NZLIMJ Vol 54 Issue 4 July 2014.pdf

THE NEW ZEALAND LIBRARY & INFORMATION MANAGEMENT JOURNAL

NGĀ PŪRONGOVolume 54, Issue 4 July 2014ISSN 1177-3316

NEW ZEALAND LIBRARY & INFORMATION MANAGEMENT JOURNAL • NGĀ PŪRONGO VOL 54, ISSUE NO. 4 • JULY 2014

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PurposeThe NZ Library & Information Management Journal (NZLIMJ) is published by LIANZA and focuses on library and information man-agement issues relevant to New Zealand. NZLIMJ is not limited to a specific information sector or to articles of a particular type, but is intended to reflect the wide-ranging interests and needs of informa-tion professionals in New Zealand, including librarians, records man-agers, and archivists. NZLIMJ is published online three times a year (February, July, October) and is hosted on the LIANZA website.

DisclaimerThe opinions or viewpoints expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of LIANZA. All materials and content were prepared by persons and/or entities other than LIANZA, and said other per-sons and/or entities are solely responsible for their content.

Any links to other web sites are not intended to be referrals or endorsements of these sites. The links provided are maintained by the respective organisations, and they are solely responsible for the content of their own sites.

A rich tapestryEditorialOne of the things I particularly enjoy about library and informa-tion work is the wide range of topics it involves, something that LIANZA’s Professional Bodies of Knowledge (BOKs) make clear. If you are registered (or seeking registration), then you are probably familiar with the eleven areas of competency they identify:

BOK 1: Information environment, information policy & ethicsBOK 2: Generating, communicating and using informationBOK 3: Information needs & designBOK 4: Information access processBOK 5: Organisation, retrieval, preservation & conservationBOK 6: Research, analysis and interpretation of informationBOK 7: Application of information and communication

technologies (ICTs)BOK 8: Information resource management & knowledge

managementBOK 9: Management in information organisationsBOK 10: Assessing service effectivenessBOK 11: Awareness of indigenous knowledge paradigms, which

in NZ context refers to Māori

The articles in this issue of the NZLIMJ cover at least eight of the BOKs (and the book reviews cover at least two more). Thelma Fisher and Sarah Gallagher discuss developing a new textbook using

social media (BOK 2 and BOK 7), Baruk Jacob examines traditional Māori knowledge frameworks and how they can be used in the design of makerspaces (BOK 1 and BOK 4), Karen Rollitt describes the use of The MARC of Quality’s OSMOSIS software to keep Te Puna holdings up to date (BOK 5, BOK 7, and perhaps BOK 10), Debbie Fox presents the results of a small-scale research pro-ject investigating which design features and architectural elements Christchurch public library users prefer (BOK 3).

This issue is just a snapshot of the rich tapestry of the infor-mation contained in professional journals covering the knowl-edge, issues, and technologies used in modern information work. Ensuring the the NZLIMJ contributes to this is an ongoing challenge, and I look forward to receiving submissions covering other BOKS for the next issue, due to be published in November.

Dr Brenda Chawner, FLIANZA Senior Lecturer and Information Studies Programmes Director School of Information Management Victoria University of Wellington [email protected]

Contents Hacking a textbook: how University of Otago librarians supported a new academic initiative 3

Pre-literate Māori knowledge frameworks as post-literacy strategies 7

The New Zealand National Union Catalogue: maintaining the mecca of New Zealand library holdings 11

User perceptions of library buildings: Architectural and design element preferences in the public library 14

Review: Reinventing the library for online education 25

Review: Access and identity management for libraries: controlling access to online information 25

Review: The one-shot library instruction survival guide 26

mailto:[email protected]


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Hacking a textbook: how University of Otago librarians supported a new academic initiative

This article reflects on the experience of University of Otago librarians as advisors and contributors to an innovative method of creating an academic resource; hacking a textbook to fill a gap in Australasian teaching resources for Media Studies. Librarians were involved in this online textbook project at specific points from inception through to delivery, specifically in relation to: strategic planning, compliance, research, technical and bibliographic issues, archiving, scholarly communication, marketing and social media communication. Our experience as part of this project highlighted the varied services we provided for, and anticipated as librarians, and the value placed on that by our academic colleagues.

Keywords: scholarly publishing, hacking, Open Educational Resource, textbook, Creative Commons

IntroductionProvision of research materials to support academics and their curriculum needs is a part of daily life for Subject Librarians at the University of Otago. However when the textbook does not yet exist, and support is sought from the initial concept design stage through to producing an Open Educational Resource, opportu-nities abound to be strategically embedded as partners in the whole process. This article will reflect on the roles, and wealth of librarians’ planning, organisation, bibliographic, copyright com-pliance, writing, publishing, archiving, scholarly communication, social media and marketing competencies, employed to enhance this e-textbook’s development. This involvement occurred on the ground and “in the cloud”, as part of the texthack team. Being responsive and adaptive to the evolving academic needs of this project led to increased relevance and recognition for us, as librar-ians who positioned themselves to support teaching and learning processes (Sidorko & Yang, 2008, p. 6).

This article follows on from McGregor’s (2014) press release, Announcing: The Creative Commons Media Studies Textbook, reprinted in Library Life, 422, p. 12; and in Media Studies 101: A Creative Commons textbook (Fisher & Gallagher, 2014, p. 5).

The Media Texthack ProjectThe Media Texthack project, begun in September 2013 and led by Dr Erika Pearson, Senior Lecturer in Media, Film & Communication at University of Otago, had two aims: to create an Open Educational Resource for media and communications studies, directed towards first year course requirements for New Zealand, Australian and Pacific students; and to document the process so that the experience and a template would benefit future Open Educational Resource textbooks.

Dr Pearson (Project Lead), Richard White (Copyright Officer) and Simon Hart (Policy, Planning and Evaluation Librarian) formed a steering group to discuss the roles of all involved parties and develop the MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) which: “... include[d] the project being administered by the University of Otago and final storage of the book in the library’s digital collec-tion, and copyright matters.” (“Updates” in Hacking a Media Text, 25 September, 2014). Richard White obtained seed funding from Creative Commons New Zealand.

The Texthack team comprised academic staff and post-graduate students from partners in New Zealand and Australia, and was supported by library staff from the University of Otago. As the pro-ject got underway a blog, Hacking a Media Text (2013), allowed

interested parties to maintain awareness of the project’s background and progress. It was not difficult to generate interest in the pro-ject but it was difficult to secure commitment from some estab-lished academics who were involved in other academic publishing initiatives, so were content to watch developments. Early career researchers and senior postgraduate students were involved in the initial texthack weekend 16-17 November 2013.

Sarah Gallagher, Subject Librarian, first found out about the pro-ject through Twitter and participated with the wider community through tweeting and retweeting messages about the project pro-gress and milestones using the #texthack hashtag. There was a lot of sharing around press releases by Creative Commons New Zealand, Library Life, University of Otago, Otago Daily Times, and Idealog Magazine (see Appendix).

Following the initial texthack weekend, Bernard Madill, Project Manager, emailed Thelma Fisher, Media Studies Librarian, seeking support with referencing images. She met with Dr Pearson and Bernard to identify their detailed requirements and how to provide support. Little did we realise that new roles would open for us, ones which could build on our traditional skills whilst challenging us to acquire new ones (Brophy, 2007, p. 522).

The project team needed support with copyright compliance and how to source and reference images with re-use provenance. Skills and knowledge gained from completing the LIANZA profes-sional development online learning course, Copyright: Guidelines for Librarians (2013), proved invaluable. Identifying Creative Commons image sources for inclusion in University of Otago’s Thesis Information (2014) guide provided background knowledge and awareness. This led to our readiness to participate in the 2nd mini texthack on 13 December 2013, to instruct, source and edit use of images and video files in this e-textbook. As Brophy (p. 515) describes, we felt ready to “operate with self-confidence in response to a variety of challenges in a rapidly changing environment”.

A short presentation to the Dunedin based texthack group, mostly postgraduate students, involved sharing: the New Zealand Copyright Act related to image reuse; and the University of Otago Thesis Information guide copyright page to explore links to Creative Commons information and specific sources of copyright


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free images. Practical investigation involved Flickr and Google Images Advanced Search, demonstrating finding relevant images, their licensing agreements, and required attribution.

Dr Pearson invited us to stay and to join in, sign in to the Wordpress environment, and participate in finding or tracking images and video. Taking a practical part in the texthack was a highlight, working with the group, allowing us to source images and video to embed for topic sections, add them live, into Wordpress, and document the process. Established metadata doc-umentation processes were followed to track provenance, label and caption items and to attribute them appropriately. Assisting students to develop these digital literacies in a practical setting has had ongoing positive benefits. Dr Pearson has reported pos-itive follow-on effects from the texthack presentation, particularly for postgraduate students who took these skills and information, transferred them to their research practice, and shared this knowl-edge with their peers. As librarians, and postgraduate students, we participated in “sharing and developing knowledge, and beyond knowledge, meaning” (p. 517).

“We had some invaluable help from two liaison librarians who gave a short workshop to the participating postgrads. They then gave a generous amount of their time in doing some of the work themselves.” (“Updates” in Hacking a Media Text, 13 December 2013)

From this project two artefacts were created, a Wordpress based textbook, and a how-to guide, colloquially known as The Cookbook. The textbook, created under Creative Commons licensing, means educators and students can adapt it, rewrite it and distribute it for free, without seeking permission (Fisher & Gallagher, 2014, p. 5).

Post textbook launchAfter the launch Sarah tweeted and retweeted messages about the #texthack project and continued conversations with Dr Pearson about bibliographic matters. Details about, and ongoing support around, legal deposit (NLNZ, 2014) and applying for an ISBN (978-0-473-28649-1) (NLNZ, 2014) were provided. Referencing details on a “how to cite this work” statement were added to the Wordpress textbook to display on the Contents page.

“In hindsight, it would have been appropriate to approach the National Library for an ISBN number much earlier in the process. Such a number would have then streamlined the creation of bibliographic records that could be added to library catalogues.” (Pearson, 2014a, p. 14)

The Te Puna bibliographic record describes this online textbook’s relevance to NZ study and teaching in media studies. Further medi-ation with internal library colleagues and external agencies allowed for minor amendments to records supporting the textbook, e.g. OUR Archive and Te Puna Cataloguing staff. Shortly after pub-lication, a number of New Zealand libraries added local catalogue records to the textbook as tweeted by Creative Commons staff (2014, February 19).

International acclaim for the project was received from the University of British Columbia’s BC Campus which has set up an Open Textbooks initiative (2014) enabling other formats of Media Studies 101 to be shared with users, e.g. .mobi .xml and .epub files.

When the Wordpress file was deposited into the Otago University Research (OUR) Archive (2014) by the Media Studies Librarian, these additional file types were included. Allison Brown, Digital Services Coordinator, assisted with metadata support, noting the .xml file was not operational. Further communication with BC Campus staff isolated and fixed the problem string of code, ena-bling their other .xml textbooks to become ‘open’. These file types were then added to the OUR Archive record. Such international librarian collaboration made this texthack project so much more ‘open’, as befits an Open Educational Resource. Brophy (2007, p. 522) describes this type of success as “adapting to the new net-worked world… with a willingness to meet users in their own envi-ronments” and becoming “much more visible and much more active in the learning and research processes.”

Allison, as Otago/Southland editor of LIBROS, invited our reflections on the texthack project to date. Following agreement from the Dr Pearson, an article was included in LIBROS 39 cov-ering the project gestation and early library staff involvement.

The April 2014 meeting of Otago’s Open Scholarship Community of Practice featured the Project Lead outlining the process of hacking a textbook. As librarians, feedback on our involvement was sought. A questionnaire, seeking project experi-ences, was conducted. Dr Pearson used this evaluation, along with usage data, to assist with writing The Cookbook. The development of The Cookbook is an important contribution to scholarship. A number of other texthack projects have been created in several dis-ciplines but none have documented how they accomplished it.

Figure 1 illustrates the librarians’ involvement in the media text-book cycle of production.

“A diverse mix of staff (including library and research staff ) would be one important element of future hacks.” (Pearson, 2014a, p. 17)

Sarah and Allison spent time tweeting Dr Pearson through the process of depositing The Cookbook into OUR Archive. Attention was paid to linking the records of the textbook and The Cookbook by creating a series title of Open Educational Resource. This was preferable to adding The Cookbook to the textbook record as a sup-plementary document because it is a unique work:

Copyright and Creative Commons licensing maintenanceThere will always be a need for ongoing awareness of maintenance issues around an electronic textbook. At the time of creation, image reuse rights were checked multiple times, but these can change at the whim of the owner. This issue became apparent after the launch of the textbook.

Maintenance provides an opportunity for ongoing support from librarians, but is also a consideration mentioned in The Cookbook,


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for post-production attention. This is also relevant to links and text content, whether or not additional versions are created. This was identified as “Recipe Step 13: check license status and citation of all CC materials” (p. 5). As substantial additions, updates and remixes occur alternate versions will need to be created and new Te Puna and OUR Archive records developed to reflect them.

StatisticsThrough OUR Archive it is possible to obtain usage statistics related to downloads and site visits. This can provide the authors with an indication of use of their work, can be helpful when measuring the impact of their publications, and enable new scholarly and research communication opportunities.

