Maori University students and the academic library: interacting with our community

Troy Tuhou

Kaitiaki Maori, Assistant Librarian, Maori.

Kia orakoutoukatoa,

He mihinunuiki a koutou mo o koutouawhi, tautokohokiki au.

Thank you all for your support and attendance at my workshop on Wedensday.

Special thanks must go to Kris Wehipeihana for typing up the notes of the group which follow this short note of thanks.

I had the opportunity to chat to a few of you and thank you for all the positive comments. I also hope that you all feel able to give me some feedback on the things that you felt did not go so well in order that I can ensure that my workshops and other presentations are the best that they can be. My email is here however I would also like you to give you the opportunity to comment freely and have added the email address of AnaheraMorehu

for you to give feedback anonymously through her.

Thank you once again for your support and all of the work that you did.

Troy

Barriers a definition: Circumstances or obstacles that keep people or things apart or prevents communication or progress. (Soanes, C., & Stevenson, A. (2003). Oxford dictionary of English (2nd ed.) Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press)

Question 1: Why care?

  • Know Maori students don’t use libraries
  • Not as many coming through from school
  • Different styles
  • Can’t be homogenous – not one size fits all
  • Political/PC? – tertiary education priorities. TEC guidelines, rules.
  • Need them
  • Disadvantages
  • Only have Maori in NZ
  • Right/equity
  • Business to cater for all students
  • Concern about barriers for all
  • Format
  • Self awareness i.e. are we biggest barrier?
  • Distance students versus on campus
  • Want more to succeed
  • Example of success model
  • How do they get help?
  • Evidenced based study: to succeed need the library
  • Range of ages Maori one size
  • Why look? So we know what they are.
  • Exclusion of groups mean not as effective learning
  • They are our clients, patrons, customers – it’s our job.
  • Offers us the opportunity to learn alongside our patrons
  • Diversity
  • Modelling the learning, collaborative behaviour
  • Respect
  • Because they are not there OR they are not getting the best use
  • To recruit to the profession
  • Treat all people with respect

Question 2: What are the barriers that Maori/Pacific peoples face in academic libraries?

  • Family responsibilities that make it difficult to come into the library
  • Secondary schools
  • Never became a habit
  • Inadequate marketing
  • Power
  • Output versus outcomes
  • Culture/design/bricks and mortar
  • Hitch-hikers guide versus Insiders guide.
  • Library place for naughty
  • Technology
  • Information literacy
  • Translation of primary learnt skills to tertiary
  • Services
  • Culture awareness
  • Understanding your community
  • Physical space
  • Guidelines
  • Language
  • Build it and they will come
  • Overwhelming/intimidating size (physical space; academic study)
  • Not appropriate learning spaces (for the way they learn)
  • Inherent assumption will ask a librarian (cultural awareness)
  • No-one knows how good we are.

Question 3: How do we overcome or break these barriers?

  • Commitment to improving access – Maori subject headings – language
  • Employ more Maori/Pacific Island staff
  • Insular view – involve students in strategy
  • Involve parents/support whanau
  • Orientation for normalisation
  • Competent staff - know your client
  • Communication
  • Build trust
  • Know how to approach a Maori/Pacific Island group
  • Librarians meet with Maori/Pacific Island Students outside the library in other situations e.g. orientation
  • Mentoring – library staff, students, student reps.
  • Librarian mentor for library staff – for diff situations
  • Marae noho idea – deliver info literacy in a space the students are comfortable in.
  • Investigate alternative (appropriate) methods of delivering service
  • Take advantage of refurbish opportunities
  • Model the behaviour ourselves
  • Personal connections
  • Cadetship for Maori and Pacifika students
  • All staff understand student population is diverse – need different methods for all.
  • Not exclude students from particular ethnic backgrounds from delivery method.
  • Using common language – casual language, avoid jargon etc.
  • Reflect you institutions Point of View on iwi relationships OR lead the way with relationships with iwi
  • Incorporate art and other design elements

Groupwork – what can we do?

  • First challenge for us: how to get our colleagues on board with what we’ve discussed today.
  • Call on TRW members to be used as mentors
  • Relationship building
  • Gather evidence – tell the stories of success
  • Find a champion who can influence change to help you implement changes
  • Kia kaha in your own representation of the way you want things to be
  • Word of mouth – find a student champion to lure other students to the library
  • Look at the holistic customer experience
  • Recognise that student’s previous educational experience may create block in their own minds. Remind them they are entitled to use their library
  • Leave the library – go to the hui, etc. Wander the campus. Be positive about making individual connections. Get out there!
  • Show your face at institutional functions
  • Professional competency is cultural competency
  • “Kia ora” slip te reo into the conversation
  • Pick up on your institutions strategy for Maori Development
  • Do some homework – what do you want? – what info already exists to support that? Prepare your arguments.