Over 2022 and 2023, three LIANZA SLANZA Tertiary Grants funding rounds were provided. These rounds resulted in the commitment of funding which will see students undertaking LIS qualifications into 2028. This article looks at these grants and the feedback from four grant recipients: Layne Winiata (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Mutanga), Jocelyn Woodward-Candy, Mere McLean (Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Haka- Patuheuheu) and Alan Dingley.
Funded by the New Zealand Libraries Partnership Project the aim of these grants was to:
- upskill the current workforce with library and information tertiary qualifications
- attract new people to achieve tertiary qualifications and gain employment in the library and information sector
- ensure the workforce is qualified and future-ready to demonstrate the value and impact of library and information services.
In these rounds 139 grants were approved. While many grant recipients continue with their studies others who have completed or are close to completion, report receiving promotions, taking on new roles with increased responsibilities, or having the theoretical framework and tools to develop new initiatives. They have increased confidence in their chosen career and are making the most of the new opportunities their qualification and learning has provided. Most recipients reported that they would not have pursued a LIS qualification without the financial assistance of the Tertiary Grant.
Chair of the LIANZA SLANZA Tertiary Grants Project, Philp Miles, commented, “It is now almost three years since our first tertiary grant recipients started their LIS qualifications, and it is wonderful to start receiving outcomes stories. The improved confidence, skills and career prospects are exactly why the grants scheme was created. It will be a few years yet before the final graduations, but we are already working on evaluation to help demonstrate the value of library and information qualifications.”
Assisted by a Perpetual Guardian, the Project Advisory Group has responded when grant recipients have needed to alter their study plans. In a few instances, recipients have had to withdraw from the scheme. Perpetual Guardian advises that the numbers are well within what is to be expected for a grants scheme of this size.
A LOOK AT THE DATA FROM THE GRANT ROUNDS
This section looks at a breakdown of tertiary grant applicants and qualifications. Graph 1 shows that a large group of successful applicants elected to attend Open Polytechnic (70%), with the Diploma in Library and Information Studies (level 5) proving the most popular qualification (36%). Overall, there was a range of 12 different qualifications across level 5 to level 9 and post-graduate study that successful applicants chose to study.
Graph 2 shows that over 31% of recipients were under 30 and 47% were under 35. While 19% were new to the sector, the vast majority were already working in the sector. While attracting young people was an aim of the grants, the Project Advisory Group were pleased to see applicants from all ages.
Graph 3 shows that the majority of successful applicants were already working in the sector. As graph 4 shows, there was a cross-section of ethnicity demographics amongst the successful applicants, but the biggest group was New Zealand European.
RECIPIENTS TALK ABOUT THE GRANTS
Four recipients talk about what getting these grants has meant to them. They are Layne Winiata (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Mutanga), Jocelyn Woodward-Candy, Mere McLean (Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Haka- Patuheuheu) and Alan Dingley.
LAYNE WINIATA (NGĀI TAHU, NGĀTI MUTANGA)
Layne Winiata (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Mutanga) began working at the South Taranaki District Libraries five years ago. She’s 26 years old and, having left school to study radiography, realised she didn’t want a career in this.
“I loved the science behind it but realized that was not where I wanted to be. I thought about what I enjoyed, and books kept popping up. I saw a job for a casual position at the library I grew up attending and I jumped on it. I haven’t looked back since.”
When Layne began working at Waverley LibraryPlus, she took every opportunity she could.
“I have been involved in so many things that only build on my desire to make libraries my career. The first month I was here we were running the summer reading program. I quickly realised how incredible it is to have a job where children come in, bursting with excitement to tell you about the books they’ve read and fun things they’ve done.”
Layne was in the first cohort of Tertiary Grant recipients. She began the NZ Diploma in Library and Information Studies L5 in 2022 and finished it earlier this year.
“I was studying at nights and weekends and over the summer. I found what worked for me – doing a few papers at a time while working to get the diploma finished.”
“I was worried at the start about how I would fit everything in – but it worked out perfectly.
“I was planning to study anyway when this opportunity popped up. It’s been a big thing for me personally to finish the diploma. I’ve started things before but not completed them. But I looked at this as something I really wanted to do – it’s incredibly valuable to me.