There has been a gratifying level of interest in the textbook, nationally and internationally. The top views by country from the Wordpress site are: New Zealand, United States, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom (as of 3 July 2014). Statistics from OUR Archive (Media Texthack Group, 2014b) reveal the top 5 countries that have downloaded the textbook are: USA, China, NZ, France and UK (as of 2 July 2014). Due to the recent publication of The Cookbook, statistics (Pearson, 2014b) are still building.

ConclusionAcademic publishing initiatives can offer exciting opportunities for librarians to provide valuable research and literacy support through strategic planning, compliance, research, technical and bibliographic issues, archiving, scholarly communication, marketing and social media communication. We believe that there is considerable professional and personal value in participating as a practitioner in such a project, as well as contributing in an advisory capacity. Professionally, the role of library staff on this project has strengthened ties with academic staff and departments, enhanced collegiality between Otago library staff, and created opportunities to network with external agencies. Barton et al (2000, as cited in Brophy, 2007, p. 521) refer to this as a case of “sit-uated literacies – which are tuned to the needs of a particular domain – to which we must bring our skills and our contribution, drawing on others as need be”. Personally, we enjoyed being on the ground as part of the team, and the collaborative respect we experienced.

Brophy (2007, p. 517) refers to the need to be “part of that shared academic enterprise”. We believe we have shared, developed and transferred a new combination of competencies, resources and expertise. These are required to partner academics successfully in innovative, Open Educational Resource publishing projects such as

Figure 1. “A simplified representation of the cycle of production for the Media Texthack (2013)” from The Cookbook, p.2.


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the Media Texthack.Dr Pearson’s humorous, reflective conclusion of the texthack

in pictures is available at https://blogs.otago.ac.nz/texth-ack/2014/05/15/a-recap-of-a-texthack-in-gifs-because-why-not/ —and spot the ‘librarian’!

Thelma Fisher Subject Librarian, University of Otago Library [email protected]

Sarah Gallagher Subject Librarian, University of Otago Library [email protected]

ReferencesAnnouncing: The Creative Commons Media Studies textbook. (2014). Library Life, 422, 12. Retrieved from http://lianza.org.nz/sites/lianza.org.nz/files/library_life_422_april_2014.pdf

Brophy, P. (2007). Communicating the library: Librarians and faculty in dialogue. Library Management, 28(8/9), 515-523. doi:10.1108/01435120710837792

Brown, A. [Initiatives_lib]. (2014, May 17). @SarahLibrarina @erikapearson it should be a separate record maybe with something like a series name to connect them [Tweet]. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/Initiatives_lib/statuses/467512177226567681

Creative Commons NZ. [CC_Aotearoa]. (2014, February 19). Great to see the #texthack open textbook in NZ libraries! opac.wintec.ac.nz/vwebv/holdings… & ipac.canterbury.ac.nz/ipac20/ipac.js… HT @erikapearson [Tweet]. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/cc_aotearoa/status/435931419085242368

Fisher, T., & Gallagher, S. (2014). Media Studies 101: A Creative Commons textbook. Libros, 39, 5. Retrieved from http://www.lianza.org.nz/sites/lianza.org.nz/files/libros_39.pdf

Gallagher, S. [Sarahlibrarina]. (2013, November 18). Woohoo! Hacking a media textbook in a weekend @erikapearson @rka-white odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/281800/textbook-project-internet #texthack .@otago #Otagolib [Tweet]. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/SarahLibrarina/statuses/402175441781280769

LIANZA. (2013). Copyright: Guidelines for librarians. Retrieved from http://www.lianza.org.nz/resources/copyright/guidelines/lianza-online-course-copyright-guidelines-librarians

McGregor, M. (2014). Announcing: The Creative Commons Media Studies Textbook. Press Release, 13 February 2014. Retrieved from http://creativecommons.org.nz/2014/02/announcing-the-creative-commons-media-studies-textbook/

Media Texthack Group. (2013). Hacking a Media Text. Retrieved from https://blogs.otago.ac.nz/texthack/updates/

Media Texthack Group. (2014a). Media Studies 101: A Creative Commons textbook. Retrieved from http://mediatexthack.wordpress.com and http://hdl.handle.net/10523/4676

Media Texthack Group. (2014b). Media Studies 101: A Creative Commons textbook. OUR Archive usage statistics. Retrieved from http://otago.ourarchive.ac.nz/handle/10523/4676/stats

National Library of New Zealand (NLNZ). (2014). Legal deposit. Retrieved from http://natlib.govt.nz/publishers-and-authors/legal-deposit

National Library of New Zealand (NLNZ). (2014). Request an International Standard Number. Retrieved from http://natlib.govt.nz/forms/isn

Pearson, E. [erikapearson]. (2014, March 10). #texthack - you can now DL the media studies book, yay! Thnx to OpenBC for their help in making this happen. open.bccampus.ca/find-open-text… [Tweet]. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/erikapearson/statuses/442780647342346241

Pearson, E. (2014a). The Cookbook: A discussion on the process, pitfalls and successes of hacking an open textbook (Open Educational Resource). Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10523/4820

Pearson, E. (2014b). The Cookbook: A discussion on the pro-cess, pitfalls and successes of hacking an open textbook (Open Educational Resource). OUR Archive usage statistics. Retrieved from http://otago.ourarchive.ac.nz/handle/10523/4820/stats

Sidorko, P.E. & Yang, T.T. (2008). Refocusing for the future: Meeting user expectations in a digital age. Library Management, 30(1/2), 6-24. doi: 10.1108/01435120910927484

University of British Columbia. (2014). BC Open Textbooks. Retrieved from http://opentextbc.ca/

University of Otago Library. (2014). OUR Archive. Retrieved from http://otago.ourarchive.ac.nz/

University of Otago Library. (2014). Thesis information. Retrieved from http://otago.libguides.com/thesisinformation

Appendix: Other resourcesMore about the Media Texthack project at:

https://blogs.otago.ac.nz/texthack

http://creativecommons.org.nz/2013/11/hacking-a-media-text-in-a-weekend

http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/281800/textbook-project-internet

http://www.odt.co.nz/campus/university-otago/293166/interest-textbook

http://www.idealog.co.nz/blog/2013/11/need-better-textbook-hack-it-yourself

https://blogs.otago.ac.nz/openotago/2014/02/13/otago-led-open-access-media-studies-textbook-goes-live/


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Pre-literate Māori knowledge frameworks as post-literacy strategies

This paper looks at the use of traditional Māori knowledge frameworks as valid approaches to tackle contemporary information chal-lenges. It suggests the application of indigenous models of knowledge and information structures to a contemporary context where existing models of information communication appear to be failing. Post-literacy and secondary orality theories are introduced, and presented as potential sources for strategies that help literacy disadvantaged communities navigate the modern world. The marae, Kaupapa Māori and Mātauranga Māori are all modern information frameworks for Māori, and are indicators of possible connec-tions between pre-literate Māori culture and an anticipated post-literacy. The post-literate application of concepts of whakapapa (a hands-on and collaborative non-linear approach to knowledge) and waiata (knowledge and history passed on through song) are examined. Although not necessarily compatible with Western taxonomies and approaches, it could well be that information and com-munication strategies from pre-literate societies will be the guide for the future. If this is true, it may also well be that historically literacy disadvantaged communities will have an edge that they have long needed.

Mā te whakaaro kotahi ka ora ai. The cohesion of perspectives will strengthen the kaupapa (Animoa, n.d).

IntroductionThis paper looks at the use of traditional Māori knowledge frame-works as an approach to help contemporary Māori process and tackle current information challenges. Current and potential appli-cations are evaluated in the light of theories of post-literacy and secondary orality, seeking to present the use of traditional informa-tion frameworks as relevant to contemporary society, as well as to suggest the use of frameworks not currently widespread.

The period of post-literacy is what Walter Ong (1982) calls ‘sec-ondary orality’, and Marshall McLuhan (1967), Thomas Pettit and L. O. Sauerberg (2013) identify as a period after the ‘Gutenberg parenthesis’ we are currently in, and when text based communica-tion will no longer be privileged. These thinkers see the mass lit-eracy initiated by the Gutenberg printing press as an anomaly in the development of human civilisation, and see our increased use of audio-visual, electronic and internet technology as the begin-nings of a return to a more aural/visual communication. While this post-literacy has many elements of pre-literate culture, it is affected and transformed by a historic literacy.

Jane McRae (1998) observes that the main genres of Māori lit-erary tradition were whakapapa, karakia, whakataukī, waiata and kōrero. Timoti Karetu (1992) introduces a similar list in his essay on the language of the marae, including haka, waiata, tauparapara, karanga, poroporoaki, paki waitara, whakapapa, whakataukī and pepeha. These lists, while not necessarily comprehensive, pro-vide indications towards understanding the cultural contexts and mind-maps (Roberts, 2012) of Māori. Concepts from the marae and the wharenui have successfully been adapted to contemporary knowledge contexts, as have concepts such as kaupapa Māori and mātauranga Māori. Is it possible to also use other traditional Māori concepts to build information structures in a post-literate age?

It is not the intention of this paper to fall into the assumption that Anne Salmond critiques (McLean, 1996a), of unduly equating ‘traditional’ Māori with pre-European contact culture, or to try and crystallize Māori culture in a romanticised orality. Rather, it seeks to look at indigenous models of knowledge and information struc-tures, and to suggest the application of these to a contemporary

context where existing models of information communication appear to be failing. The concepts surveyed in this report are not meant to be comprehensive or conclusive, and will at most be indi-cators of possible connections between pre-literate Māori culture and an anticipated post-literacy.

For the purposes of this paper, post-literacy and secondary orality will be used interchangeably.

Secondary Orality, Gutenberg parenthesisWalter Ong’s (1982) exploration of orality and literacy discusses how the two are essentially different, and not variants of each other. He describes orality as operating on a different consciousness from literacy, intellectualising mnemonically and basing more in tradi-tion than in innovation. Secondary orality is a condition brought about through contemporary technological change: an orality that is based on literate culture, however rejecting the privileging of text. James Scott’s (2009) studies in south east Asia suggest that such a condition of post-literacy has precedents, and he gives examples of tribal groups that appear to have rejected script and writing in favour of a deliberately oral way of life.

In ‘The Gutenberg Galaxy’, Marshall McLuhan (1967) intro-duces the idea that the printing press and the subsequent mass production of text was an anomaly in the history of human civi-lisation. He advocates that further technological development will soon move us beyond this anomaly, back to a communication envi-ronment that is dependent on aural and visual elements, and not on writing. Writing is often described as a technology (Gnanadesikan, 2009), and since McLuhan made his predictions, newer technolo-gies such as the World Wide Web have both re-emphasised and simultaneously de-emphasised the use of text.

Thomas Pettitt and L. O. Sauerberg (2013) of the University of Southern Denmark go a bit further with their theory of ‘The Gutenberg Parenthesis’, tracing much of the cultural elements of contemporary modern society such as individualism, permanence and the perceived authority of the text back to Gutenberg’s 15th century invention. They celebrate the coming of the digital, and asso-ciate it with a move to more fluid and interconnected pre-literate


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communications and lifestyles. They also see the use of text-based communication via phones as conforming increasingly to character-istics of orality, with the speed and informality of speech, as well as a desire to ‘get it through’ rather than ‘get it correct’ with respect to spelling, punctuation etc. (Tom Pettitt, 2014).

In the immediate context of Aotearoa New Zealand, what might this secondary orality or post-Gutenberg parenthesis period look like? What associations might it have with pre-literate Māori culture?

Modern Māori information frameworks

1. The MaraeRanginui J. Walker (1992) situates the marae as the focal point of Māori culture. Tracing the development of the marae through his-tory, he describes it as an institution deeply rooted in the foundations of Māori culture, evolving over time to changing human needs. The urban marae, while not ‘traditional’ in the sense of being associated with one tribe, have helped fulfil deeply felt spiritual and cultural needs of Māori displaced and distanced from their home marae.

It is not inappropriate, then, to try to use the marae and the carved meeting house as a metaphor for conceptual constructs of information structures. This has in fact been done very success-fully by Ngā Ūpoko Tukutuku, the Māori subject headings project sponsored by LIANZA, Te Rōpū Whakahau and National Library of New Zealand (National Library of New Zealand, 2013). The framework for Ngā Ūpoko Tukutuku is the wharenui or meeting house, with the terms woven into its structure (Amey, 2012). This creates pathways for cataloguers, archivists and reference librarians to describe and access Māori material.

While the marae and the large meeting houses go back to myth-ical Hawaiki (Walker, 1992), the use of this concept by Ngā Ūpoko Tukutuku is still very solidly in the context of literate culture. The structure of the wharenui is used as a way to navigate the library, that bastion of literacy, and it may not yet be appropriate to try and re-purpose this to apply to post-literate strategies.

2. Kaupapa Māori and Mātauranga MāoriTe Ahukaramū Charles Royal (2012) contrasts and compares these two popular terms, looking at their perspectives and their overlap of meanings. ‘Kaupapa Māori’ is understood to be a broad plan of action created by Māori, expressing Maori aspirations, values and principles. Kaupapa Māori anticipates ‘tikanga Māori’, cultural behaviours through which kaupapa Māori is expressed and made tangible. Mātauranga Māori, on the other hand, is understood as a modern term for a body of knowledge that was brought to these islands by the ancestors of the Māori. Mātauranga Māori refers to the general body of knowledge, while Kaupapa Māori suggests a ‘plan of action’.

One of the clearest examples of both principles is Kura Kaupapa Māori, who use the term ‘kaupapa’ in an educational setting. These Māori language immersion schools are based on a foundation of understanding and knowledge created by Māori, and express Māori aspirations. This is achieved through the emphasis on the use of te reo Māori as a medium of instruction and operation in accordance with Te Aho Matua, which emphasises a Māori world-view to all learning (Te Rūnanga Nui o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori o Aotearoa, n.d.).

