MEET THE CREW:
MEET THE NEW LIANZA COUNCIL MEMBERS AND PRESIDENT-ELECT
LIANZA Office and Council offer hearty congratulations to the new LIANZA President-elect Erica Rankin and new regional councillors for LIANZA Te Whakakitenga aa Kaimai, Ikaroa and Otago Southland – Mel Chivers, Kristen Clothier and Alex Bassett respectively. Our new appointments will join LIANZA Council on July 1 when outgoing members will be thanked and farewelled. As LIANZA President, Rachel Esson says in her column: We know all of them will bring energy and enthusiasm to their roles. Welcome to all!
Erica Rankin, Community Libraries Manager at Christchurch City Libraries, comes to us highly recommended and we are all looking forward to working with her. You can get to know Erica a little better by reading this issue’s We Are LIANZA column, where she chats with LIANZA’S Comms Advisor, Helen Heath.
Carolyn Robertson, Libraries and Information Manager at Christchurch City Council and LIANZA Past President (2010), says: ‘Erica’s ability to inspire and unite teams to achieve a shared goal will be a real asset to LIANZA over the coming term. I am confident she will embrace the many opportunities this important role presents.’
Kristen Clothier, a Children and Young Adults Librarian with Hastings District Libraries, is looking forward to working with librarians from across the district and sectors, to find out what is wanted and needed; and do what she can to help support this as LIANZA regional councillor for Ikaroa. Kristen says: ‘I come from a family (a shush) of librarians. With a parent, a sibling and a cousin all about the job, was there really any other choice for me?’ Find out more about Kristen ‘Keeping it in the Family’ further down this article. You can also see Kirsten talking about graduating with her library qualification here.
Mel Chivers says she is excited to take on the role of LIANZA regional councillor for the Te Whakakitenga aa Kaimai region. Mel has been a member on the Te Whakakitenga aa Kaimai regional committee since 2015 and is an Academic Liaison Librarian at the University of Waikato. We are really pleased to have Tertiary Libraries represented on LIANZA Council. You can find out a bit more about Mel by reading her contribution to Six Hot Picks in this issue.
Last but by no means least, we welcome Alex Bassett, LIANZA Regional Councillor for Otago Southland. We asked Alex to share what it has been like living and working in one of the worst hit regions of New Zealand POST-COVID-19 lockdown. Read on to find out more.