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STEAM into Sydney: IFLA Public Libraries Mid-Term 2017Divide and Multiply - Lillian Pak, Hutt City Libraries

Divide and Multiply

Pak, LillianHutt City Libraries, Lower Hutt, New Zealand

“Teamwork divides the tasks and multiplies the success.” (Anonymous)

Background Information: Snapshot of Lower Hutt and Hutt City Libraries

According to the 2013 census, Lower Hutt has a resident population of about 98,000 people, making it the seventh largest city in New Zealand. (Statistics New Zealand - Tatauranga Aotearoa, 2013) When compared to national averages, Lower Hutt is more ethnically diverse, with higher percentages of the population identifying as being Maori or Pacific Islander. It is also a younger population, with lower percentages of people over the age of 65 and higher percentages of people under the age of 15.

The top five industries in the Lower Hutt include: health care and social assistance, manufacturing, retail trade, construction, and education and training (Statistics New Zealand - Tatauranga Aotearoa) and this is reflected in the infrastructure: 2 hospitals, over 600 manufacturing and fabricating businesses, the largest mall in the Lower North Island, and two public tertiary institutions. Lower Hutt has a strong history as a manufacturing base and is New Zealand’s fourth largest high-tech export centre, which is supported by a significant scientific community. In addition to organisations undertaking research and development in high-end manufacturing and technology, both GNS Science, a Crown Research Institute, and Callaghan Innovation, a business accelerator, are based in Lower Hutt.

Despite the industries in Lower Hutt, the New Zealand Index of Deprivation Report published in 2014 indicates that Lower Hutt also has some of the most deprived communities in the country. (Atkinson,Salmond, & Crampton, 2014, p. 33) (Singh, 2014) Communities that are regarded as having the highest indicators of deprivation make up 16% of the total population in Lower Hutt (Statistics New Zealand). These are communities that score 9 or 10 on the deprivation scale, on a scale of 1 to 10, where10 is the highest level of deprivation

These communities have significantly higher numbers of: people with no educational qualifications – 26%, compared to the national average of 18% unemployment – 14%, compared to the national average of 7% households with incomes under $30,000 – 25%, compared to the national average of 19% households renting social housing – 24%, compared to the national average of 5% one parent families – 31%, compared to the national average of 18% households not owning a vehicle – 16%, compared to the national average of 8%

(Statistics New Zealand)


Hutt City Libraries consists of eight library sites and two Computer Clubhouses. Two of the library sites have recently been incorporated into Community Hubs and are now co-located with other Hutt City Council departments and community groups to facilitate better integration and cooperation. Two more library sites are due to move into Community Hubs in the near future.

The Libraries have a staff of 83 full-time equivalents and a collection size of about 240,000. On average, the Libraries run about 50 programmes a week and this number increases during special events, festivals and themed months. Customer satisfaction consistently rates well above 98% in the annual customer satisfaction survey.

The Re-positioning of Hutt City Libraries – How We Got Here

In 2007, Massey University was commissioned by Hutt City Libraries to conduct qualitative focus group research to ascertain what the residents of Lower Hutt thought of the Libraries. The research findings indicated that the residents viewed the Libraries as being helpful, informative, and wholesome; but, not up-to-date, modern nor technologically-current. Libraries were traditional. (Andrew Tobin Research Consulting, 2007)

A literature review of the changing role of public libraries and the changing needs of communities signalled that people have come to expect public libraries to be non-traditional; to deliver literacy development, education, access to IT, resources, services, programmes, etc. for all ages and all members of the community. In its report, Library Services in the Digital Age, the Pew Research Center use the following quote from a librarian: “the library’s role in the community is shifting to that of a storage facility to a community center” to highlight these changes. (Zickuhr, Raine, & Purcell, 2013, p. 47)

There was also an emerging movement for libraries to go beyond books and artefacts to knowledge and learning. R. David Lankes, in his book, The Atlas of New Librarianship (2011), suggests that the new mission for librarians in today’s society was to improve society through facilitating knowledge creation in their communities.

In response to the results of the focus group research and the need to adapt to an ever-changing world, we knew it had to adapt and reposition ourselves to maintain relevance. We needed to be seen as an innovator, and as being integral and important to the social and economic development and future of the city.

At the end of 2011, our Libraries increased focus on programmes and events and new roles were created to achieve this. Initially, this new team attempted to run programmes and/or events for every well-known event or theme in the community calendar. We quickly identified that we were taking a scattergun approach, that our resources and energies were being pulled in many directions, that our resources were being diluted across too many initiatives, and that we were not really


achieving great outcomes for our communities. We were also in danger of duplicating other programmes already on offer in the community.

