Speech to North Island Public Library Managers’ Meeting

I am very pleased to be here to speak to you today in my capacity as Minister responsible for the National Library of New Zealand.  The National Library portfolio has proven to be very interesting and since becoming Minister I've been fortunate to have been involved in many stimulating issues and events.

In fact the first public event I attended and spoke at as a Minister, was the opening of the Welcome Sweet Peace: Returning Home after the Great War exhibition.  That was closely followed by the launch of the McLean Papers online and then the launch of the National Digital Heritage Archive.

All of these events, plus of course the redevelopment programme for the Wellington building, have given me a great insight into this wonderful institution and the value that it, and equally public libraries, bring to our communities.

I firmly believe that the National Library has an incredibly important role to play in preserving the documentary heritage of our nation; both for cultural and economic reasons. It is also about making information accessible to New Zealanders and being the driving force in the library and information sector. This multi-faceted role becomes even more significant as New Zealand moves towards a knowledge-based economy that is increasingly digital and global.

The National Library's vision is to connect all New Zealanders to information important to all aspects of their lives and so be a National Library for all New Zealanders.  

In bringing this vision to life it also has a key partnership role in working with libraries throughout New Zealand. I see this role as critical, with the National Library supporting public libraries in building their capability to deliver relevant and valuable services to their communities.  

Partnership and collaboration also make a lot of sense in these very difficult times, with shared opportunities both practical and cost effective.  

For this reason, this Government is very supportive of the work the National Library does in fostering strong links with public libraries, in supporting you through initiatives like the Aotearoa People's Network and EPIC (Electronic Purchasing in Collaboration), and in building its ongoing partnership with the education sector so that children are supported in their future skills development.  

With that support in mind, the current investigation into building the business case for a consortium to operate a shared library management system, is a positive move. It is another example of how the National Library can provide leadership and support to public libraries.

Shared systems have real potential to provide better value for the investment and I will watch with interest to see how this project develops.

Libraries, in my view, are important civic, social and educational spaces that provide the opportunity for New Zealanders from all walks of life to explore new ideas and new worlds, as well as our rich history.  They are also stores of irreplaceable collections of local and family history and in this way complement the national-level heritage libraries.

In facilitating access to New Zealand content and information, they have been successful in exploiting the advantages of ICT to improve traditional services, and bring new services on board that may not have been economically feasible in the analogue print world.  A good example of this is the Kete initiative (This is the digitisation of local community heritage documents, rescuing forgotten resources and putting them on the web for the community to use, reminding the community of its own history.  A very good and award-winning example is Kete Horowhenua).

For that reason, public libraries need to continue to be easily accessible; offering access to complex information in a world shifting from a largely print environment to one that is also electronic and virtual.

As you know this Government is operating in unprecedented times.

The global recession has had a significant impact on everything, and everyone, and we have had to look very closely at all government activity and spending including a line-by-line review of all government departments.  

The Government is committed to seeking value for money and to moving resources to the frontline.  We expect government agencies, like everyone else, to focus on core activities and that is... services to the public.  It means developing and maintaining a tight focus on the policies and programmes that will deliver results.

Public librarians are very much at the frontline of delivering information and lifelong learning opportunities, of engendering a love of reading and supporting people to become digitally literate.  It would be my hope that local government will echo central government in continuing to focus on funding core frontline services.

This Government has an unwavering focus on lifting education standards. And this is where I see the National Library and public libraries playing a key role. Already, you have a strong mandate in this area, particularly in supporting our young people with literacy and learning.

And finally we need to strengthen infrastructure to help this country grow - ultra-fast broadband should be brought to businesses, schools, hospitals, and homes.  

I'll talk about our Broadband Investment Proposal in more detail later. As part of the infrastructure equation, we are very keen to see partnerships with the private sector, which are commonplace in many countries, and which would boost investment in roads, electricity, and water.  

In fact, your sector has led the way with this approach with the National Digital Heritage Archive being a collaborative effort with international partners, and a tangible demonstration of how a private and public sector partnership can successfully deliver an innovative and world-leading solution.

Given the tough economic environment, we have needed to ensure that all government agencies were very clear on the Government priorities and the Minister of Finance provided this through a briefing to Government CEOs, earlier this year.

I think it is useful to summarise the key messages from this briefing because they provide a useful context to the direction of government agencies, including the National Library.