Kura Kaupapa Māori, through its focus on applying historical cultural Māori methods of learning in a contemporary scenario, has a clearer connection to post-literacy strategies than Ngā Ūpoko Tukutuku. This is not intended as criticism, but as recognition of the different purpose each approach was created to serve. While Kura Kaupapa Māori was created to deliberately celebrate and develop Māori knowledge, Ngā Ūpoko Tukutuku is a structure to enable connections between a Western literary tradition and a Māori one.

Potential post-literate Māori information frameworks

1. WhakapapaThere is ample documentation of the role and importance of whaka-papa in Māori consciousness. Lachy Paterson (2010) calls it ‘the most important’ division within Māori society, and Mere Roberts (2012) calls it ‘the significant construct on which information is both spatially and chronologically located’. Elsewhere, Roberts also discusses the relational nature of whakapapa that emphasises com-plementary relationships rather than oppositional ones. There is no distinction between spiritual and material worlds, and we see con-nections not made in Western taxonomy, such as between a kūmara tuber and the kiore rat (Roberts, 2004).

Anecdotal evidence from Auckland Libraries’ Central City Library Makerspace1 suggests that while elements of that maker-space are separate from each other, people react to and interact with these elements together, emphasising their relational nature. For instance, while robotics and 3D printing are not obviously related, people try to 3D print pieces that can be used for the robots. It has even been suggested that the subject of a workshop on making mobile phone movies be robotics. This cross-pollination of ele-ments is based on experiential relationships between elements of the makerspace, rather than on a ‘linear trajectory’ (Roy, Lilley, & Luehrsen, 2011) approach to knowledge. The hands-on and col-laborative models of makerspaces are quite different from the indi-vidualised, competitive models of traditional literacy. Knowledge in a makerspace is collective, and most learning is lateral rather than top-down. This makes makerspaces a good example of a post-lit-erate strategy, where the knowledge is no longer based on a text, but on hands-on skills, though in a highly intellectual atmosphere that needs to understand complex concepts of design, geometry and materials science.

Whakapapa appears a good conceptual model for makerspaces, and by extension, other post-literate strategies. Seeing things through the eyes of whakapapa breaks down the intellectual and disciplinary silos and specialisations that have been a feature of our academic and professional lives. The use of this framework helps to clarify both the historical understanding of the nature of maker-spaces/post-literate strategies, and thus to propose new directions. Could whakapapa be used to explain and communicate the mul-ti-modal nature of important information skills?

2. WaiataWriting on Māori music, Mervyn McLean (1996b) identifies waiata as “the most frequently performed songs, accounting for more than half of all songs recorded and an even larger proportion

1. The Auckland Central City Library Makerspace is a public space that provides infrastructure to encourage digital and technological creativity, without the boundaries of teacher-student re-lationships or traditional divisions between disciplines. This space currently includes computers running open source software, robotics kits and a 3D printer.


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of songs whose texts have been published”. In the preface of her introduction to Ngā Mōteatea, Jane McRae (2011) calls waiata evi-dence the ancient and historical Māori tradition of composition, also calling them a storehouse of knowledge for a student of Māori language, poetry and culture. Further afield, Rachael Te Āwhina Ka’ai-Mahuta argues in her PhD thesis that Māori waiata and haka were archives, preserving important historical and cultural knowl-edge. She takes specific Māori cultural knowledge like the history of the kūmara, and demonstrates how this history has been saved and passed on in the form of a waiata (Ka’ai-Mahuta, 2010).

While these references establish historical relevance, there is also current evidence to point to the importance of song and music in contemporary Māori (and Pasifika) society. Andrew Shaw, Executive Producer, Season 1, NZ Idol, was quoted in ‘Global Television Formats’ as saying the music industry and music in new Zealand was dominated by Māori and Polynesian rhythms (de Bruin, 2013). The World Internet Project report findings for 2013 found that while Māori and Pasifika New Zealanders were less likely to use the internet, they were however leading the way in the use of music streaming services such as Spotify (Wilkins, 2013).

To apply Rachael Te Āwhina Ka’ai-Mahuta’s thesis, could contemporary music and song be as much a store of culture and knowledge as waiata once were? If ‘One Day A Taniwha’ can be used to teach stranger danger to pre-school children (Archer, 2009), and research indicates that music can help teach literacy (McIntire, 2007) and mathematics (Graziano, Peterson, & Shaw, 1999), could waiata be a model to teaching more complex ideas and concepts? Current developments at Auckland Libraries includes exploring the possibilities of makerspaces in South Auckland. Discussions with local communities are increasingly suggesting that music and media

production are a possible entry point to digital literacy and the maker culture, helping people learn skills that are genuinely useful, in ways that are comfortable to them. While it is still early days, this initiative could well throw up some very interesting data.

ConclusionIt has been noted that traditional indigenous knowledge systems are not necessarily compatible with Western taxonomies and approaches (Roy et al., 2011). Yet it is the common experience across the modern world that Western systems of information and knowl-edge have become dominant and primary ways of accessing modern information. It is also a common experience across the world that many indigenous and tribal colonised groups struggle to adapt their cultural and historical instincts to contemporary Western values, and this struggle is reflected (though not necessarily solely respon-sible for) educational participational and performance statistics (Ministry of Education, 2012).

If contemporary society is moving quickly to a post-literate state, it could well be that information and communication strategies from pre-literate societies will be the guide. If this is true, it may also well be that historically literacy disadvantaged communities will have an edge that they have long needed, if not ever had. The question is, will we take it?

Baruk Jacob Digital Outreach Librarian at Auckland Libraries PGDipIS student at Victoria University of Wellington [email protected]

ReferencesAmey, C. (2012, July 27). Ngā Ūpoko Tukutuku: building a house with the right words. National Library of New Zealand. Retrieved from http://natlib.govt.nz/blog/posts/nga-upoko-tukutuku-building-a-house-with-the-right-words

Animoa. (n.d.). Whakataukī 2. Quizlet. Retrieved February 10, 2014, from http://quizlet.com/16230115/whakatauki-2-flash-cards/

Archer, J. (2009, September). One Day A Taniwha. New Zealand Folk Song. Retrieved from http://folksong.org.nz/one_day_a_taniwha/

De Bruin, J. (2013). NZ Idol: Nation Building Through Format Adaptation. In T. Oren & S. Shahaf (Eds.), Global Television Formats: Understanding Television Across Borders (pp. 223–241). Routledge.

Gnanadesikan, A. E. (2009). The First IT Revolution. In The Writing Revolution: Cuneiform to the Internet (pp. 1–12). Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.

Graziano, A., Peterson, M., & Shaw, G. (1999). Enhanced learning of proportional math through music training and spa-tial-temporal training. Neurol Res, 21(2), 139–152.

Ka’ai-Mahuta, R. T. Ā. (2010, June). He kupu tuku iho mō tēnei reanga: A critical analysis of waiata and haka as com-mentaries and archives of Māori political history. Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand.

Karetu, T. (1992). Language and Protocol of the Marae. In M. King (Ed.), Te Ao Hurihuri: Aspects of Maoritanga (pp. 28–41). Reed Publishing Group.

McIntire, J. M. (2007). Developing Literacy through Music. Teaching Music, 15(1), 5.

McLean, M. (1996a). Introduction. In Maori Music (1st ed., p. 1). Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand: Auckland University Press.

McLean, M. (1996b). Sung Song and Dance Styles. In Maori Music (1st ed., pp. 110–146). Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand: Auckland University Press.

McLuhan, M. (1967). Prologue. In The Gutenberg Galaxy (1st ed., pp. 1–10). London, UK: Routledge & Kegan Paul.

McRae, J. (1998). Māori literature: A survey. In T. Sturm (Ed.), The Oxford History of New Zealand Literature in English (2nd ed., pp. 1–30). Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand: Oxford University Press.

McRae, J. (2011). Preface. In Ngā Mōteatea: An Introduction He Kupu Arataki (pp. 7–9). Auckland: Auckland University Press.

Ministry of Education. (2012). Māori Tertiary Education Students. Aotearoa New Zealand: Ministry of Education. Retrieved from http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/statistics/maori_education/tertiary-education

National Library of New Zealand. (2013, November). Introduction. Ngā Ūpoko Tukutuku / Māori Subject Headings. Retrieved February 10, 2014, from http://mshupoko.natlib.govt.nz/mshupoko/index.htm

Ong, W. J. (1982). Orality and Literacy - The Technologizing of the Word. Cornwall, Great Britain: Methuen & Co. Ltd.


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Paterson, L. (2010). Print Culture and the Collective Māori Consciousness. Journal of New Zealand Literature, (28), 105–129.

Pettitt, Thomas, & Sauerberg, L. O. (2013, June 7). The Future is Medieval. Colombia Journalism Review. Retrieved from http://www.cjr.org/the_audit/the_future_is_medieval.php?page=all

Pettitt, Tom. (2014, February 8). Postliteracy FTW! with @fed-dabonn. Nyssa Harkness. Retrieved from http://nyssaharkness.wordpress.com/2014/02/07/postliteracy-ftw-with-feddabonn/

Roberts, M. (2004). Whakapapa as a Māori mental construct: Some implications for the debate over genetic modifica-tion of organisms. The Contemporary Pacific, 16(1), 1–28.

Roberts, M. (2012). Mind maps of the Maori. GeoJournal, (77), 741–751.

Royal, T. A. C. (2012). Politics and knowledge: Kaupapa Māori and mātau-ranga Māori. New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies, 47(2), 30–17.

Roy, L., Lilley, S., & Luehrsen, V. (2011). Indigenous Cultural Models in Information Literacy Delivery Including Programmes for Māori and Pasifika Students at New Ze aland Universities. Presented at the IFLA 2011, Puerto Rico.

Scott, J. C. (2009). The Art of Not Being Governed. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

Te Rūnanga Nui o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori o Aotearoa. (n.d.). About Us. Te Rūnanga Nui o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori o Aotearoa. Retrieved February 10, 2014, from http://www.runanga.co.nz/about-us

Walker, R. (1992). Marae: A Place to Stand. In M. King (Ed.), Te Ao Hurihuri: Aspects of Maoritanga (pp. 15–27). Reed Publishing Group.

Wilkins, A. (2013, November). World Internet Project - latest NZ research from AUT. AUT University News. Retrieved from http://www.news.aut.ac.nz/news/2013/november/anywhere,-anytime-internet-popular-with-kiwis-aut-internet-research


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The New Zealand National Union Catalogue: maintaining the mecca of New Zealand library holdings

This article describes the purpose and functions of the New Zealand National Union Catalogue, and the traditional ways in which it has been updated. The OSMOSIS service provides a new option for keeping holdings up to date, based on a software tool developed by The MARC of Quality (TMQ). Though this provides libraries with an easy-to-use method of keeping their holdings up to date, poor quality catalogue records limits its effectiveness.

IntroductionThis article is based on a presentation given at the OCLC Asia Pacific Regional Council Seminar in February 2010, when the author was the Project Manager of the OSMOSIS Project at the National Digital Library, National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa.

Ksenija Obradovic Cataloguing Manager at the University of Auckland Library also spoke at that OCLC Seminar event, describing OSMOSIS from the point of view of a service user for the University of Auckland. 1

This article describes the OSMOSIS initiative and the way it is used by New Zealand libraries and by the National Library to keep New Zealand Library holdings up to date on the New Zealand National Union Catalogue.

National Union Catalogue (NUC)The New Zealand National Union Catalogue (NUC) reflects the collections of New Zealand libraries The NUC is a rich source of information supporting New Zealand’s knowledge economy and cultural and heritage activities (McDermott Miller 2002). It is a centralised catalogue to which New Zealand libraries contribute bibliographic records and their holdings information.

The NUC serves multiple functions. It is used as a tool for the interlibrary loan system in New Zealand and between New Zealand and Australia. The NUC carries out a national bibliographic utility function by providing products and services and it also acts as a bib-liographic resource by providing access to large catalogues of bib-liographic records. The NUC can be used for maintaining various library activities within New Zealand libraries such as acquisitions and cataloguing.

In 2010, the National Union Catalogue had over 6.5 million bibliographic records, 17 million holdings records and over 280 member libraries from the tertiary, public library, and special library sectors and the National Library of New Zealand.

The National Library delivers the National Union Catalogue as Te Puna to subscribers (http://natlib.govt.nz/librarians/te-puna). Bibliographic records updated on the NUC are also updated on OCLC’s global catalogue, known as WorldCat (http://www.worldcat.org/), through the daily exchange of catalogue records. The National Union Catalogue forms much of the New Zealand content on OCLC’s WorldCat database.2

1. Slides from the presentations are available at http://oclc.org/events/2010/files/aprc/aprc_feb-ruary2010.en.html

2. The National Union Catalogue can be searched at the National Library website, as the New Zealand Libraries Catalogue (http://nzlc.natlib.govt.nz).

Keeping the NUC up to dateNew Zealand libraries and the National Library have cooperated for many years to keep the NUC up to date with methods largely influenced by technologies of the time. Current methods include:• Batch load update. There are various ways the NUC can be

updated by batch method. This traditional method, used since the very early days of NUC computerisation, involves a library sending in a file of records, generally of ISBNs, which are used to match against the records on the NUC. Once a match is found, the library holdings are added.