We wanted to position ourselves so that in addition to the traditional library programmes, we were providing programmes in areas such as:

economic and business development;

STEAM, digital literacy & innovation; social development, community building, and resilience; creating knowledge and preserving histories; celebrating diversity, addressing inequalities and promoting equity.

This put tremendous stress on us. Although we, as librarians and library staff, were considered super heroes within our communities, it became apparent that we were mere mortals with limited “powers” and time. We were not nor could we be experts in everything, and we also faced other pressures and constraint with regards to funding and resources.

To overcome limitations, we undertook two actions:

1. to develop a programmes framework which prioritised programming areas that also aligned with the Hutt City Council’s strategic priorities

2. to actively seek partnerships with credible organisations, groups, businesses and agencies with strong reputations to develop and deliver high quality programmes and services that are of mutual, strategic benefit.

Programmes Framework

The Hutt City Libraries’ Programmes Framework was developed in 2014, and it has the overarching aims of:

Meeting the vision - Libraries involve, inform and inspire

Fostering the joy of reading and celebrating literature Supporting the development of information and digital literacy in all its forms Equipping people with the skills to function in society Encouraging people to participate in community life and decision making Fostering an inclusive, connected community with increased participation in lifelong

learning, research and innovation Exposing people who might not otherwise come to the library to the collections and services

which are the core of what we do.(Hutt City Libraries, 2015)


These aims strongly align with the Hutt City Council’s vision to make Lower Hutt a great place to live, work and play; a city where our people are proud to live, where working and investing in the city is a smart choice, and where there is always something for families to explore. This vision, outlined in four key long-term strategies below, informs the basis of our overarching aims:

Environmental Sustainability Strategy - which focuses on opportunities and risks Lower Hutt faces in regard to its environment, addresses potential issues, and provides short-term, mid-term and long-term solutions for change. (Hutt City Council, 2015)

Infrastructure Strategy - which outlines a multi-asset approach to how the city will manage its range of infrastructure over time. (Hutt City Council, 2015)

Leisure and Wellbeing Strategy - which focuses on the cultural, physical and educational wellbeing of Lower Hutt residents and details Council’s long-term approach to improving these. (Hutt City Council, 2015)

Urban Growth Strategy – which guides the approach to managing growth and development in Lower Hutt to 2032. (Hutt City Council, 2012)

The Council’s current strategic priorities for 2015-2018 also shaped the tone of our Programmes Framework. These priorities are:

Provide the best local government services

Develop new world-class community facilities Stimulate economic and social development

(Hutt City Council, 2015)

The overarching aims and Council priorities translate into the following programme priority areas:1. Reading, Language and Literacy2. Information Literacy and Knowledge Creation3. Digital Literacy4. STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Manufacturing)5. Local Heritage and Family History6. Building Communities (includes business community)

These priority areas enable the Libraries to focus on building literacies and readiness for the future, while addressing inequality and building equity. Their intended outcome is to support Hutt City residents to participate fully on the following civic, economic, social, and personal levels:

Full literacy & 21st Century literacies Active citizenship, participation & engagement Cultural & historical understanding Innovation, business and career development


Lifelong learning & education Social inclusion

Within those programme priority areas, our programmes and events fall into one of three tiers:

Tier One: Core &Programmes and Services

Tier Two: Partnership Programmes and Services

Tier Three:Community-led Programmes and Services

Funded and promoted by Hutt City Libraries as a core public library service

Meets Libraries’ strategic priorities

Development and delivery follows a formal process

Developed, planned, and delivered by Libraries staff

Follows the trial, evaluate, continuous improvement model

Developed and delivered in conjunction with partner organisation(s)

Aligned with our strategic priorities

A formal agreement is in place that outlines roles and responsibilities of each party, including in-kind contribution, funding and promotion

By community, for community – driven by the needs of the community

Developed, delivered, funded, and promoted by an external organisation or group

Libraries may contribute if they choose (e.g., with free venue hireage, promotion, or resources such as free internet access)

Examples: Baby Bounce Rhyme Book Groups

Examples: English language classes

with an NGO Bi-monthly science talks

with a Crown Research Institute

Examples: Adult Colouring-in Group Knitting group

Having the Programmes Framework clearly define the programming priorities and the three tiers has helped us to prioritise our focus and to become successful in sustainably growing our programme offerings in both numbers and diversity.