“The qualification has built my knowledge base and given me the library science framework. I understand the why behind what we’re doing, I feel I’ve learned so much”
“I don’t think people realise how much goes into what we do in libraries. The qualification has given me more opportunities and opened up the whole world of libraries to me.
“When I started this job, I was just doing a job – but now I really feel like I know where I am going – I can make a career out of this.
“I’m now full-time and have been given more responsibilities because I have the qualification. And I’m considering doing the children and teens qualification.
“I wish I could inspire more people to come into the library profession. I don’t think people realise how broad it is and how many different directions you can go if you want to, or the things we do. I love it.
“I can’t thank my managers enough, for how they’ve supported me and encouraged me on this journey. I feel I’ve been incredibly lucky, and I’d like to thank LIANZA and SLANZA for this opportunity. It’s given me a pathway for my future, and I’d encourage others to take up a qualification in library and information studies like I did.
JOCELYN WOODWARD- CANDY
Jocelyn Woodward-Candy works in public libraries in Palmerston North. Her role in libraries has changed as her life has changed with children getting older and being able to work more.
However, she would not have been able to get her new role as the Roslyn Community Librarian without having completed the NZ Diploma in Library and Information Studies L5 at Open Polytechnic. This was funded through a LIANZA SLANZA Tertiary Grant.
Finance was a barrier to doing the library diploma, but Jocelyn realised she needed a qualification to be considered for more senior roles.
“I used to be in a support role in community libraries and realised I wanted the librarian role. I’d apply – as I had the experience- but was told I did not get it as I didn’t have a qualification.
“Gaining a library qualification has helped add value to my job and helped me be accepted as a professional in my chosen career path. Without this grant, I would not have been able to get this job.
“I’ve been in libraries for 18 years. When I started, it fitted my lifestyle, but within a few months, I realised it was where I wanted to be working.
“I had a role through the NZLPP fund and was able to do several stand-alone papers through that. Then the tertiary grants were offered, and I was able to complete the diploma.
Roslyn Community Library is a small, well-used suburban library full of children and older people. “There’s lots of retirement villages around here and many of our library users ask us for digital help, so we’re very busy.”
Management supported her to do this study and other staff have seen the benefits a qualification has had for Jocelyn.
The Open Polytechnic study fitted with her work-life balance as it was hard managing work, family and study almost continuously over two years.
“I even took my study with me when I went to Europe for two months.”
Now she’s on a learning journey. “I’m professionally curious, so I will have a break and then start looking at what study I can do next.”
“When I finished the diploma, I emailed to say thank you to LIANZA. Because without this grant, I would not have been able to study or progress in my career as I have.”
MERE HONEYCOMBE (NGĀI TŪHOE, NGĀTI HAKA- PATUHEUHEU)
Mere Honeycombe (Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Haka- Patuheuheu) was born and bred in the small settlement of Murupara where she works in the Murupara Library and Service Centre, part of the Whakatane District Council.
“There are three of us here in the library/service centre. I’m part-time, there is another part-time position and one full-time.
The library is unique in its coverage of the small rural population, which also operates as a council service centre where people can pay rates, get their dog registered and more. While it’s a small population of 1800 people in Murupara they also cover Waiōhau, Galatea, Ruatāhuna, Minginui and Te Whāiti.
Kaiangaroa Forest is right next door.
“We’re struggling in the area right now as a number of people have lost their jobs at the Forestry Mill. So, as well as being a library and service centre we are helping those people do up their CVs and sending them out.
There are four Marae in this area of Ngāti Manawa: Moewhare, Painoaiho, Rangitahi and Tipapa. In 1989 when Murupara Council amalgamated under the Whakatāne District Council, they inherited the Murupara Council building. “There’s a lot of archival information contained here, and we’ve seen a lot of things happen over the years in this community.”
Mere has almost completed the He Waka Hiringa – Master of Applied Indigenous Knowledge L9 at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa for which she received her LIANZA SLANZA Tertiary Grant.
“The reason I did the master’s programme was seeing the limited number of local materials here about our area and local stories from an Indigenous perspective. Another part of what I’m doing is featured in a book that is being published telling the story of my hapū Ngāti Haka- Patuheuheu and our environment. There’s also going to be a web series documentary.
“I’m very happy with the way the research has come out, basing it on our tipuna and kaitiaki from our history to give inspiration to our rangathi today. We want them to see what being a kaitiaki looks like – the story of Te Raepango and how he protected the waterways of our area.