• Online manual cataloguing using the cataloguing client and the Web cataloguing service provided by the National Library. These cataloguing services use the Voyager Software, from ExLibris. New Zealand libraries can also use OCLC’s Connexion and CatExpress cataloguing services which update WorldCat. The OCLC services are available through the partnering agreement between the National Library of New Zealand and OCLC.

• OSMOSIS, a relatively new service, is a sophisticated batch load system using software developed by the company The MARC of Quality Inc (TMQ), which is based in Florida, USA. This software tool identifies changes, specifically additions and deletions to library holdings over time.

No matter which method is used to update the National Union Catalogue and WorldCat, changes are reflected in the holdings of WorldCat and the NUC through the exchange of catalogue and library holdings records.

For example, if a New Zealand library catalogues using OCLC’s CatExpress service, then the updates flow from OCLC through to the National Union Catalogue, while if the NUC is updated through its batchload service or online cataloguing changes then updates flow through to WorldCat.

Keeping library holdings on the National Union Catalogue in synchOver time gaps and inaccuracies for New Zealand library holdings on the National Union Catalogue have developed. This is an outcome from more traditional methods of holdings update. Not all catalogue records have ISBNs and ISSN, or if they do they can be incorrect, which can make data matching fuzzy and incorrect. In addition, while most libraries send their new holdings records to the NUC, they do not necessarily send changes to those holdings or holdings deletions. There can also be gaps in library holdings, for example not all libraries report e-resources or fiction. Out of date and inaccurate holdings on the NUC mean inefficiencies for library users and librarians finding


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and locating resources in New Zealand libraries.New Zealand libraries need an easy way to update the NUC with

their holdings. Libraries generally update their holdings informa-tion on their local library systems, which means that repeating this work on the NUC is impractical and expensive. A more efficient and practical approach is to find ways to export this data from library catalogues and then import it to the NUC.

To work toward solving this holdings update problem, a business case was made in 2007 to use the OSMOSIS software provided by TMQ. The goal was to provide a more accurate and up to date National Union Catalogue and WorldCat for New Zealand holdings.

OSMOSIS was identified as a potential solution that would involve minimum effort on behalf of New Zealand libraries when contributing records to the NUC.

How OSMOSIS works When a library first joins the OSMOSIS Service the National Library and TMQ Inc work on a complete refresh of the holdings on the National Union Catalogue for that library. All the holdings for that library that existed before the refresh are deleted and the newest holdings file is added.

Thereafter the library does an export of its entire catalogue on a regular basis, and the OSMOSIS software identifies changes to the holdings and updates the National Union Catalogue accordingly. The library system number is added into the the cataloguing data.

The National Library and TMQ define three high level stages in the OSMOSIS processing: the pre OSMOSIS process, OSMOSIS, and post OSMOSIS processing.

Briefly, OSMOSIS updates involve the following steps. The library exports a copy of its catalogue which is sent by file transfer protocol (ftp) to TMQ for processing. The OSMOSIS software identifies the differences between the previous file and current file (a diff in computing terminology). After processing, the National Library receives a copy of the update file which is loaded to the National Union Catalogue. The National Library uses TMQ’s deduplication software, known as Pre-Load Processor (PLP), before loading a new file to the NUC to identify previous matches on the library system number. New records without the library system number are run against the NUC to check for matches and non matching bibliographic records.

The key feature provided by OSMOSIS is the ability to take snapshots of library holdings and compare the changes over time. Files of additions, changes and deletions are regularly added to the NUC for each library participating in the OSMOSIS project.

The OSMOSIS Pilot Project An OSMOSIS Pilot Project ran from January 2008 to February 2009, with seven New Zealand libraries participating. • Porirua Public Library• National Library of New Zealand• University of Auckland• Auckland University of Technology• University of Canterbury• Victoria University of Wellington• eLGAR: Libraries for a Greater Auckland Region

(now Auckland Libraries)

The goal of the OSMOSIS Pilot Project was to ensure New Zealand library catalogue holdings were represented accurately on

the National Union Catalogue. This was achieved for all seven par-ticipating libraries. Each of the libraries was able to easily export a copy of their library catalogue, zip them up, and FTP the file for OSMOSIS processing. This meant that these libraries could abandon other methods they used to update the NUC with their holdings.

Relationships with TMQ and the pilot libraries and National Library developed positively over the project period. Regularly scheduled weekly teleconference meetings with TMQ, and on-site library visits contributed to streamlining workflows and knowledge sharing. A wiki was used for support documentation to record library profile information, and monitoring progress of files.

The Pilot project focused on putting the process in place for the pilot libraries and the National Library and making the service operational.

At the end of the Project, the National Library recommended that the OSMOSIS Service be offered to those libraries already using it so that more developments could be made. And so another phase for OSMOSIS began with the umbrella name, OSMOSIS Service Enhancements.

OSMOSIS Service Enhancements In 2009 work began on three major pieces of work• Documenting cataloguing standards for New Zealand libraries, • Software enhancements to the tool that loads holdings to the

National Union Catalogue.• Development of a business model for OSMOSIS as a Service.

Cataloguing standards The Osmosis pilot project highlighted highly variable cataloguing standards used by New Zealand libraries, with some producing high quality standards compliant AACR2/MARC21 records and others at the other extreme producing minimal and noncompliant cata-logue records.

Issues also surfaced with the recommended standards used by libraries for cataloguing on the National Union Catalogue. In some cases, the current standards lacked clarity in areas important for OSMOSIS processing. In other areas there was a contradiction between the standard and current cataloguing practices.

During the first half of 2009 the Expert Working Group for Cataloguing (EWG), was established (http://nznuc-cataloguing.pbworks.com/w/page/23386207/About%20us). The EWG Group had representatives from universities, public libraries and the National library. The group worked together to update the National Union Catalogue standards and incorporated into them requirements for cataloguing on Te Puna, OCLC WorldCat, and OSMOSIS Processing. The updated standards are now available on the National Library website and the DescribeNZ wiki (http://nznuc-cataloguing.pbworks.com/w/page/4471443/Describe%20NZ) which was developed by the EWG for all New Zealand cataloguers to use.

Software enhancements to the Pre-Load Processor (PLP) softwareThe National Library use the PLP tool to load files to the National Union Catalogue after they have been processed through OSMOSIS. This tool underwent software enhancements in an effort to reduce duplicate records on the NUC and to reduce the amount of human review required for bibliographic duplicate detection.


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OSMOSIS as a ServiceThe OSMOSIS Service needed a viable business model. Systems needed to be set in place that were less labour intensive, and a cost recovery platform was required to deliver the OSMOSIS service. This work was completed and OSMOSIS is now available to Te Puna libraries on a subscription basis.

Discussion and conclusionSince 2009 the OSMOSIS Service has become an easy method for those libraries using it to update the National Union Catalogue. Each participant library is scheduled for quarterly updates, and all parties have a good understanding of the process. From a systems point of view, OSMOSIS works well however like many systems more automation would increase effectiveness.

An ongoing issue with maintaining and updating an accurate NUC with holdings from all New Zealand libraries is the vari-able quality of the cataloguing data. While some libraries produce good standards based cataloguing, others do not. When key data is incorrect or lacking, it is difficult to match the data for duplicate detection purposes. As poor quality catalogue records find their way onto the NUC and other library catalogues such as WorldCat, it becomes more and more difficult for the duplicate detection soft-ware to identify accurate matches for bibliographic records. Some frequently encountered errors are:• wrongly encoded catalogue records, so poor quality records can

replace very good records• insufficient information contained in catalogue records resulting

in an incorrect match• information transcribed incorrectly or in the wrong MARC21

field

• one record created for multiple manifestations of a resource, e.g. creating one catalogue record containing all the publishers of a title when there should be a catalogue record for each manifestation

• records catalogued incorrectly for each issue of a serial • missing MARC subfields and indicators• non standard physical descriptions (AACR2) and carrier types

(RDA).

These types of errors make it difficult for the duplicate detection software to find matching catalogue data because the duplicate detection software is based on AACR2 and RDA (Resource Description & Access) and MARC21 .

There are probably a number of reasons for poor quality catalogue records. Possible causes include:• resourcing including low numbers of cataloguers • lack of training and experience• insufficient funding• library system limitations• adapting cataloguing for the catalogue, e.g. online catalogue

display, rather than following standards• limitations of WebCat• access to cataloguing standards.

The cataloguing standards of New Zealand libraries remain highly variable with quality levels at extreme ends of the spectrum from excellent to poor. Further research could identify which, if any, of the above reasons is the reason for this, and identify ways of addressing the issues.

Karen Rollitt Applications Specialist, Department of Internal Affairs

ReferencesMcDermott Miller Limited. (2002). National bibliographic data-base and national union catalogue : economic valuation : research report for Electronic Services Directorate National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Matauranga O Aotearoa. Wellington, Author. Available at http://nznuc-cataloguing.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/62719977/Economic%20Valuation-Final%20Report.pdf.


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User perceptions of library buildings: Architectural and design element preferences in the public library

The purpose of this study was to identify particular design features and architectural elements which users of public libraries enjoy and would like to see both in new and refurbished library buildings. This study was focused on Christchurch City Libraries and the wider Christchurch community. A case study framework and a qualitative methodology were employed to generate the depth of information required to provide an understanding of a very specific situation. Twelve semi-structured interviews were undertaken for this study. The research findings gener-ated a number of themes: a preference for modern design; a predominant concern for functionality over design; an emotional response to some design elements; a strong desire for multi-use spaces; the need for flexibility in design elements; a heightened consciousness of building safety; incorporation of green technologies; connectivity with the outdoors; the desirability of light, airy and welcoming spaces; and the affect of design on patterns of usage. The find-ings also reinforce the importance of libraries to communities and the need to ensure design meets the needs of, and reflects the identities of, those communities. This informs public librarians, architects, designers and local bodies in the process of designing new library buildings or refurbishing existing ones, as to just what it is that their users want to see in that building, in a New Zealand context. As this research has taken place in a very specific context further research in other centres could prove valuable to see if findings are similar.

Keywords: Canterbury earthquakes; architecture and design; public libraries.

IntroductionThe purpose of this study was to identify particular design features and architectural elements which users of public libraries enjoy and would like to see both in new and refurbished library buildings. This study focused on Christchurch City Libraries and the wider Christchurch community.

Existing research examines whether users prefer old, new or refurbished buildings (Black, 2011) or focuses more on library design ‘how to guides’ from a librarian’s point of view (Dewe, 2006). To date there is very little research which provides precise detail on user preferences in public library buildings, for example whether users prefer expansive or more intimate spaces, use of natural light and windows, the inclusion of cafés or other non-book related spaces, provision of wireless, the importance of sustainable features etcetera. Much of the literature also mentions the growing impor-tance of library as place or third place (Fisher, Saxton, Edwards, & Mai, 2007; Griffis, 2010) but does not make a connection between this trend and proactively eliciting user preferences in the design process for library facilities. Existing research is also dominated by literature from the United Kingdom and the United States with little available with a New Zealand context.

This research was designed to inform public librarians, architects, designers and local bodies in the process of designing new library buildings or refurbishing existing ones, as to just what it is that their users want to see in that building. This study will benefit LIS research by addressing a shortfall in existing research by providing an insight into user design preferences for public library buildings in a New Zealand context and enable librarians to connect the ‘library as place’ concept with the provision of buildings which users like and feel comfortable in. In addition because of the unique circum-stances prevailing in the Canterbury region, how user perceptions have been affected by the earthquakes that have devastated the area, will provide data that has hitherto not been collected or studied.

Literature Review

The library as placeThere is much research in the LIS literature regarding the impor-tance of the library as ‘Place’ or as ‘Third place’ where:

…people can be found when they are not at home or work (Fisher, Saxton, Edwards & Mai, 2007, p. 137).

These authors discuss the notion of ‘place’ at length as what is meant by the word ‘place,’ in turn affects our understanding of the roles of libraries in society. The authors use two frameworks for under-standing ‘place’: Oldenberg’s notion of third place and Cresswell’s five component definition of place in a field study of the newly completed Seattle Public Library. By establishing that the library is important to the community as a social gathering place, the impor-tance is established of the physical manifestation of what we call the library. A building that is important to the community should have community input into its design.

Furthermore it seems obvious that if this physical entity is to survive, let alone be successful in any guise, then it must meet the needs of its community. A case study of the Owen Sound Library in Ontario, Canada looks to discover if it is possible for historic library buildings designed in an earlier time to meet the needs of their present day community and compares the library space of today with when the building was first constructed in 1914 (Griffis, 2010). The findings conclude that although Carnegie library buildings are notoriously difficult and perceived to be inflexible this particular example has adapted successfully, with the inclusion of lifts, ramps and a large light-filled extension for example, and has become what the author describes as:

A vibrant and flexible space within the community (Griffis, 2010, p. 185).


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Griffis’ article develops the concept of library as ‘place’ and estab-lishes a link between the physical manifestation of the library and its users and how the latter can influence the development of the building over time.

If the library is important in its community how might this be reflected in its physical manifestation? The importance of the library to its community and how this might be reflected in its design is the subject of a Canadian study by May and Black (2010) which looks at three urban and three small town public libraries in Nova Scotia in an effort to discover how patrons use their libraries as spaces in the Twenty First Century and just what the role of the library is in the community. This information is very important in not only assessing the success or otherwise of the current building, but also informing future design, renovation, and service decisions. The study found that not only were the libraries important and highly valued in their communities but also that the buildings themselves reflected the community’s individuality:

Many library leaders have advocated increasing the civic society role for public libraries. Under this new rubric, new designs and ren-ovations often include meeting spaces and flexible layouts in order to accommodate local community interests in using the library as a public commons (May & Black, 2010, p. 6).