Partners: Who we work with and how we choose partners

As previously noted, running all programmes in-house put tremendous stress on the Libraries and it exposed our limitations with regards to capacity, ability (i.e., specialist knowledge in different highly-skilled fields), funding, resources and time. The traditional way of running programmes in the “new world” was neither viable nor sustainable.

As a result, we made the decision to actively seek external partners to achieve our programming goals. We now work with external partners to divide tasks and responsibilities, each working to our strengths, in order to overcome the barriers and multiply successes.

The range of our external partners include other Hutt City Council departments, government agencies, non-for-profit organisations, charitable trusts, social enterprises, companies, entrepreneurs, business incubators, research organisations, ethnic community groups, tertiary


institutions and hobbyists. This diversity allows for the Libraries to have a wide-range of programmes.

When choosing an external partner, we undertake due diligence by applying the following criteria:

Due Diligence Criteria Questions Hutt City Libraries Asks

Reputation and credibility Is the potential partner organisation well-respected? What is the public perception of them? Are they doing the types of things or working in the fields that we want to develop programmes in.

Values Is there a match between the two organisations? Are there shared values?

Skills and resources What skills does the potential partner organisation have we do not?

Approach Is the potential partner innovative? Are they open to feedback from our staff? Are they actively committed to continuous improvement?

Ambition Is the potential partner ambitious? Do they want to work hard to deliver the best and succeed?

Culture Fit / Fun Will the staff from both organisations have fun in the process of delivering programmes? Will we work well together?

Developing the PartnershipThe lifecycle of partnership development at Hutt City Libraries can be broken down into different stages:

First Contact

When a potential partner is identified, we contact the owner, Chief Executive, Chair or Head of the organisation in an email message that outlines who we are, what we are trying to achieve and why the Libraries is an organisation they should be working with at a strategic level. The email message ends with an invitation to continue the dialogue.

It may seem odd to use email messages as the initial method of contact; but, we consciously made the decision to use email rather than phone or visit the potential partners because it allows them time to consider working with us and if so, think about how they wish to engage with us. Email messages are also not as confronting or as immediate as a phone call or a visit.


Initial Discussion

If the potential partner decides they would like to accept our invitation for further dialogue, the discussions are always open and honest. We make sure we cover the following topics:

Topic Questions To Be Discussed

Need for partnership Is there a need for the partnership? What can both organisations bring to the partnership? Can the partners achieve more or better results through working together?

Clarity in understanding Are both organisations aware of the vision, mission, values, approach and goals of the other organisation? Are there any aspects that might hinder the partnership?

Culture and practice Do the cultures and practices align? Do either of the parties have processes that would hinder the partnership?

Purpose, outcomes, expectations

Is there a common vision? Do both organisations understand and agree on the purpose, aims, objectives, expectations, and outcomes? Is there a shared commitment? How will conflicts be resolved? How will decisions be made? What successes do the partners hope to achieve? We strive to make sure there are no hidden agendas.

Roles and responsibilities How will the partners divide the tasks? Do both organisations understand and agree on what their roles and responsibilities are? Who are the contact people at both organisations at the strategic and operational levels?

Evaluation How will the partnership and the programme/project be evaluated? How often will it be evaluated? How will success be measured? How does this all feed back into the continuous improvement cycle?

Learning and exchange of good practices

Are both organisations happy to learn from the other? Are they happy to receive feedback from the other organisation? Are they happy to share good practices? How will success be recognised?

We are explicit about presenting ourselves as an innovative learning organisation. We are always constantly trying to learn and build on that.

We also offer partner organisations the opportunity to use the Libraries as a pilot site where details such as logistics, processes and procedures can be ironed out, and later scaled up and out to other organisations


Topic Questions To Be Discussed

and/or other public libraries. We are up front about playing an active role in assessing the programme, providing feedback and suggesting improvements.

These discussion topics are essential key components of the initial stages of partnership development (Compassion Capital Fund National Resource Center, 2002-2010) and they help us decide whether or not to pursue the potential partnership. We always ask ourselves, do the multiple successes match or exceed the division of tasks?

Set-Up: Formalising the Partnership

The discussion topics also form the basis of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Hutt City Libraries has with its partners to formalise the arrangements. We find that a clearly defined MOU is important for:

Planning (i.e., ensuring roles, responsibilities and resources have been identified and addressed)

Avoiding duplication of effort and tasks between the Libraries and its partners

Minimising the risk of misunderstandings about expectations

Maximising mutual benefits for both partners

We also recognise that the MOU is not what makes the partnership successful. It is the willingness and commitment of both parties to the programme or project that have made our partnerships successful.