• CLARITY - the Government needs the state sector to focus less on developing strategies and more thinking about how they can deliver services to the public more efficiently and effectively.

• PROACTIVE LEADERSHIP - acknowledging that in the current climate there will be an extended period of restraint and limited dollars - senior leadership in the state sector need to lead awareness of this in their organisations

• DO MORE WITH LESS - we need to get more from existing resources, not just to meet the costs of essential services that taxpayers expect but also to advance government priorities. I want to stress that this is not a ‘slash and burn' exercise. It is about delivering services differently and more cost-effectively.

• BE INNOVATIVE - agencies are encouraged to innovate and try different things to achieve the results expected from them.

In summary this means we all have to be smarter about the way we operate. The Government wants a strong and effective public service. A service that is not fazed by the new environment - but rather can look to the opportunities it may present. And if I look at my work with the National Library to date, I am very confident that the National Library can meet the challenges.   

I appreciate that public libraries are already very used to operating on very tight budgets, and have had to be very creative in running a tight ship.

The economic constraints also set the context for our recent announcement regarding the National Library's Wellington building programme.  As you are aware the Government has decided to scale back the revamp of the National Library's Wellington building.

The $52 million dollar upgrade, while significantly down from the previously proposed redevelopment plan, will still ensure the nation's treasures are protected by increasing storage, fixing leaks, upgrading equipment and addressing deferred maintenance.

As you can appreciate we were forced to reconsider the previous government's decision in light of the international recession.
 
This is a responsible decision, which balances the need to protect our nation's treasures and taonga while taking heed of the fact that we are in the midst of a recession.

And doing nothing was not an option as the building is effectively full and failing equipment, substandard storage environments, and water leaks are putting the collections - valued at nearly $1 billion - at serious risk. 

We simply had to re-look at this proposal and find a way that would still ensure the critical issues will be addressed. It still means that the Library's 95km of collections material will need to be relocated during the revamp and I know this is very much top of their minds at the moment, with some moves about to get under way.

Also the scaled back project requires the design work to be revisited and a fresh resource consent obtained from the Wellington City Council.

I would also like to add that this decision will not compromise the National Library's modernisation programme, the New Generation National Library Strategy which Penny Carnaby will take you through in more detail.

For my part it is essential that the National Library continues to modernise the delivery of its services to ensure it remains relevant and responsive to the changing needs of future generations of New Zealanders, particularly within the digital environment.

I am very pleased that the National Library has embraced the opportunities offered by the digital world and is working towards opening up the heritage collections to all.  In fact the relocation offers a great opportunity for Library staff to focus on an extensive digitisation programme, which will significantly improve access to the Library's collections.

And of course in Auckland, it's full steam ahead with the Centre for 21st Century Learning Literacies. As I said earlier, education is a priority for this government, and the National Library's role in working closely with public libraries and schools in fostering literacy and the love of reading, are valued by this Government. 

The Auckland centre will support a strong digital and print future for young New Zealanders, and gives real focus to what this country needs to inspire knowledge creation and economic transformation.

Which brings me to the Digital Strategy. Digital technologies have transformed our lives in recent years with digital literacy growing exponentially, with an explosion of digital devices - it would seem every week there is a new must-have gadget.

Clearly, the digital environment is changing the way New Zealanders live, work and play. It is also transforming our businesses; stimulating creativity and innovation across our economy and society.  With the opportunities though, come challenges, something I know libraries are very aware of.

However, this country has been fortunate that some very good thinking around how we as a country can harness the potential of the digital world has been undertaken, as articulated in the Digital Strategy 2.0.  This Government (through the Minister for Communications and Information Technology) has decided that the Digital Strategy 2.0 will remain in place, as the outcomes remain relevant in the current climate. 

While the actions that support the outcomes in the strategy are under review and some will change to reflect the new government's priorities, the fundamental vision of a connected, collaborative approach where all stakeholders work together to make New Zealanders leaders in the digital world, has not changed.

New technologies foster innovation, but it is people - entrepreneurs, researchers, creatives and people working to make a difference in communities - who are the real source of creativity. 

As Government, our role is to provide the basics that enable creativity, innovation and collaboration - and that means fast, accessible broadband, a digitally skilled population, secure infrastructure and support for and access to New Zealand content. 

This is where the National Library has played a lead role and one that I see it will continue to play in delivering tangible and practical solutions to some of the challenges raised in the strategy. 