If we acknowledge then the importance of the library as place, how important is the physical design? Van Slyck (2007) charts the history of the public library movement and the correlation between their buildings and the advent of reading for pleasure. She feels that architecture plays a central role in shaping the user’s experience of the library as place (Van Slyck, 2007, p. 221) and that by the early Twentieth Century librarians, especially children’s librarians:

began to think systematically about using the qualities of place to affect the readers experience as well (Van Slyck, 2007, p. 221).

The library’s physical entity then is pivotal in establishing a con-text for an individual’s interaction with the library, its staff, resources and even other users. As Van Slyck herself so eloquently says

The three-dimensional qualities of a building’s interior spaces, as well as the furnishings and fittings in those spaces, constitute a sort of stage set that encourages users to play certain sanctioned roles, while making others seem unthinkable (Van Slyck, 2007, p. 221).

Library design trendsBy looking at trends in library architecture and design it is possible to discern the close relationship that exists, or should exist, between a building’s users and its design. Because of the lack of research into public library design the literature search has been widened to include material pertaining to academic as well as public libraries. User influence in the implementation of library design cannot be overlooked—Ratcliffe believes for instance that:

The development of carrels, study, seminar and lecture rooms in libraries owe their origins largely to user influence (Ratcliffe, 1989, p. 23).

By seeking out user input as to design preferences at an early stage, the resulting data can be fed into the architect’s design concepts and so help to inform the final structure. This consultation helps to build a sense of ownership among users and, although speaking about academic libraries, Foote, an architect, believes that:

If students are to use a space enthusiastically and well … they must feel this sense of ownership (Foote, 2004, p. 56).

The concept that the architecture of the building facilitates effective

usage of the space by users and that library buildings are no longer designed primarily as store houses of library resources and to house library staff (Bennett, 2007, p. 23) is one that is gaining momentum amongst architects and library administrators alike. The advent of the digital age has also meant a rethink in terms of what is required when planning library facilities (Hohmann, 2006, para. Abstract).

Loder’s 2010 study of ‘green’ libraries also revealed that not only has energy conservation become important in designing (academic) libraries but that increasingly spaces are being designed for users rather than books. Often environmental issues and user-friendly design go hand in hand as his survey of ten libraries showed. These libraries were either applying for, or had been granted, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) accreditation. The results showed an emphasis on such features as natural light, com-fortable areas, study rooms, wireless, snack bars and more electrical outlets for use with mobile devices. Loder further asserts that the modernist design philosophy of ‘form follows function’ has given way to more user centred design (Loder, 2010, p. 533). In modern libraries generally, issues of sustainability are becoming increasingly important.

Sustainability is altering typological assumptions as well as detailed architectural approaches, leading to libraries that offer greater user satisfaction and hence are better places to read, meet friends, or study (Edwards, 2011, p. 190).

Librarians and architects alike are starting to take into account the end users of the space (if not always actually consulting them about what their needs and wants might be). Hohmann reports that several high profile new builds - Dresden and Göttingen State and University library, the Seattle Public Library, and the Idea Stores in London have looked at such issues as user comfort in areas ranging from climate and acoustics, to the visual nature of the space even acknowledging that the use of different colours has a psychological effect on the user (Hohmann, 2006, para. Comfort).

Furthermore the fact that many library users spend lengthy periods of time at the library have prompted the development of so-called “soft services” such as cafés, shops and even day nurs-eries (Hohmann, 2006, para. The Library as a Working and Living Environment).

User input into library designBoth architects and library administrators acknowledge the impor-tance of planning when undertaking a library construction project and a critical component of this planning process is the gathering of information or input from stakeholders particularly future users of the facility (Ratcliffe, 1989; Lin, Chen & Chang, 2010; Sens, 2009; Dewe, 2006; Twait, 2009).

Various libraries, both public and academic have conducted research to elicit information from users as to their preferences in a proposed library construction project—both new builds and renovations. A significant part of these research projects was devoted to architectural and design elements users wanted to see in their library. Two such studies carried out in conjunction with public library building projects were undertaken by Gee, 1989 and Nankivell, 2003. Gee discussed the market research undertaken to assess user needs in order to justify investment in a new library in Runcorn, Cheshire: Surveys, collection of demographic data on the population and flow counts taken at two proposed sites. The resulting data were passed to the design team and led directly to a greater emphasis being given to exhibitions and displays, provision of a coffee bar, and a performing arts space.


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Public consultation was also undertaken as part of the planning process in the Library of Birmingham project (Nankivell, 2003) with the results to be fed directly into the architect’s initial con-cept design and to inform the ongoing development of the project. Initial data showed that the public wanted a building that was: accessible; attractive and welcoming with good architecture - it was to be ’green’, light, spacious and airy, have good décor and water features; there was to be provision of a wide range of facilities and spaces including performance areas, cafés, comfortable seating as well as computers and quiet study areas.

The strength of public opinion and feedback on design con-siderations is often most apparent when sustainability and ‘green’ building technologies are on the agenda. The Fayetteville Public Library’s proposed Blair Library project sought public feedback via public meetings. As a result planners became aware of the strong community interest in environmental concerns - location, walkable cities, tree preservation etcetera. In direct response, the architects proposed registering the building for the LEED certification pro-gramme and sustainable technologies were incorporated into the building’s design (Schaper, 2003, p. 63).

Black’s research is broader in focus examining the attitudes of members of the public to the design of library buildings in Britain as a whole putting these into context with the opinions of librar-ians, planners and architects. The author mentions that although there has been much discussion regarding the physical form of the library and the library as place there has been little research into architectural style. Black’s methodology was to employ the Mass Observation Archive (MOA) whereby a body of five hundred vol-unteers writes in response to ‘directives’ from researchers. In 2005 Black sought information on public library buildings. One hundred and eighty essay style contributions from anonymous contrib-utors—(121 women and 59 men) provided the data. Analysis of the evidence put findings in four categories: those who expressed a preference for new, purpose-built buildings; those who retained a liking for old-style libraries; those who expressed a taste for the provision of up-to-date facilities and interior decoration in historic settings; and finally those who played down appearances as a factor but emphasized the importance of collections and services. (Black 2011).

Three examples from academic libraries at the University of Rochester (Gibbons & Foster, 2007), the University of Calgary (Powelson & Vaska, 2010) and Auraria Library in Denver Colorado (Brown-Sica, 2012) show how users informed renovation projects at these institutions.

An outdated library and an unexpected twenty five percent reduc-tion in floor space provided the impetus for a complete renovation at the Health Sciences Library at the University of Calgary. An extremely tight time frame meant no time to conduct a lengthy con-sultation process. Staff undertook research to determine the wants and needs of their students in relation to the proposed new library space. A preliminary review of the literature gave good advice but staff wanted to ascertain if students at their library had any different or unique needs. A survey was conducted using SurveyMonkey. Of the170 participants 83.8% were students. The main findings were that students liked carrels but wanted them re-sited to a quieter, lighter location; more sockets for laptops; more technology; better furnishings and that as students used Google more than the library catalogue a significant proportion of the collection was moved to storage. Although this research is focused on users at an academic rather than a public library it demonstrates the relative ease with

which the consultation process can be undertaken even under extreme time pressure and that this makes a real difference to a successful renovation outcome.

A research project was undertaken at the University of Rochester from 2004–2006 to discover what students did during their day, how they approached their academic work and how they inter-acted with libraries and librarians within the context of everything else they did. The goal being to use this knowledge to improve the libraries’ reference services, facilities and online presence to meet the needs of their students better (Gibbons & Foster, 2007). An ethnographic methodology was employed and data collection methods included: interviews; photo survey; mapping diary; dorm visit; design workshops for facilities and web pages; interviews; and in-library observations.

Staff found that students differed from each other in their approach to academic work and in their use of the libraries. Therefore libraries needed a variety of online and in-person services to cater to individual learning styles including the facilities that they provided. Results of the student design exercise showed that students wanted spaces that were flexible, comfortable—including comfortable furniture and the availability of food and drink, with the provision of technology and tools such as Smart Boards. This was refined into a ranked list of design elements that was used by the architects to begin the design process. Researchers are honest in their admission that, had they proceeded with the building pro-ject based on their assumptions of student needs, they would have ended up with a building that:

…though aesthetically pleasing would not have been nearly so useful to students as the one they have helped us design (Gibbons & Foster, 2007, p. 29).

The Auraria Library, which serves the University of Colorado Denver, the Metropolitan State College of Denver and the Community College of Denver, embarked on a data gathering exer-cise using participatory action research prior to undertaking a pro-ject to establish a Learning Commons at the library. Information was gathered from a variety of sources including flip charts in the library, surveys, focus groups and direct observation.

The results were then analyzed by students in a campus architec-ture class. Because of the participation of students in this exercise both at a consultation and analysis level, the project to renovate the library developed strong support campus wide (Brown-Sica, 2012, p. 228). As well as informing any actual renovation the researchers hoped that the information gathered could also be used to gain support for the project in the first place. The results showed an overwhelming support for more electrical outlets to support the use of laptops and the charging of mobile devices, excellent wifi ser-vice, better furniture - especially chairs, problems with excess noise, updating of bathrooms, brighter colours etcetera. The library is now ready to move forward to the actual renovation phase taking the rich data they have gathered from users to better inform this process.

In chapter seven of his book on planning library buildings Dewe discusses various case studies of libraries making use of commu-nity consultation to inform the planning, design and construction of new libraries: Runcorn; Tower Hamlets; Norwich; Library of Birmingham and a brief mention of two projects in Australia. Of the community consultation process he says:

A major feature of need assessment is community consulta-tion, which is concerned not only with gathering information


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but with allowing members of the community to influence the design and other aspects of the proposed building (Dewe, 2006, p.195).

Post project evaluationsThe use of post-project evaluations (Bryant, 2009; Gee, 1989; Shill & Tonner, 2003 and 2004; Applegate, 2009; Stoffel, 2009) is a fur-ther method of utilizing user input to inform building design. They are primarily used as a means by which institutions can gauge the effectiveness of their renovations and whether this has translated into increased usage. Surveys were undertaken of library users and members of the Runcorn community to gauge the success of the new library at Runcorn in Cheshire (Gee, 1989). The results showed not only an increase in usage over the old library but also an increase in positive attitudes towards libraries. These evaluations could also be of use to other institutions contemplating a building project of their own as the research could be used to inform design decisions, to gauge the likely success of their own project and thereby justify investment in the library.

Research DesignThe framework chosen for this research was a case study design

as the Canterbury earthquakes have added a unique contextual layer to the research environment, which is very specific to this particular time and place and is hard to ignore. Christchurch had a unique architectural tradition but with many of the city’s landmark build-ings destroyed the future architectural direction of the city is topical and often controversial.

This study was undertaken in one specific community, Christchurch—a community whose perceptions and design prefer-ences would almost certainly have been shaped, or affected in some measure, by this very particular series of events which warranted more intensive analysis of Christchurch public library design.

In order for the depth and breadth of information to be retrieved wide ranging, open questions were asked of the participants using a semi-structured interview model.

Interview questions were designed to gather information regarding the following objectives:1. What architectural style do users most value and want to see in

their public library buildings? (a) To what extent are sustainable or ‘green’ design features important to users in their public library buildings? (b) What functional design features do users value the most and want to see in their public library buildings? (c) How have the Christchurch earthquakes impacted on archi-tectural and/or design features that users most value and want to see in a public library building?

In addition to the interviews a display of photographs of library architecture and design elements was employed to which any users of the library were able to add comments on post-it notes in a com-pletely anonymous manner.

Thematic analysis using the Framework system, a matrix based method for ordering and synthesizing data (Bryman, 2008, p. 554), was used to interpret the findings of the research and address the research objectives/purpose.

An index of central themes and sub-themes emerged from these data sources, which were then displayed within a matrix for each participant, as suggested in Bryman (2008, p. 555).

Thematic analysis was also used for the anonymous comments but a separate matrix was used for this purpose.

Sample sizeTwelve semi-structured interviews were undertaken for this study over three sites.

The small scale of this research project, the time scale involved, and the fact that it was undertaken by a sole researcher necessi-tated the use of a small sample. This meant that the sample might be less representative and less precise than would be the case if a larger sample were to be used. As Bryman notes findings can only be generalized to the population from which the sample was taken (2008, p.187). The very specific context of time and place with respect to the earthquakes further limits the generalisability in the Christchurch context.

Sample selectionPurposive, that is non-probability, sampling was used to select the sample (sites and people) so that both sites and participants are rel-evant to the research questions being posed (Bryman, 2008, p. 415).1. The three libraries, part of the Christchurch City Libraries net-

work, were chosen to give a range of buildings—two modern new-builds of differing size and style, and one renovation/older building.

2. Similarly participants were chosen using purposive sampling to ensure a good variety of ages, gender and ethnicity. All partici-pants were limited to those who: (a) Were over eighteen years of age(b) Could speak fluent English(c) Were resident in the Christchurch area

3. A ten dollar mall voucher was given to participants at the com-pletion of the interview as a thank you for their participation.

4. Any library user was able to add comments to the display of photographs. No inducements or rewards were offered for this participation, as the time involved was not as substantial as an interview.