Full-implementation

At Hutt City Libraries, we find that, on an operational level, the implementation of the partnership programme or project tends to be the easiest stage of partnership development. This is because due diligence was undertaken, and because the partners have engaged in open and honest conversations. Logistics, resources, roles, responsibilities and implementation details have all been discussed, understood and agreed to. It is basically “all systems go”!

Trust

From our experience, we find that the most important aspect of partnerships is trust which needs to developed and maintained at every stage. This trust is developed through relationship building,


open and honest conversations, good communication, meeting expectations, having the right people undertaking the various roles and responsibilities, respecting the partner’s practices, and building on shared understanding and values.

The trust needs to be strong enough to overcome any issues that might arise. Strong levels of trust ensure that any issues that arise are viewed as common issues to overcome together rather than a problem coming from one partner.

Not only does trust need to be strong enough to overcome issues, it also needs to be at different management and operational levels to ensure that the relationship is between the organisations as much as it is with the people representing them. Partnerships can fall apart when the relationship is with only one individual in the partner organisation and that person changes his/her role or leaves.

Strong levels of trust and stable partner relationships are also important to help foster innovation and motivation. Partners that trust us are more willing to share new ideas, especially those they may consider commercially sensitive. They are motivated to find new opportunities to continue working with us on new programmes and/or projects. They are also very happy to introduce us to their networks to find new potential synergies.

Benefits for Libraries

Having developed several successful partnerships, we know that they take time to develop and to maintain; but, we find that partnerships also offer numerous benefits. For example:

1. Overcoming the Limitations of the LibrariesAt the beginning of our journey to reposition ourselves, we found that we were limited by in-house capability, limited budgets and resources, and time. Trying to running all programmes and events in-house was pulling our resources, time and energies into many directions, and thus, not achieving great outcomes for the community. Working with partners help us mitigate these limitations:

Capability: We work with external partners who bring specialised skills we do not have and that we cannot afford to buy in.

Resources: External partners can sometimes provide resources such as artefacts and materials to run or enhance programmes.

Time: External partners are often able to offer time to assist with programme development as an in-kind contribution.

Money: Some external partners are able to access funding to deliver programmes.


Efficiencies: External partners delivering programmes in the Libraries allow us to focus on what we are good at. Time-wasting is minimised when partners each work to their strengths. Tasks are divided and less work is required to achieve success.

2. Programme Diversity and Innovation Librarians and library staff are not experts in everything. We are not able to run programmes in all of the Hutt City Libraries programming priorities, especially since some of the areas are highly technical or specialised. External partners allow us to offer a wide(r) range of programmes in different fields. It expands offering that can be provided and gives attendees the opportunity to meet new people from a different sector, field, or group.

Working with external partners can also offer opportunities to be innovative. The ideas they bring can be exciting, non-traditional, and/or cutting-edge.

3. Perceptions and Changing Role of LibrariesInitially, one of the main reasons we actively sought external partners was to help us offer programmes that help reposition ourselves as being modern and relevant to the community.

Working with external partners has helped and continue to help us be viewed as leaders, facilitators, and collaborators in the community, and in the social and economic development of the city. The new and innovative partnership programmes challenge people’s perceptions of public libraries and what we do. These programmes allow us to introduce the general public to new ideas, products, research and technologies, and be associated with progress and innovation. The Libraries have become future-focussed.

It is exciting to see that our external partners have become strong advocates for the Libraries in the community. They tell family, friends, and people in their networks about how Hutt City Libraries is “different”; about how the Libraries are modern and “keeping up with the times”; and about how relevant, exciting and fun we are. They provide the best word-of-mouth advertising for us.

4. Marketing, Audience Reach, and New NetworksWorking with external partners provides us with opportunities to interact with new audiences and with people who are non-users of the Libraries. External partners often market to and bring in their own “groupies” and partnership programmes have attracted up to 500 people at a single event; many of whom were non-users.

Because of the reach of our partners, we have increased its exposure of it programmes to people living around New Zealand and overseas. The impact of this level of marketing is invaluable.


Our partners also introduce us to their network of contacts and this sometimes leads to new partnerships.

5. Staff Morale and Development Feedback from our staff indicates that they appreciate the external partnerships. It improves their morale because they feel like they are part of a public library that is progressive, forward-thinking and community-facing, and they are proud to be an employee of such an exciting workplace. They love the “buzz” that is created, especially when the number of attendees at a programme or event is high. As a result, a number of staff have expressed an interest in pursuing library programming as a career pathway.