Which brings me to the Government's broadband programme.  We want to create a step-change in the provision of broadband services by delivering on an aspirational goal of ultra-fast broadband for the majority of New Zealanders, concentrating in the first six years on priority broadband users such as businesses, schools and health services, and within 10 years, three-quarters of homes.  

This is key to our wider strategy to increase New Zealand's global competitiveness, particularly compared to other OECD countries. 

We've put aside significant investment in this area - up to $1.5 billion, and we expect that to be matched by private sector investment. We remain committed to this goal in government and we have no doubt that it's achievable.

Clearly given the importance of this issue, and the significant investment, we need to work carefully through the detail and ensure we have the right structure in place to secure the right digital infrastructure for this country.

For that reason, we sought submissions on the proposal, which would see a Crown-owned investment company drive the government's investment

Those submissions have come in and my colleague, the Minister for Communications and Information Technology, has recently advised that some minor refinements to that proposal are being considered as a result of the submissions.

Of interest to this audience will be the emphasis of, and recognition of the importance of ultra-fast broadband in schools. Fast broadband will greatly enhance teaching and learning, and will ensure New Zealand children have access to the same information at the same time as their peers around the world.  It will bring the world into the classroom - giving students the opportunity to videoconference with experts from around the globe.

Submitters noted that fibre to schools needs to be supported with investment in professional development for teachers, educational resources, local champions and technical support.  I am sure you can appreciate the importance of this; given the increasingly digital and technical role your profession has in this digital environment.

We expect to have the final broadband proposal publicly available in the coming months.

Of course broadband has been behind the success of the Aotearoa People's Network.  I have become very familiar with the APN, which has highlighted how valuable the access to fast broadband is, especially to our more rural and isolated communities. 

This programme has been an effective and tangible way of bridging the digital divide and has brought home the value and role of libraries in their communities, which is particularly evident during difficult times.

I appreciate there are issues with the APN which have been well documented including managing the volume of people using the service, and the impact on small business owners who run internet cafes, (I've had a few letters on this particular issue), and I understand these are being worked through.

The benefits though, would seem to far outweigh any downside, and the National Library remains committed to working towards a fully sustainable network to all libraries that want to be part of the APN.  This will require ongoing partnership with public libraries and local authorities as we work together on growing and maintaining the services provided through the Aotearoa People's network.

I have been asked to include the issue of copyright in this presentation. I know a lot of librarians, along with many other sectors, were concerned about the effect of section 92A. (For the uninitiated, Section 92A requires internet service providers (ISPs) to have a policy to terminate the internet account of repeat copyright infringers in appropriate circumstances).

While the Government remains intent on tackling this problem, the legislation itself needs to be re-examined and reworked to address concerns held by stakeholders and the government. And so we have, as you know, begun a review to amend the section to immediately address the areas of concern.

Our aim is find a solution, which builds on the work of ISPs and rights-holders to date, but also leads to a more workable piece of legislation.

The digital age has also brought to light the changing nature of your profession, which I'd like to touch on before I conclude.   I recently read an article which outlined how the advent of digitisation and moves towards the virtual library have impacted on librarians.  You now need to  master sophisticated IT and information management skills as well as the traditional librarianship techniques.

The article notes that "bookishness has gone - along with the old stereotype of stern shushes from a bluestocking in a tweed skirt and spectacles with her hair in a tightly twisted bun".  And another astute quote says: "Do not go into library work if you do not like IT.  If you really prefer books, think about the book trade or publishing, not librarianship."

The article goes on to say that whereas you used to deal in tangibles, you now deal in virtuals, teaching about the importance of social networking, skills in Web 2.0 and 3.0, electronic preservation and migrating information to new formats. 

I appreciate that public libraries, especially those in New Zealand, have been keeping up with these trends.  From what I have seen in working closely with the National Library and meeting sector organisations like LIANZ, I believe your profession is well up to the new challenges. I have been very impressed at this profession's ability to look ahead and plan for the future.

This has clearly led to a growing trend for our libraries to be used by a much greater cross section of our societies and for such a wide range of reasons. We are seeing many more people coming through the doors of libraries; whether it's to research their family history, get books, DVDs, magazines or link up with friends on the Internet.

In closing, I'd like to say that in my view libraries today are very much part of New Zealand's knowledge infrastructure.  They are places where people are exposed to New Zealand's stories, ideas and intellect, rather than as once-silent warehouses of books.  This is a great testament to your profession. 

Thank you very much for your time today.