Media release

Wednesday, 1 August 2012

Upper Hutt’s trail-blazing library service featured at Australian conference

The recent ALIA Biennial 2012 Conference featured a presentation on Upper Hutt City Council’s library service.

UPPER HUTT, Wellington NZ, 1 AUG 2012—Upper Hutt City Council’s Library Manager, Debbie Duncan recently returned from the Australian Library and Information Association’s (ALIA) Biennial 2012 Conference. Mrs Duncan was invited to present at the conference after submitting a report outlining the changes Upper Hutt’s Library had undergone in the past 5 years.

Mrs Duncan’s presentation was titled: Journey to the heart of a community: redesigning a library service for the people. In line with this year’s conference theme, Discovery, Mrs Duncan presented the ongoing journey of rediscovery that she and her staff embarked on in 2007.This included a complete review of the library’s services with consultation on how they might change to meet the needs of their community. The review culminated in a complete revamp of how staff prioritise their services to the customer—enabled through a redeveloped premises and the implementation of new technology. This in turn resulted in larger capacity for programming, physical and digital resources, along with a more service oriented approach for staff.

Upper Hutt City Council’s library service continues to innovate its offering as it fulfills its mission as a hub for community engagement. Mrs Duncan says she is continuing to receive visits from other Libraries expressing interest on the new orientation of the library, its implementation of RFID, and its award-winning programmes and services.

The library is set to launch its new search service next week as it moves to adopt the Department of Internal Affairs-backed Kōtui shared service. Kōtui has been picked up by over a dozen libraries nationwide to date, with more looking to join the extensive service. It allows users from inside the library or a web browser-enabled device to perform an integrated search of almost all of the Library’s content, including books, images, periodicals, archives, and DVDs. “We are continuing to pioneer new services and work with organisations that present better options for our users,” Mrs Duncan says. “Ultimately, this is about reaching our community and providing access to material and services that will enhance their library experience.”

Mrs Duncan’s ALIA paper is available online at www.upperhuttcity.com/page/58/Library.boss. She will also be presenting at the LIANZA Conference 2012 on 23 September.

About Upper Hutt City Council

Upper Hutt City Council is the steward and custodian of Upper Hutt City, providing governance, infrastructure, and community services and resources, and promoting opportunity in the city for business, recreation, lifestyle, and leisure. Upper Hutt City is located 30 km north-east of Wellington City (41°07'34" S, 175°04'06" E) and boasts 70% of the region’s parks and reserves, along with state-of-the-art entertainment and leisure facilities.

Contact
For more information on Upper Hutt City and the City Council, go to www.upperhuttcity.com

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