Our staff also tell us that helping with partnership programmes teaches them about event management and relationship building. They love learning new skills, especially transferrable skills. Being able to access on-the-job professional development is valuable for them.

Benefits for Partners

Successful partnerships are those that are based on mutual benefit. Our partners indicate that they gain the following benefits from working with us:

1. MarketingWe have the in-house capability to create appealing marketing material and access to marketing channels different to those of our partners. This marketing often reaches a greater variety of people and different market segments to what they are used to. This type of marketing reach is invaluable.

In addition to this, because of our growing following on social media, our marketing exposure often extends beyond Lower Hutt - to the greater Wellington region, and at times internationally. For some of the smaller external partners, this level of exposure has a dollar value they could not afford.

2. Access to New Audiences, and New NetworksWe provide partner organisations with potential new audiences that may not normally come across them. At a number of programmes, attendees often note that they did not know “x” existed nor that this work was happening locally or in New Zealand. Delivering programmes with Hutt City Libraries is a great way for our partners working in the commercial, science, technology and/or research fields to introduce, test and/or improve their products, and to reach a new audience.

As a partner, we also introduce and connect our partners with our network of contacts, which


in turn, grows everyone’s business. We facilitate a connectedness in our city, and this promotes growth, innovation, and resilience.

3. Transferred Credibility As previously mentioned, we commissioned Massey University to undertake qualitative focus group research about what Lower Hutt residents thought of its Libraries. Findings indicated that we were viewed as being helpful, informative, and wholesome. (Andrew Tobin Research Consulting, 2007) The residents trust us, and trust that we undertake due diligence. Partners find that, by collaborating with us, they gain a certain level of credibility through association.

4. Improvements and EfficienciesCollaborating with Hutt City Libraries to deliver programmes allows our external partners to focus on what they are good at. Time-wasting is minimised when partners each work to their strengths. We can provide coordination, marketing, registration and evaluation support which is often attractive to organisations. Tasks are divided and less work is required by each partner to achieve success.

Examples of Hutt City Libraries’ Partnerships

The following is a selection of partnerships we have undertaken. These examples provide a brief description of how the partnership came to be, why they were successful and the benefits that arose from the collaboration.

Partnering with a Non-Government Organisation to deliver formal computer literacy classes

Now a long-standing partnership, this relationship was the result of Hutt City Libraries challenging 2020 Trust in 2012 about not working with public libraries. This collaboration delivers formal computer literacy classes to residents with little or no computer experience.

It has been a successful relationship because both parties have made a commitment to communicating on a regular basis (i.e., about every 10 - 12 weeks) and doing what we say we will. Both parties are open to honest feedback and there are no hidden agendas.

We have worked hard to take care of the administration and the logistics to ensure that it is easy for the 2020 Trust tutors come in and do their job. In return, 2020 Trust sends us experienced tutors who are capable of teaching a wide range of learners.

The successful working relationship is reflected on a number of levels. First, student satisfaction is extremely high and 99% of the participants find the classes useful. Second, attendee numbers have


grown from 193 participants in 2012 to over 1200 participants in 2016. Third, the number of sites where the programme is offered has increased. By working together, we have been able to develop and establish processes, which have allowed 2020 Trust to scale up its operations. The programme has gone from one of our library branches to now operating in 40 library branches across New Zealand. All of this grows our reputation as leaders in digital literacy.

The partnership is also marked by the willing to work together to develop new courses quickly to meet the changing needs of the community. Recently this has led to the inclusion of a third party, in the form of a national telecommunications company, and a new project to get affordable prepaid modems into homes in under-resourced, high-deprivation areas.

Partnering with a Crown Research Institute to deliver science programmes and talks to children and adults

In 2015, Hutt City Libraries first approached GNS Science, Crown Research Institute (CRI), about exploring synergies and opportunities to run programmes collaboratively. Although GNS Science was excited about the potential opportunities they were also curious about why a public library would approach them. This was not the sort of thing the Libraries had done in the past.

The initial discussion stage was extensive. GNS Science wanted to gain a clear understanding with regards to shared vision, values, processes, boundaries, roles, responsibilities, limitations, reputation, etc. They also did not wish to progress the partnership until a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was drafted and signed.

Once the MOU was signed, we ran a pilot a one-off children’s programme that attracted over 50 children despite the purposefully limited marketing.