Data collection proceduresSemi-structured, face-to-face interviews were undertaken with par-ticipants by the researcher and recorded. In addition to questions participants were also shown the same selection of photographs as on the display boards showing approximately forty images of library buildings from around the world—from the very traditional to the avant-garde to introduce participants to as wide a range of library architecture as possible. The researcher sought comments on what participants saw in the images and to comment on what they liked/disliked about the buildings shown. Once transcription was com-pleted participants were sent a copy for their approval/comment.

The anonymous comments from the photographic display were collected and added to the interview data from that site ready for analysis.

Triangulation was achieved by the use of more than one source of evidence to help establish construct validity (Yin, 2009, p. 41). The structured interviews were augmented with documentation in the form of information from Christchurch City Libraries website, the Press, and The Christchurch central recovery Plan, as well as the anonymous comments from users on the photographic display of library architecture.


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EthicsThe research received ethical approval from the School of Information Management Human Ethics Committee

FindingsData analysis of the interview transcripts generated the following themes: 1. A strong preference for modern buildings and design which were

regarded as being fit for purpose unlike heritage buildings, which were seen by some as attractive, but not offering the functionality required in a modern library.

2. A predominant concern for the functionality and practicality of a building over an appreciation of the architectural merits when considering what was important in a library building.

3. An emotional response to certain building design elements: light; size of spaces; colour; access to the outdoors; and the importance of a building’s sense of welcome or ‘inviting-ness’.

4. The desire for multi use spaces where users could undertake a variety of activities in a variety of environments and the impor-tance of design in achieving this.

5. The need for flexibility in design elements.6. A heightened level of consciousness around building safety

engendered by the Canterbury earthquakes. 7. A perception that as we are in a rebuilding phase we might as

well ‘do it right’ and look to the future with regard to incorpo-rating green technologies whether because of a heightened sense of environmental responsibility, as a means of saving money, or a way to re-cycle demolition materials.

8. Importance of connectivity with the outdoors whether this be through direct access or a view through windows.

9. Desirability of light and airy spaces with natural lighting and windows offering views to the outside.

In addition, two further themes became apparent that whilst not being directly concerned with design preferences and aesthetics nevertheless show how important the library building and its design can be. Firstly confirmation of the social importance of libraries: libraries as place, as social hubs, and the educative value of libraries in a community. Finally the effect of design on patterns of usage within, and connected to, the library.

Preference for modern building designNearly all participants agreed that a modern design is to be pre-ferred. For some this was a simple preference for the clean lines a modern building offers whilst for others the fact that a modern building is more ‘fit for purpose’—capable of delivering all that we have come to expect in a modern library.

I think a purpose built place would be far more preferable in my opinion like I said the heritage building would be great because of its history and all that but the practicality of it when it comes to the actual usage, purpose built would be better.

For some this sentiment was also allied to a heightened awareness of building safety as a result of the Canterbury earthquakes:

I think we will have long term memories in that if you had built one now in Christchurch with the heritage facade but the modern interior the heritage facade could still make us feel that is an old building even though it may be structurally a new modern

earthquake [proof ] building at first glance and I think sometimes you think “oh golly will I go into that building.

Functionality over aestheticsThe functionality of a building’s design seemed to afford a greater level of importance than purely aesthetic considerations for some of the study’s participants. This was evident in a number of areas including access, the importance of technology, and furnishings. The importance of access to the building is reflected in this com-ment from one of the older participants speaking of an acquaint-ance who uses the Parklands Library:

I’ve just been speaking to a gentleman out there who is not at all able to get about very much and he lives very handy to your Brighton Library But I said “you come all the way here” and he said “its easy to get into”.

Parking was however an aspect of this issue which was seen as important by many not just those in the older age range:

Car parking is a big one its got to be easy, its got to be free.

Links to public transport were also mentioned by a couple of respondents especially as a means of ensuring that everyone has access to the library, regardless of whether they have their own transport or not:

Definitely public transport getting people to…. its often the aging population that want to come to the libraries because its been part of their life.

Practicality of design was also evident in areas such as furnishings where considerations such as toughness and the ability to be readily cleaned were seen as important.

An especially important concept pertaining to the more prac-tical aspects affecting the library’s functionality for its users is the importance of technology such as mobile phones, laptops or tablets and the library’s ability to support their use. There was a very strong feeling amongst most participants of the need for libraries to pro-vide wifi, sockets to enable users to charge mobile devices as well as the provision of areas/benches for those who wish to work on their own laptops. Interestingly many said it was important that libraries provided these services even though they themselves did not need them. It was felt that this was an especially important service for the young and for community visitors such as tourists or travelers.

Actually that’s true with the Akaroa library we spent a week there in the Christmas holidays and the girls go and use the wifi there just to connect up with Facebook so that was really important. I saw tourists come in and plug their laptops in and plug their phones in and access information so it actu-ally made a connection that day about how important these places are for not just the community not just for me because I live there and I come here but people who might be trave-ling through because they are sort of central hubs where you can get some information and find information and get stuff you need and where else would you do that?

Emotional response to designSome areas of design seemed to elicit an emotional response with participants describing ‘feel good‘ or psychological responses to certain elements as opposed to a response predicated purely upon rational judgment. Areas particularly affected were the responses


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to light, colours, size and ‘feel‘ of spaces, connectivity with the out-doors, and the overall ‘inviting-ness‘ of the space. A need for light spaces was seen as very important by almost everyone interviewed especially the psychological benefits such a space imparts:

Absolutely having four years in London you know you go to the tube, go to work, come home it’s dark. It’s dark. Absolutely. Prior to that I had heard abut the lighting effect on mental health and mood thinking nothing much of it but yes I think people need … and in Christchurch people need some light.

Similarly a connection with the outdoors whether by direct access or via a window was seen as having a positive effect on the wellbeing of library users:

Yes for me it’s a sense of wellbeing. I just love to have either trees or grass or be able to see the sky. So it is really important.

And:

Yes I think again it goes with that mental health of just being able to get away from every day life instead of looking out at a road or something like that even if you can just look out at something,.. there’s just something about greenery that makes you feel a bit more relaxed.

The use of colour in any setting is very subjective and consensus is difficult to come by. Although a common preference for any one colour or palette of colours was not really forthcoming, many of those interviewed expressed the sentiment that colour use should reflect the use of the space again tying this in with the psychological effect colour can have on people by either reflecting or influencing mood. It was felt for example that children’s space should be dec-orated with brighter colours and study or quiet spaces with ‘quiet’ pale or more neutral colours to reflect the use of the space.

I am back with the funky library. But I think if you are designing a library with lots of spaces for lots of different things then you’ve got the opportunity to put different pal-ettes in different places depending on what that part’s used for.

Similarly it was felt by some that the design of spaces within the library as well as a building’s overall sense of ‘inviting-ness’ affected the pleasure, or not, which users experienced when in the building.

My perfect library would be an area where there would be quite intimate areas like alcoves and there were window seats—places where you could go depending on how you were feeling.

Multi-use spacesThe desirability of multi-use space in libraries allowing users to undertake a variety of different activities in a variety of environ-ments was probably the strongest theme to come out of this study. Spaces which enable active/passive and quiet/noisy activities within the library; separate designated areas for children and in some cases teenagers; and buildings which house not only libraries but facilities such as cafés, meeting rooms, gallery spaces, council service centres, small film auditoriums, and even a medical centre were deemed to be highly desirable by study participants.

But definitely the more the better it’s a destination it’s a place to meet it’s a place for you to do things you know particularly

around kids and teenage kids, school holiday stuff all of those things. Stuff for oldies, arts and crafts a real multi use kind of a place.

For some participants the desire for multi use spaces was also tied into the effects of the earthquakes in that (a) there is now a shortage of meeting rooms as so many community centres have been destroyed and that (b) as we are in a rebuilding phase we might as well ‘do it right’ and include as many different facilities into a building complex to serve the community and to make good use of available land.

I think with regards to what’s happened in Christchurch re-build wise it would make sense to congregate some more facilities because I think space is at a premium

And:

Because people are struggling now to find things like this [meeting rooms]

There seemed to be a general consensus that designated areas for children and teenagers were desirable features of modern library design as this demographic represented the future of tomorrow’s libraries and as such needed to be cultivated and looked after. The exact format these spaces should take however was not quite so cut and dried. Opinions varied as to whether these spaces should be enclosed or separated in some way with some participants stating that they believed it was important not to enclose these children’s and teen spaces as it helped with socialization—modeling appro-priate behaviour.

If everybody’s in the one big place old bods like me who want a bit of quietness can find a space somewhere but for the community itself, library facilities and things, I think plonk the teenagers between the adults and the Internet area and they just probably calm down a little bit and they probably learn something.

For a couple of mothers with young children the desirability of a more enclosed space, possibly with features such as the slide in the image from Hjørring Public Library, was linked to a sense of relax-ation in parents who did not have to worry that their noisy offspring were annoying or disturbing other library users.

I suppose for me its really important that the mum or the dad can relax they can be there knowing that the kid’s not going to pull something over or pull a whole lot of DVDs off you know somehow so that they are more whether it’s the slide or whether it’s the toys the books are there but the kids are occupied.

For a few participants the issue of noise in libraries was a source of major irritation and to this end they were desirous of more enclosed and therefore more soundproof areas for younger library patrons.

I’d probably have it a bit more closed off. I’d have high wall dividers or something that went higher to block off some of that noise.

Flexibility of Design ElementsAnswers to questions involving personal preferences for things such as colour and furniture elicited almost as many different answers as there were participants. As far as library furnishings were concerned possibly the only area of consensus was the need for a variety of


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furniture to be provided - a direct correlation to the desire for multi use spaces as in many instances each of these different space and activities requires different types of furniture for example a mixture of practical, upright chairs and desks for study and computer use whilst also making provision for sofas and softer chairs in reading areas. Within this last category a couple of the older participants made a plea for chairs more suited to the elderly—higher, firmer and easier to get into and out of such as club chairs. It was also seen as desirable that when making provision for comfortable lounge seating that thought be given to allowing space for those who might want to spend time together in a social setting - for example family groups or groups of teenagers and those who might wish to be on their own.

It’s good to have individual chairs because it might be just you coming to the library on your own and it’s nice to have big couches for whatever spaces they can fit into. I quite like the big huge couches that go into corners that quite a few people families or mums with kids can lounge on and read or talk.

Furthermore one of the participants, who had spent a considerable amount of time whilst a student at one of Christchurch’s public libraries, found the moulded plastic chairs provided became quite uncomfortable after time and would have preferred something with a little more padding.

Yes they were terribly uncomfortable to study in those plastic chairs and they made a heck of a noise on the floor when you moved so I wasn’t a fan. I liked all the small couches and the tub chairs and things like that but definitely the tables and the chairs for studying weren’t that great.

There was still another school of thought expressed by two par-ticipants that comfortable lounge type furnishings should not be placed in modern libraries as it encouraged ‘lounging’!

Heightened consciousness of building safetyA heightened awareness of the safety, or otherwise, of buildings seems to be a predominant theme to come out of this study—its roots attributable to the after effects of the Canterbury earth-quakes. Discussion about the earthquakes came into many of the discussions with interview participants however the two main areas of concern arose in answers to questions regarding the optimum height for buildings being constructed in Christchurch and the types of materials preferred in such projects. Most admitted that the safety of a building would not have entered their heads before the events of September 2010.

Yes I wouldn’t have given it a thought because it’s safe. When you’re talking about earthquakes unless its something you’ve read about but today being a reality thing it is a worry.

The number of floors seemed the predominate concern with the majority of participants expressing a preference for, if not single story buildings, than at least very low rise structures. It is inter-esting to note that of the four who expressed no concern in this area one was not present during any of the earthquakes, one felt safe only if they had been deemed so by an engineer and only one said they would be happy in a multi story building. Interestingly although some participants initially expressed the feeling that the earthquakes had not altered their views on the number of floors they later stated that they did not feel comfortable on the library’s

second floor (Spreydon Library) and did not linger there for that reason.

I really like the way that they have changed it around but I still find when Icome up here that I don’t feel comfortable. I wouldn’t come up here and read, I wouldn’t come up here and bring a computer and work.

Other reasons for preferring a low rise construction were mobility, aesthetic preferences, and issues of safety with young children in multi story spaces. Even those who would prefer not to be in multi story buildings conceded that a large central library would almost certainly have to be more than one floor in order to accommodate all the resources in a feasible and fiscally expedient manner.

The issue of what materials to use in the construction of new library buildings was another for which there were almost as many answers as participants although glass, metal and timber in various combinations seemed to be the most favoured. However, the ques-tion of whether these decisions had been influenced by recent earth-quakes was not quite as clear cut as that of the number of floors. The opinion was expressed that the Christchurch Art Gallery would be a good building upon which to model other public buildings as although made of glass it stood up exceedingly well to the earth-quakes. The one participant who was not living in Christchurch at the time of the earthquakes stated that he would prefer glass as it meant his visibility in the event of another after shock would be that much better:

With the improvements in every building material I still would prefer if you’re thinking of the earthquake I would prefer the glass, I can see outside, I know what is going on if I’m running, it’s to me, I can look around and see which end of the building whereas if it was a concrete building wall it would be pretty hard.

Green TechnologiesIn answer to questions regarding the use of so-called ‘green’ tech-nologies both in construction and ongoing running of modern library buildings, most participants stated that it was not something they had given much thought to. On further questioning and after being given examples of the sorts of technologies which could be utilized—the use of solar panels, recycling of rain water to flush toilets, using timber from managed plantations, less concrete to minimise the carbon footprint, making use of the vast quantity of recycled building materials available in Christchurch at the moment etcetera, all participants were in favour of using more sustainable technologies to varying degrees.

