On Thursday, October 23rd, LIANZA Te Whakakitenga aa Kaimai hosted library assistants’ day! This year the group were lucky to be hosted in the Western Bay of Plenty District at the stunning new Te Ara Mātauranga - Waihī Beach Library and Service Centre. The day began with a warm welcome from the host library, setting the tone for a great day of learning, networking, and connection.

Julia Edgecombe, team leader at Western Bay Libraries, shared the journey of designing, building, and settling into Te Ara Mātauranga. This was followed by a tour of the vibrant and exquisitely designed space. Attendees commented on how functional yet visually stunning the new library is despite only having a small footprint.

One of the key highlights of the morning was hearing from Laura Marshall, LIANZA’s Executive Director. Laura shared an overview of LIANZA and some of the new initiatives that have been launched, including LIANZA's new CPD pathway for professional development. The group then had a break for lunch, offering an excellent opportunity for networking.

In the afternoon, Chian Ying Ling, the LIANZA Te Whakakitenga aa Kaimai Regional Conference Grant recipient, shared her experience of the conference and the grant application process, encouraging LIANZA members to apply for the next round.

This was followed by a lively and practical session from Sarah Corbet, Training and Development Advisor at Hamilton City Libraries, who discussed the challenge of Readers' Advisory and the impossible task of remembering every book in the library! Offering some tips for navigating these sometimes-tricky conversations. The day wrapped up with a Kahoot and some discussion time, allowing attendees to reflect on their learnings and make new connections.

A big thank you to all who made this year’s Library Assistants’ Day possible —the speakers, organisers, attendees, the hosts and especially LIANZA Te Whakakitenga aa Kaimai chair Fiona Rongo. This day was an inspiring reminder of what libraries achieve daily and how we can continue to lift ourselves and our communities.