From there, we applied for and won funding from the very competitive Unlocking Curious Minds Fund. This contestable fund, offered by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Enterprise, supports innovative projects that will excite and engage New Zealanders, particularly young people (aged 18 years and under), who have fewer opportunities to be involved with science and technology. Winning the funding was a huge honour for us and it enabled us to offer innovative Earth Science and Palaeontology programmes to children in high deprivation areas. Schools brought their students in to participate as did parents who saw this as an exciting opportunity to hook their children into sciences, and thus give their children opportunities they did not have themselves.

GNS Science was able to use this experience to strengthen their reputation as national leaders in science communication, and they were invited to speak at the Science Communicators Association of New Zealand (SCANZ) conference.


In addition to the children’s programmes, working with GNS Science has led to “Hot Science – Cool Tales”, a successful science talk series for adults, and the opportunity for Hutt City Libraries to be a venue for its nationally-touring Dinosaur Footprints Exhibition. The Exhibition was highly successful for both parties. The Exhibition attracted 278,867 visitors across 11 venues, with 52,426 of these visitors at Hutt City Libraries. Almost 250 people entered the “Design a Dinosaur” competition and over 780 people attended the dinosaur-related programmes that were run alongside the Exhibition.

As a result of this successful partnership, other science and research organisations have approached us about becoming partners. For us, this is very exciting!

Partnering with a University to deliver a STEMM programme for teens

Hutt City Libraries runs Computer Clubhouses which provide “a creative, safe and free out-of- school learning environment where young people from underserved communities work with adult mentors to explore their own ideas, develop new skills and build confidence in themselves through the use of technology” (The Clubhouse Network)

One of the mentors who was a staff member of Victoria University’s Engineering Faculty noted that he wanted to find a way to inspire young people who were not doing technical subjects to explore and choose science and mathematics courses at secondary school, so they could move into technology-focussed university programmes. This discussion let to a pilot programme at our main library. It involved a free weekly robotic, animation and coding tutored session, led by university students for teens in years 10-13 of secondary school.

The programme ran for 18 months and was very successful in attracting teens each week, especially girls. We were pleased to be able to provide a teens’ programme that successfully engaged teens. Having university students run the programme provided the teens with relatable role models. The programme also provided interesting technology-activities the teens were not doing at school. From anecdotal feedback, the teens thought the activities were “cool and fun”, and several students changed their school subjects as a result of attending the programme.

The University was pleased with the ability to reach many teens, especially since the Libraries’ main library is within walking distance of five secondary schools. They also considered the programme a success because it translated into registrations from students who would not have considered studying science and technology at university.

Unfortunately, due to staffing constraints and changing priorities of the University, and the


programme ceased. Although we were disappointed at the time, we realised that the success of the programme was getting recognition. Another local tertiary education provider soon approached us about partnering to run a similar programme in robotics and to work with them to put forward a bid to get a national robotics competition to Lower Hutt. We are currently writing up the MOU for this partnership.

Partnering with Hobbyists to deliver an Astronomy Programme

Through another external partner, we contacted Wellington Astronomical Society, a club consisting of astronomy enthusiasts, and asked if we could explore how we could work together. This Society was very keen to collaborate and an Astronomy Night programme was created.

Partnering with Hobbyists to deliver an Astronomy Programme (cont’d)

The partnership is of mutual benefit. The astronomy group introduces us to people in their networks, which have included high-profile and well-respected astronomers, an internationally-recognised astro-photographer and SMART (the Society for Māori Astronomy Research and Traditions) to speak at our Astronomy Nights. These speakers bring with them, their own networks and following, and as a result, we have sometimes had requests from around the world to live stream the programme. The Society also provides telescopes so that if the skies are clear, Astronomy Night attendees can view the night sky.

The Society benefits from us planning, coordinating and marketing the Astronomy Nights which can attract 40 to 150 people per night, from a wide range of backgrounds. This provides the Society with exposure that they normally would not receive.

Partnering with a Peer Support Organisation for Māori and Pasifika students to provide accessible STEMM education to teens

Through our partnership with the Wellington Astronomical Society, we were introduced to Te Rōpū Āwhina (“Āwhina”), an on-campus whanau (i.e., student community / peer) support organisation for Māori and Pasifika students within the Faculties of Science, Engineering, and Architecture and Design at Victoria University.

Āwhina was looking for partners in different regions of New Zealand to support their ambitious nation-wide outreach programme that involved a discovery day where intermediate and secondary students could access science and technology from a Māori and Pasifika perspective. The organisation was interested in working with us because of our reputation for being a good partner


organisation that is future-focussed, professional, and supportive of Māori and Pasifika students. They also heard we got things done.