The reasons for doing so were however mixed. There seemed to be a common thread of - we are rebuilding anyway so why not do it right and incorporate some of these systems.

Very important. Very important because its the best way now that we are rebuilding Christchurch to chose even if more expensive from the beginning but is the best because we are building for the future so yes.

For some it was a question of being environmentally responsible whilst for others it was seen as a way for the council to save money by using what nature gives freely.

One participant also stated that it was part of the library’s educative value in society to have these technologies available so that Christchurch people could see them in action possibly when


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considering them for use in their own home or business.The fact that there are such vast quantities of demolition material

in the city at the moment, which could potentially be recycled in some way, also seemed to strike a chord with many.

I think we need to recycle and reuse what we’ve got in the community especially post earthquake.

Connectivity with the OutdoorsThe desirability of some kind of connectivity with the outdoors was another theme that came through strongly with most participants although opinions varied as to whether this was best achieved via access to an outdoor space or merely through the auspices of a window overlooking such a space. As one participant so aptly put it:

I think for Christchurch or even New Zealand the outside is king.

As already stated a connection with the outdoors was also one of the themes associated with mental well-being.

Variations on what this outdoor space might look like or offer to library users was something, which resulted in a variety of responses from children’s play areas to a community garden. However while some saw the establishment of play areas for example to be desirable others did not so there was not really a clear consensus apart from the fact that it should be a green space. Interestingly the question about what constituted a favourite space often elicited mention of either garden space—for Parklands participants; while for those from South (using Spreydon while this library was closed) they all mentioned the same place - couches by a large window overlooking the view to the Avon River.

I like to see the outside…its good to have the floor to ceiling windows and see the water flowing and lovely to see the trees.

Desirability of Light and Airy SpacesThe words ‘light’ and ‘airy’ were probably the most often quoted by interview participants. Natural light seemed to be a highly desirable design feature and one which added to participants enjoyment of the space however, there was also recognition that especially in a larger library where this was not possible task lighting should be employed to enable good visibility for reading and other activities.

Yes because I think if you look at those libraries the seating that is most commonly used at the time would be the ones closest to a window so they are looking for light. People who sit down to read would be looking for light and I think when I am a bit tired I will go to a seat in here that has the most light or with the light behind me coming on to the book so I think specific task lighting in certain places would be a draw card.

The association of natural lighting with windows and a sense of openness in the space also seemed to go together

Yes my husband and I and the children would go to South you walk in there’s space you can see where everything is without feeling cramped and crowded and there’s lots of light.

One or two participants also made the valid point that light, what-ever its source, was probably not advantageous in computer areas and needed to be carefully designed to avoid glare on screens

Social Importance of LibrariesAlthough not directly associated with user design preferences the confirmation of the social importance of libraries—libraries as place; as social hubs; and the educative value of libraries is never-theless important as it reinforces the importance the community places on libraries and therefore the need to ensure building design meets the needs and desires of these communities.

Yes I organize to meet people here and have a coffee and its really another modern meeting place, instead of the bar down the road you are in the library.

Alongside the view that today’s libraries are more than just reservoirs of books and information but social spaces in and of themselves, is the desire to see more community consultation especially with regard to the space itself. This was felt to be particularly important when it comes to designing space for teens and children and that if done correctly this would in all likelihood mean a better usage of spaces by those who have helped in their design.

Because you can invite them into the space then. If you just do things and you get it wrong there’s no invitation to come in but if you give them a say and a voice they will come and use that space.

Another feature of the social importance attached to libraries is the educative function they provide to their communities which was mentioned by a couple of participants albeit in quite differing sce-narios. The most obvious example of this is the part libraries play in engendering a love of books and thereby making a contribution to literacy.

I suppose at school they get that but if mum or dad or who-ever brings them into the library they get to know it don’t they? … she wanted those wee books, probably lots of pic-tures in them. Well that’s something you’re starting isn’t it?

Effect of Design on Patterns of UsageThe affect the design of a building has on the way the space is utilised was especially marked in the responses from participants at two of the sites—Parklands and Spreydon. For those at the Parklands site the onsite café was a significant feature in how they use the library with one participant stating that was what got him coming into, and subsequently using, the library in the first place.

I never used to go to the libraries until I started playing golf around the corner of course, I’d come here and found it was so good to have a coffee and have a look through the library and take a couple of books home and read it and bring it back next week .

Whilst for others who already enjoyed visiting libraries the café meant they stayed longer and used the library as a place to meet friends and socialize.

I think cafés are nice because they encourage people to meet and stay and you can browse and get books and meet friends and family or whatever.

The participants interviewed at the Spreydon site all used the South Library as well. In fact two of the three were only using Spreydon Library as South Library was closed while undergoing earthquake repairs. They all commented that they used the space at Spreydon quite differently - only coming in to pick up holds or for quick


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browsing as they found the library to be cramped and not conducive to a more lengthy stay or to meet and socialize in the way they were used to doing at South.

You know this is obviously a small library and there’s not the space to stop and you just want to get your stuff and go.

There was also a comment about the second floor, which vibrates with passing heavy traffic, and safety concerns post quake as men-tioned earlier.

Image displaysAnalysis of the comments from the image displays was more diffi-cult as the short comments were sometimes ambiguous and there-fore of limited value and some of the themes identified in the inter-view transcripts were difficult to identify in an image for example green technologies, social importance of libraries etcetera.

By far the most commented upon images were those of chil-dren’s areas. These colourful and innovative spaces seemed to strike a chord with many who participated in this part of the study and actual design preferences emerged for these spaces - namely that they should be colourful, innovative and fun spaces.

Overall themes which began to emerge here were similar to those identified in the interview transcripts for example a preference for modern design. However the very visual nature of this part of the research meant that more precise design preferences within this cat-egory began to emerge. For instance although many modern build-ings were represented in the image displays those exhibiting any sort of curved features, for example the interior of the Stockholm Library, were favoured over those of a more brutalist modernism seen in some very angular and stark buildings such as one of the buildings at University of Chicago or the St Catherine’s College Cambridge Library.

Some of the modern designs also seemed to polarize opinion with those who commented either loving or hating them for example the very colorful library at Peckham and the comments on the ultra modern Seattle Public Library showed just how subjective and highly individualistic opinions on colour can be.

Multi colours make this library look lively & contemporary but could date?

And

Utterly ghastly

Interestingly the images of heritage buildings seemed to get a more favourable response than in the interviews with particular favour-ites being the Suzzallo Library University of Washington and Cambridge University in England. The former receiving perhaps the ultimate accolade that it was like Hogwarts! The abundance of wood in these and also the Whistler and Willard Libraries seemed to be one of the reasons they were admired. An emotional response to design was evident in the fact that wood was deemed by some participants to engender a feeling of warmth and homeliness.

There were however still some comments stating that although these were beautiful spaces perhaps they were not really fit for pur-pose as modern public libraries.

Two images of older brick style buildings—a Carnegie building in the United States and a library in Stoke-on-Trent in the United Kingdom were thought by participants to be unsuitable for Christchurch because of the potential earthquake risk they posed.

A preference for light spaces was also evident both in images which clearly showed this aspect of design, for example the reading room at the University of Chicago which received favourable com-ments, and the Rødøvre Library in Denmark which was dark and did not.

Other DocumentationThe use of other documentation was intended primarily as a method of triangulation in verifying the research findings. Christchurch City Libraries website contains archived records of community consul-tation undertaken at both the Parklands and Upper Riccarton sites.

When a new library was planned in the suburb of Parklands feedback was sought from the community. Much of this consulta-tion concerned collections and services but some of the information gathered pertained to the building and its design. Some of that community feedback reinforces the findings of the interviews: the need for a separate area for children and that this area be fun with stimulating activities demonstrates a desire for mixed use spaces while the request for an outdoor area reflects the desire for connec-tivity with the outdoors. The concept of access in terms of transport links is also mentioned here in terms of ensuring the provision of secure bike racks for customer use.

Opinions on colour show the same level of subjectivity and contradiction with some of those submitting opinions asking for bright, colourful spaces whilst others asked specifically for nothing too bright, or soft and calming colours.

Community consultation when a mixed use library was planned for the Upper Riccarton area in conjunction with Riccarton High School is also to be found on the Christchurch City Libraries web-site. Some of the findings here include: flexibility of design elements in particular the need to provide suitable seating for senior citizens; the need for good levels of lighting; access was again mentioned but this time with particular emphasis on manoeuvring wheelchairs.

Items that resonated with interview and image research findings in the Christchurch central recovery plan include: parking, free wifi, socializing, green spaces, building heights, learning, and architec-tural design (Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority, 2012,p. 22).

The pages devoted to the proposed new central library speak of the importance of libraries to communities:

Libraries are integral to developing strong communities, being places where cultural diversity is celebrated and com-munities are engaged, inspired and informed (Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority, 2012, p. 79).

A comment on this page taken from the ‘Share an Idea’ initiative shows the desire for outdoor spaces as well as the importance placed on children’s areas and the desirability of mixed-use spaces:

How about a central library for kids connected to the main library by a great café and play-reading area (Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority, 2012, p. 79).

Researching the ‘Press’ using Christchurch City Libraries news paper index shed little light on the essential questions posed by this research namely user preferences in library design. They did show however the importance placed on libraries both by the Christchurch City Council as a means of helping to ensure strong and well-working communities and by communities themselves as evinced by the strong feelings aroused by library closures since the earthquakes.


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DiscussionOf the original research questions the overarching query was ‘what architectural style users most valued and wanted to see in their public library buildings’. One of the strongest themes to come out of the research was the fact that virtually all participants favoured a modern design for their public library even if they also saw the architectural merits in heritage buildings: the aesthetics of clean lines; being fit for purpose; and a heightened awareness of safety post earthquake.

The importance of green technologies was not something which was quite so clear-cut. Many participants stated that this was not something they had previously thought of but there was agreement that these were useful things to consider especially as Christchurch is in the midst of a massive rebuild following recent events. Reasons for supporting such initiatives were varied with some participants avowing strong environmental consciences whilst for others cost and utilizing what nature provides freely was more important.

Functionality over design was another theme which came through in the research both in terms of access, parking, ensuring the durability of furnishings, as well as support for users’ technology for instance wifi, benches for laptops, sockets for charging mobile devices etcetera - the latter has also been shown to be important to users in the literature albeit in academic libraries.

Possibly the most difficult question to answer is that of the effects the recent earthquakes have had on library users. There were certain ambiguities in some responses with participants initially saying they weren’t concerned about going onto an upper level in a building but later admitting in the course of the conversation that actually they were still uneasy about this. Older participants seemed more anx-ious in this regard. There was a general heightening of awareness of safety concerns whether participants actually expressed fear or not - all bar one participant were still very aware of the dangers posed by buildings in the event of further aftershocks. The question of the number of floors seemed to be more of a concern than construc-tion materials although interestingly in the image display two older brick buildings both attracted comments questioning their earth-quake soundness. One went further stating “Not for Christchurch”.

ContextIt is important to look at the findings in the wider context of pre-existing research especially that identified as part of the litera-ture review.

The importance study participants placed on their library was high and although not directly related to library architecture and design this notion of library as place has been pivotal in establishing the importance of libraries in communities. This together with study findings on the effects of design on patterns of usage show the necessity of ensuring that modern libraries are designed to suit the needs of those communities preferably by getting user input into the building at the design stage. The title of Twait’s article If they build it, they will come (2009) really encapsulates the importance of this concept.

This study also reinforces other findings from the literature review namely: the desirability of mixed use spaces—with users spending more time in libraries there is a need to provide ‘soft spaces’ such as cafés, galleries etcetera (Gee, 1989, Nankivell, 2003, May & Black, 2010, Hohmann, 2006, Gibbons & Foster, 2007); the importance of light, space, and a welcoming atmosphere (Nankivell, 2003, Schaper, 2003, Powelson & Vaska, 2010); the emotional response to design in this instance colour, (Hohmann, 2006); architecture /design affecting usage (Van Slyck, 2007, Bennett, 2007); flexibility of design elements (Gibbons & Foster, 2007) and the importance of functional elements most notably to do with technology (Powelson & Vaska, 2010, Brown-Sica, 2012).

This research however shows some points of departure from Black’s article in that he states that ‘many’ of the respondents favoured older buildings (2011, p. 38). Although some of the partic-ipants acknowledged a love of heritage buildings no one expressed the view that they would like to see libraries in Christchurch in these kinds of structures.

ConclusionChristchurch has a long and distinguished architectural his-tory with arguably some of the nation’s premier architects calling Canterbury home. The architectural legacy of Mountfort, Warren, Beaven and others has been decimated with many of Christchurch’s iconic buildings now demolished or facing an uncertain future.

This research has shown that participants do have opinions as to what they want in a public library: low-level; modern; light and airy spaces capable of supporting multiple activities in a range of spaces; a connection with the outdoors, with good access and a nod to sustainable design.

Now, in this phase of growth and the development of a new Christchurch it seems more important than ever that new build-ings should continue the unique architectural tradition and produce buildings that future generations of Cantabrians will admire.

As has been clearly shown libraries are seen by the community as having great value, arguably now more than ever, and as such it is vital to ensure the physical manifestation of the library serves that community well and reflects its identity.

Too often architecture is seen as real estate and property, but it is a cultural product. All of these buildings that we have lost, they are our history and informed our identity and our understanding of what it is to be Christchurch (Gates, 2012, p. A.3).