“I was grateful to Dr Hohepa Tamehana and Silvia Hiriwa Tapuke who wrote the letters to support my application – I didn’t think I’d get it – but they pushed me to do it.” Mere was accepted in the first round of grants in 2022 and is soon to complete her master’s.
“Through this journey, I’ve discovered something I want to leave behind. I want to create an oral history library for Murupara where key local people can talk about how they saw our community 20 or 30 years ago. That’s my next project.
“What helped me get through the study was basing everything I worked on around key values and principles. Receiving this grant and going through this learning journey, I’ve learned we can do this sort of research, collect data, showcase our community, and share these stories – it’s built my confidence to do all this.”
ALAN DINGLEY
Alan Dingley is a school librarian at Freyburg High School in Palmerston North, a student in the Open Polytechnic’s Certificate in Library and Information Services for Children and Teens. And the current Te Awhi Rito NZ Reading Ambassador – oh and he provides a podcast with fellow school librarians Sasha Eastwood and Chris Auer.
It can be difficult juggling everything at once Alan says. “It can be pretty full on. I won’t deny it.”
“This Open Polytechnic qualification is so easy to navigate and to do online though and the course coordinator’s communication is great. I don’t think I’d manage the struggle of work, family, study and my extra role as Te Awhi Rito without that (and the support of my podcast buddies Sasha and Chris, who are studying with me).”
“I knew coming into this it was going to be a struggle.” Friends and fellow Manawatū school librarians Chris and Sasha are supporting.
“They’re studying with me, and we’re kind of helping each other out, cheerleading more than anything. But yeah, being able to just be able to drop in and out of the course online, take a semester out, and Open Polytech being good with extensions. That all helps.”
“I’m just stoked that I’m doing it. I wouldn’t have been able to afford it without the LIANZA SLANZA Tertiary Grant. So, it was the perfect storm for me to jump back into study. Because it’s a daunting thing, contemplating study as you get older.
They all started the qualification at the beginning of 2024 and are now about to do assessment three. Alan will probably take a break and jump back in at the start of next year because team four is so busy in the school library.
“That’s the cool thing about the course, you know, we’ve got the two years to complete it, but we can just complete it in whatever time frame we need within that.”
“It’s super interesting. I’ve been in libraries for 20 years, in different ways, shapes and forms. You find this invaluable stuff and some of it you realise you’ve been doing all along. The study is solidifying what I already know and what I’m doing.”
This is Alan’s first library qualification. “I said it at the conference in my keynote (SLANZA 2024 conference). I’m the most qualified, unqualified librarian in the country. It’s a wee joke.”
“But a passionate, experienced librarian and qualifications on top of that is a great thing to have. You get into a kind of imposter syndrome so to have that piece of paper – it validates what I’m doing.”
Alan has worked in public and school libraries but feels his niche is schools, “because working with kids is my passion and what I love to do”.
He hadn’t worked in a high school library before Freyburg and has applied his assignments to his new work environment. “I had to work on a business plan for a project that I wanted to work on, so applied it to our teen parenting unit that’s attached to the school. My plan was a kind of a non-traditional book club for them.”
“They’d be able to take books away, choose their own text, get families involved, record picture books for their kids as well, but packaged as a book club. Because that’s what grown-ups do. It helps them to feel like adults with their own book group.
“I take down boxes of books to the unit weekly now. The teacher there is really switched on around the reading process, so the book club and connecting it to their families was invaluable.
“Study as you get older can be hard, and life can get in the way, but they make it as inclusive and easy as possible to do the qualification at Open Polytechnic.
“I’ve never seen myself as a manager before. Structures and policies aren’t really my thing, but I think this qualification is giving me great insight into the world of management. It’s helping me understand the structures that I don’t usually deal with and filling in gaps in my skill set. It will help me step into a manager’s role and its adding to my other strengths.
“I think school librarians really have to take the opportunity to upskill themselves.
Anything we can do to make ourselves more appealing and seen as professionals to our principals and boards is ammunition to show our worth to them.
These grants embolden people to take up these qualifications they might never have done otherwise. More than anything else, they are an opportunity to show that people believe what they do is valuable and for them to grow. It is an important thing.
So, yes, I think these grants are invaluable.”