As a result of the discussions, Hutt City Libraries became a major partner in the Wellington region. We provided a venue, support with set-up and pack-down, and valuable advice about running the event and large-scale, multi-party programmes. In exchange, we were provided with space to promote ourselves at the regional discovery day which was attended by over 700 local students. We were also introduced to Āwhina’s network and received nation-wide recognition in their marketing.

Working with Āwhina and SMART (the Society for Māori Astronomy Research and Traditions) strengthened our reputation for being actively supportive of the different ethnic and cultural groups in the community.

Partnering with Ethnic Groups to deliver programmes that build their communities

The positive perception of Hutt City Libraries being actively supportive of the different ethnic and cultural groups in the community has led to discussions with the Ministry of Pacific Peoples and Pacific Island communities about creating a programme to record and showcase digital stories.

This proposed digital storytelling programme will provide members of the Pacific Island communities with the opportunity to develop their English literacy and storytelling skills. It will also get these communities who have traditionally non-users of the Libraries into a positive and welcoming library environment. We will build and strengthen that connection.

From the Pacific Island communities’ perspective, the proposed digital storytelling programme will provide them with the opportunity to record their stories, share their stories, and celebrate their communities while developing their digital skills.

In addition to this, the ethnic communities and groups that support them have approached us about exploring synergies and developing programmes for their communities. This has led to Non-Government Organisations running English Language classes and computer classes for non-English speaking migrants and refugees at the Libraries.

Partnering with Banks and Chartered Accountants to offer financial literacy programmes

Last year, the need for teaching financial literacy skills to Lower Hutt residents was identified by professionals working in the banking and finance industry. They were finding an increasing number of their customers getting themselves into financial difficulties because they did not understand how


financial services and products worked. This need was also identified by the community and Libraries’ staff who were finding themselves trying to help and support these residents in financial difficulty.

In response to this need, we approached four commercial banks about running “Money Talks”, a series of free financial literacy workshops in our Libraries. They were more than happy to help as they preferred to provide support to people before they could get into financial trouble.

The banks we work with acknowledge that educating the general public about topics such as managing one’s finances, pensions, investments, mortgages, first home loans, and credit helps the banks in the work they do. The banks are also willing to partner with us because providing public programmes in our space would allow them to understand some of the finance-related issues, problems and perceptions our residents have.

Partnering with Banks and Chartered Accountants to offer financial literacy programmes (cont’d)

From our perspective, this partnership helps us meet the needs of our community and fill a huge financial literacy gap.

At the same time, to avoid conflicts of interest and to protect our customers, speakers from the banks are not permitted to sell nor promote any particular product, service, or brand during their session. Their powerpoint presentations and hand-outs are neutral. Nothing can be branded with any commercial messaging. We do, however, acknowledge the support from the commercial banks in the promotional posters. The banks are very understanding of this.

After we started running “Money Talks”, we were approached by Kendons Chartered Accountants about running a similar series of workshop but for small and medium businesses. As a result, we are currently offering Financial Basics for Business, a free series of financial literacy workshops for business owners. And, as with the banks, the workshops are about information sharing and educating the participants – not about selling their products and services.

Where To From Here?

From the examples above, Hutt City Libraries can say that we have benefitted from partnering with external organisations and that in the process, we have developed a strong reputation for being an effective and professional partner as evidenced by the number of groups who now approach us to help deliver their programmes.

Feedback from the external partners indicate that partnering with Hutt City Libraries is of great value


to them and this is reinforced by their willingness to continue working with us and to develop new programmes collaboratively.

From a library customer’s perspective, the partnership programmes have been valuable. We have captured some stories from customers, who relate how a library programme made a real and tangible contribution towards their families’ literacy, or their personal social or economic growth and development. We now often receive feedback about how progressive and relevant we and our programmes are. People often make comments about how lucky they, as residents, are to have such a wonderful public library.

Because continuous improvement is very important, we are always looking at new partnerships and programmes for when those currently in discussion phase are implemented. We are also looking at ways of evaluating the partnerships and programmes in terms of impact and not just outputs and numbers. What difference are we truly making? What is the value of the work we do and the programmes we offer? Our current challenge is finding ways of recording what changes our programmes and events have for those attending.


References

Andrew Tobin Research Consulting. (2007). Summary of qualitative research: What residents want from Hutt City Libraries. Andrew Tobin Research Consulting.