Modern, light filled spaces with a connection to the outdoors and providing multi-use spaces to support a variety of activi-ties—let us hope that some of the new libraries planned as part of the Christchurch rebuild will, with input from the people of Christchurch who have proven themselves such passionate advo-cates, form part of a new and exciting architectural history that is uniquely Cantabrian.

Debbie Fox Christchurch City Libraries

ReferencesApplegate, R. (2009). The library is for studying: Student preferences for study space. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 35(4), 341-346. Retrieved from Library Literature and Information Science Fulltext database.

Bennett, S. (2007). First questions for designing higher education learning spaces. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 33(1), 14-26. Retrieved from Library Literature and Information Science Fulltext database.


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Black, A. (2011). We don’t do public libraries like we used to: Attitudes to public library buildings in the U.K. at the start of the 21st century. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 43(1), 30-45. doi: 10.1177/0961000610390991

Brown-Sica, M. S. (2012). Library spaces for urban, diverse com-muter students: a participatory action research project. College and Research Libraries, 73(3), 217-231. Retrieved from Library Literature and Information Science Fulltext database.

Bryant, J., Matthews, G., & Walton, G. (2009). Academic libraries and social learning space. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 41(1), 7-18. Retrieved from Library Literature and Information Science Fulltext database

Bryman, A. (2008). Social research methods (3rd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority. (2012). Central city recovery plan. Christchurch: Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority.

Dewe, M. (2006). Planning public library buildings: Concepts and issues for the librarian. Aldershot: Ashgate.

Edwards, B. W. (2011). Sustainability as a driving force in contemporary library design. Library Trends, 60(1), 190-214. Retrieved from LISTA database

Fisher, K. E., Saxton, M. L., Edwards, P. M., & Mai, J.-E. (2007). Seattle Public Library as place: Reconceptualizing space, com-munity and information at the library. In J. E. Buschman & G. J. Leckie (Eds.), The library as place: history community and cul-ture (pp. 135-160). Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.

Foote, S., M. (2004). Changes in library design: An archi-tect’s perspective. Portal, 4(1), 41-59. Retrieved from Library Literature and Information Science Fulltext database.

Gee, P. D. (1989). Market research for the planning of library buildings: Assessing user needs. In M. Dewe (Ed.), Library buildings: Preparations for planning (pp. 63-76). Munchen, London, New York, Paris: K.G.Saur.

Gent, R., & Gibbs, D. (2009). Long Eaton Library: An art nouveau gem reborn. In M. Dewe (Ed.), Renewing our libraries: Case studies in re-planning and refurbishment (pp. 31-39). Farnham, UK: Ashgate.

Gibbons, S., & Foster, N. F. (2007). Library design and ethnog-raphy. In N. F. Foster & S. Gibbons (Eds.), Studying students: The undergraduate research project at the University of Rochester (pp. 20-29). Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries.

Griffis, M. (2010). Living history: The Carnegie library as place in Ontario. Canadian Journal of Information & Library Science, 34(2), 185-211. Retrieved from Library Literature and Information Science Fulltext database.

Halling, T. D., & Carrigan, E. (2012). Navigating user feedback chan-nels to chart an evidence based course for library redesign. Evidence Based Library and Information Practice, 7(1), 70-81. Retrieved from Library Literature and Information Science Fulltext database.

Hohmann, T. (2006). New Aspects of library design. Liber Quarterly : the Journal of European Research Libraries, 16(2), np. Retrieved from LISA database.

Lin, P.-C., Chen, K.-N., & Chang, S.-S. (2010). Before there was a place called library - library space as an invisible factor affecting student’s learning. Libri, 6 (4), 339-351. Retrieved from Library Literature and Information Science Fulltext database.

Loder, M. W. (2010). Libraries with a future: How are academic library usage and green demands changing building designs? College and Research Libraries, 71(4), 348-360. Retrieved from Library Literature and Information Science Fulltext database.

May, F., & Black, F. (2010). The life of the space: Evidence from Nova Scotia public libraries. Evidence Based Library and Information Practice, 5(2), 5-34. Retrieved from Library Literature and Information Science Fulltext database.

Nankivell, C. (2003). Consultation and involvement in the Library of Birmingham. Library and Information Research, 27(85), 26-36. Retrieved from Directory of Open Access Journals.

Powelson, S., & Vaska, M. (2010). Determining user needs for an academic health services library renovation. Evidence Based Library and Information Practice, 6(1), 92-94. Retrieved from Library Literature and Information Science Fulltext database.

Ratcliffe, F. W. (1989). Preparing for the planning and design of a library building. In M. Dewe (Ed.), Library buildings: Preparations for planning (pp. 13-27). Munchen, New York, London, Paris: K.G.Saur.

Schaper, L. L. (2003). Public input yields greener design. Library Journal, 128(20), 62-63. Retrieved from LISA database.

Sens, T. (2009). Twelve keys to library design: Improving the aca-demic experience. Library Journal 34 (Spring). Retrieved from Library Literature and Information Science Fulltext database.

Shill, H. B., & Tonner, S. (2003). Creating a better place: Physical improvements in academic libraries. College and Research Libraries, 64(6), 431-466. Retrieved from Library Literature and Information Science Fulltext database.

Shill, H. B., & Tonner, S. (2004). Does the building still matter? Usage patterns in new, expanded and renovated libraries, 1995-2002. College and Research Libraries, 65(2). Retrieved from Library Literature and Information Science Fulltext database.

Stoffel, B. (2009). Services in a changing academic library: Patron feedback and library response. Evidence Based Library and Information Practice, 4(4), 84-87. Retrieved from Directory of Open Access Journals.

Twait, M. (2009). If they build it, they will come: a student designed library. College and Research Libraries, 70(1), 21-24. Retrieved from Library Literature and Information Science Fulltext database.

Van Slyck, A. (2007). Managing pleasure: Library architec-ture and the erotics of reading. In J. E. Buschman & G. J. Leckie (Eds.), The library as place: History, community, and cul-ture (pp. 221 - 234). Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.

Yin, R. K. (2009). Case study research : Design and methods (4th ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Sage


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Review: Reinventing the library for online educationStielow, F. (2014). Reinventing the library for online education. Chicago, ALA Editions. ISBN: 978-08389-1208-9. Distributed in Australia & New Zealand by Inbooks.

Changes to higher education are wide-ranging and significant: the development of MOOCs (massive open online courses); structural reform and changes to student loans; cuts to research and wider univer-sity funding alongside greater government oversight; increased demand for flexible learning approaches and greater access to electronic resources; customised digital textbooks; the growth of virtual campuses. The academic library is affected by these changes as well as those affecting libraries directly, facing competition from other information providers; budget cuts leading to reduced staff, services and collections; proliferation of resources and formats, and

changing user expectations.Stielow addresses the implications of

these challenges for libraries. He first pro-vides a concise, top-down view of the his-tory, technology and economics of academic libraries to set the scene for the ‘revolution’. In the second part of the book, he gives a bottom-up perspective of the challenges in the form of a series of comments on aspects of virtual libraries. These are drawn from his experience as head of the American Public University System’s Classroom/Research Information Services (CRIS), and set in the context of web-based classroom/research information services which parallels the idea of the embedded librarian.

These comments are intended to move librarians towards a reinvented academic library within a virtual campus. They focus on dozens of aspects of library services, man-agement and collections, and are presented alphabetically to aid browsing: that which should be eliminated, that which should be redefined, that which should be constructed. With practical advice, and recommenda-tions for action and strategic directions, each comment is tagged ‘required’, ‘option’ or ‘deprecated’, and cross-referenced to related comments. No comment is particularly long, but this enables a wide range of aspects to be covered. The book concludes with chapters on the changing roles of librarians, and on managerial strategies for the library within their wider organisational environment.

Stielow aims to reflect “the Web’s unfolding impact on written communica-tion” (p. xv) with written and visual com-ponents varying from standard scholarly works. This does not work as well as it could, and begs the question of why the book was printed when it seems intended as an e-book (it is also available electronically). At the very least, a companion website would have been helpful to support access to webliographies and to the URLs that have been ‘”substituted for references”. The writing is “deliberately shortened from scholarly norms” (p. xv) but unfortunately this is often at the expense of coherence; words are misused or repur-posed ineffectively, and the text is jerky. In the short comments, this matters less than in more extended discussion.

This is a book to consult, not to read. It provides an excellent refresher for those who know the development of academic libraries (although it lacks the context and detail that might benefit a LIS student), and identifies and provides advice on a compre-hensive range of aspects facing academic libraries. These will be invaluable for the academic library considering what to prior-itise and change, and how.

Amanda Cossham School of Social Sciences Open Polytechnic of New Zealand [email protected]

Review: Access and identity management for libraries: controlling access to online informationGaribyan, M., McLeish, S., and Paschoud, J. (2013). Access and Identity Management for Libraries: Controlling access to online information. London: Facet Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85604-588-9. Distributed in New Zealand by inbooks (NZ$130)

The control of and access to online infor-mation in library contexts is a complex issue, dense with acronym and jargon. Before reading this book, I had no expe-rience or interest in the topic, believing it to be too technical and daunting for my capacities. However, in Access and Identity

Management for Libraries, the authors have constructed a relatively concise, clear guide to the many vagaries of the provision of access and identity management (AIM) within a library context.

The organisation of the sections in this book (which include building business



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Review: The one-shot library instruction survival guideBuchanan, H. E., & Mcdonough, B. A. (2014). The one-shot library instruction survival guide. Chicago: American Library Association. ISBN: 978-0-8389-1215-7 Distributed in Australia & New Zealand by Inbooks. NZ$79.95

As professionally qualified librarians, authors Heidi Buchanan and Beth Mcdonough hold the positions of Head of Research and Instruction Services, and Research and Instruction Librarian (respectively) at Western Carolina University. Buchanan is a graduate of both The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Information Literacy Immersion programme and the State Library of North Carolina’s Master Trainer Programme. Mcdonough, at time of publication, was studying towards a Doctor of Education graduate degree. Mcdonough is also a National Board Certified Teacher in school library media.

The authors’ framework for the develop-ment of ‘The one-shot library instruction sur-vival guide’ evolved from feedback received by teaching librarians during an ACRL workshop that indicated while teaching librarians understood the need to help their students there, seemed to be little in the way of practical teaching strategies available for the one-shot teaching programme. This book, therefore, invites the reader to explore how meaningful and inspiring interactions can be taken from the challenges and barriers typically found within the library one-shot instruction approach.

The book uses a friendly informal writing style and is organised into 7 chapters. Each

chapter provides useful strategies and insights for every stage of the one-shot programme development: from communi-cating with course instructors, to student engagement strategies, to measuring and evaluating programme success. Though designed to scaffold in order, each chapter is cleverly written to function as a standalone resource and is supported with relevant tables and figures, as well as a variety of highlighted sub-elements including talking points (questions for application) and les-sons learned (helpful hint summaries).

One of the book’s key strengths is the inclusion of informative vignettes scattered throughout each chapter. Those familiar to library instruction within the academic environment and those new to the pro-fession will appreciate these short real-life accounts skilfully placed to support each chapter’s key theme and aid in visualising what may or may not work well within their own teaching environments. Another key strength is the reminder of some basic truths surrounding librarianship, information lit-eracy and the one-shot approach. Perhaps one of the more challenging concepts to take-away for the reader will be learning to say ‘No’ to one-shot class requests as a matter of priority for both the library and the institute.

For practical advice, and clearly explained examples of both successful and unsuc-cessful teaching approaches, ‘The one-shot library instruction survival guide’ would be useful for any academic librarian tasked with the development and delivery of one-shot information literacy programmes. Similarly, new library professionals or those transitioning to an academic library environment may also find this book to be a valuable resource for their professional development toolkit.

Tracy M. Maniapoto Subject Librarian, Information & Research Services, Massey University Library

cases for AIM systems implementation, criteria by which to choose among the different products and services currently available, as well as how the different systems of authentication actually work) is excellent. It moves from the history of access and information management, to how the various systems available today work, to practical concerns regarding library statistics and the sourcing, funding and utilisation of the systems themselves. While there is certainly a trend in the examples used in this book on the uptake of the various systems in academic libraries in the US and to a lesser extent, in Europe, there are also a few Australian examples.

The major failing of this book is the same as any book with a high proportion of its content related to technical matters—its use-fulness is potentially limited by the degree of turnover in the field. While this is a common enough problem in books of this subject, in this particular example it is mitigated somewhat by the inclusion of other practical skills (developing a business case for such projects, for instance), which will ‘outlive’ the technical information in terms of usability.

Garibyan, McLeish and Paschoud are all in a good position to provide not only information on the history and subtext of the development of the current tools available for access and identity management, having all served (at various times) on the Access Management Team for JISC, among other work in the field. However, pehaps because of their interest in the academic library sector, this book retains a bias toward academic library access man-agement. That’s not necessarily a bad thing: there are certainly ele-ments of this book which can be useful to many of the different sec-tors within librarianship. While there are certainly semi-technical discussions of various platforms, this book is written in a generally user-friendly style.

Overall, this book would be useful to a layperson who is either interested in the field of AIM in general, or to a librarian who has a novice technical understanding of the concepts involved and is looking to build into more practical applications of their knowledge.

Lauren Deacon


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relevant to libraries and information management in New Zealand;

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The Editorial Board consists of the fol-lowing members:

Mr Philip J Calvert Victoria University of Wellington [email protected]

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