Whenua (North Shore). Te Mātāpuna ki Manukau draws on the historical narrative of ‘Te Manukanuka o Hoturoa’ acknowledging the hapū of Waikato Tainui, and the importance of water in the southern part of Tāmaki Makau Rau. Like water, knowledge is essential for life and growth, and Te Mātāpuna is a source promoting the growth and nurturing of knowledge within AUT – Ko te Mātāpuna o te Kete Aronui.

MORE THAN TEXTBOOKS

Te Mātāpuna offers more than just textbooks! The library prides itself on delivering a number of learning services to complement its leading digital and physical collection. From workshops on key academic skills to 1-2-1 assessment advice and live chat with liaison librarians. But they don’t stop there – ensuring all AUT students feel welcome at their libraries, they offer dedicated whānau study rooms where students can study while their tamariki play and dedicated rainbow study rooms to welcome all from the LGBTTQIA+ community. They also support their academic community with embedded teaching and learning programmes, research support services, and open access publications.Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube to find out what a day in the life looks like for Te Mātāpuna. Written by the Library Māori Engagement Group (LMEG) for Te Mātāpuna Library & Learning Services.