Atkinson, J., Salmond, C., & Crampton, P. (2014). NZDep2013 Index of Deprivation. University of Otago, Department of Public Health, Wellington and Division of Health Sciences, Dunedin. Retrieved February 18, 2017, from http://www.otago.ac.nz/wellington/otago069936.pdf

Beattie, A., & Clarkson, D. (2015, November 7-11). What's in it for us? Strategic partnerships in a public library. LIANZA Conference 2015: Karanga Rā! Shout! Wellington.

Compassion Capital Fund National Resource Center. (2002-2010). Partnerships: Frameworks for Working Together. Retrieved from Strengthening Nonprofits: A Capacity Builder's Resource Library: http://www.strengtheningnonprofits.org/resources/guidebooks/Partnerships.pdf

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. (2014). Community Parntership Guidebook for Libraries: How libraries can build relationships to create financial education programs for their communities. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Retrieved February 01, 2017, from https://s3.amazonaws.com/files.consumerfinance.gov/f/201406_cfpb_partner-guidebook.pdf

Crowther, J. L., & Trott, B. (2004). Partnering with Purpose: A Guide to Strategic Partnership Development for Libraries and Other Organizations. Westport, Conneticut: Llibraries Unlimited.

Goulding, A. (2016). Public Libraries in the 21st Century: Defining Services and Debating the Future. London: Routledge.

Hayashi, M. L. (2011). Cooperative Library Services in Southeast Florida: A Staff Perspective. In R. Pellen, & W. Miller (Eds.), Libraries Beyond Their Institutions: Partnerships That Work (2011 ed., pp. 61-72). New York: Routledge.

Hutt City Council. (2012). Urban Growth Strategy 2012 - 2032. Lower Hutt: Hutt City Council.

Hutt City Council. (2015). Environmental Sustainability Strategy 2015 - 2045. Lower Hutt: Hutt City Council.

Hutt City Council. (2015). Infrastructure Strategy 2015 - 2045. Lower Hutt: Hutt City Council.

Hutt City Council. (2015). Leisure and Wellbeing Strategy 2012 - 2032. Lower Hutt: Hutt City Council.

Hutt City Council. (2015). Shaping Our City: Long Term Plan For Hutt City 2015-2025 Including the Annual Plan 2015-2016. Lower Hutt: Hutt City Council.

Hutt City Council. (2016). Annual Plan 2016-2017: Growing Our City. Lower Hutt: Hutt City Council.

Hutt City Libraries. (2015). Work Plan 2015-2016. Lower Hutt: Hutt City Libraries.

Lankes, R. D. (2011). The Atlas of New Librarianship. Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press.


Pellen, R., & Miller, W. (Eds.). (2011). Libraries Beyond Their Institutions: Partnerships That Work (2011 ed.). New York: Routledge.

Singh, H. (2014, May 13). Where are New Zealand's most deprived areas? Retrieved from New Zealand Herald: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11254032

Statistics New Zealand - Tatauranga Aotearoa. (2013, October 15). 2013 Census Usually Resident Population Counts. Retrieved February 18, 2017, from Statistics New Zealand - Tatauranga Aotearoa: http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/population/census_counts/2013CensusUsuallyResidentPopulationCounts_HOTP2013Census/Commentary.aspx

Statistics New Zealand - Tatauranga Aotearoa. (n.d.). 2013 Census QuickStats about a place: Lower Hutt City. Retrieved February 18, 2017, from Statistics New Zealand - Tatauranga Aotearoa: http://www.stats.govt.nz/Census/2013-census/profile-and-summary-reports/quickstats-about-a-place.aspx?request_value=14394&tabname=

Statistics New Zealand. (n.d.). 2013 Census. Retrieved February 2017, from Statistics New Zealand: http://stats.govt.nz/Census/2013-census.aspx

Techsoup. (n.d.). Effectively Collaborating with Other Libraries and Partners. Retrieved February 18, 2017, from Techsoup for Libraries: http://www.techsoupforlibraries.org/Cookbooks/Planning%20for%20Success/Communication%20and%20Partnerships/effectively-collaborating-with-other-l

The Clubhouse Network. (n.d.). Retrieved from The Clubhouse Network: A Global Community for Creativity and Achievement: http://www.computerclubhouse.org/

Zealand, P. L. (n.d.). Become a Strategic Partner. Retrieved February 01, 2017, from Public Libraries of New Zealand: http://www.publiclibraries.org.nz/AboutUs/OurPartnersandSupporters/BecomeaPartner.aspx

Zickuhr, K., Raine, L., & Purcell, K. (2013). Library services in the digital age. Washington, D.C.: Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project. Retrieved from http://libraries.pewinternet.org/files/legacy-pdf/PIP_Library%20services_Report.pdf

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