The closing months of 2023 have been marked by an array of fascinating conferences and events in the cultural heritage sector. For NZMS, it’s been a flurry of activity as we attended the 2023 Educate Plus NZ Chapter Summit, NZCCM 2023 conference, LIANZA 2023 conference, NDF23 WhanakeEvolve, ANZTLA conference 2023, and finally the NZPCC Forum 2023. Each event brought forward unique perspectives and sparked thought-provoking discussions and kōrero. Below you will find some of our team’s key takeaways from the last three conferences and events we attended this year.
LIANZA 2023
The LIANZA 2023 conference, held at the Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre, was a lively mix of ideas, innovation, and collaboration. As the platinum sponsor of the event, NZMS was honoured to show our continued support for the library and information sector in Aotearoa New Zealand.
“It was great to witness such a significant conference unfold in the new and impressive Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre. This venue served as a fitting location for the first in-person LIANZA conference since 2019. It was certainly evident in the energy and passion from the delegates and speakers.”
Stephen Hardman, Southern Regional Manager, NZMS.
NZMS was represented at the conference by eight of our team members: Andy, Stephen, Alison, Geoff, Siobhan, and Emanuella. Lisa and Ben from Recollect also joined us for one of the days. This provided a valuable opportunity for all of us to interact and engage with professionals from the sector.
“This was my first LIANZA conference and I loved the experience! It was a great reminder of how passionate the library and information sector is and the extraordinary value they bring to our communities.”
Geoff Evans, Business Development Manager – Central Region, NZMS
In the opening speeches at the conference, Andy Fenton, the CEO of NZMS, underscored our unwavering commitment to libraries. Acknowledging their indispensable role in society, from promoting literacy to equitable access to information, he also emphasised NZMS’s dedication to the preservation of cultural heritage collections and taonga – many of which are held by libraries and institutions across Aotearoa New Zealand. Throughout the conference, Andy kept the conversation going online; take a look at some of his tweets below!
“The conference opened powerfully with a series of video interviews with people of all ages and walks of life, explaining why libraries are so important to them. This was followed by an impassioned address from our National Librarian, Rachel Esson, reminding us of the purpose of the National Library – to enrich the cultural and economic life of New Zealand and its interchanges with other nations. Collecting, preserving, and protecting documents, particularly those relating to New Zealand and making them accessible to all people.”
Geoff Evans, Business Development Manager – Central Region, NZMS
Alison Barnett, NZMS’s Northern Regional Manager, presented an Innovation Showcase during the conference titled, Creating Accessible Collections: Transforming User Engagement with Recollect. Alison demonstrated how Recollect is sparking strong levels of community engagement for organisations worldwide.
“It was fantastic to experience LIANZA at Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre – what a great venue. The programme was outstanding (every year seems better than the last!) and as always, I loved being able to catch up with people and make new connections over coffee or lunch during the breaks! Congrats again to the organisers. It was a busy time for me as we were moving our Auckland office premises on the last day of the conference, so I had to fly back a bit early. Our new office is awesome though – and we’ll be inviting you all to have a look in the New Year!”
Alison Barnett, Northern Regional Manager, NZMS
NZMS extends our gratitude to LIANZA and the organisers of the conference for all their mahi in curating an exceptional programme and networking opportunities.
“I saw many inspiring presentations on a wide range of subjects but one that resonated strongly was Sue Berman’s discussion about Ngako: The Collections Talks. Sue is the Principal Oral History Advisor at Auckland Council and she talked about the process of making nine documentary films showcasing taonga from Auckland Libraries Heritage and Research collections. It was fascinating and I have since watched four of the films which are all superb – I would highly recommend viewing them!”
Geoff Evans, Business Development Manager – Central Region, NZMS
NDF23 Whanake\Evolve
NDF23 Whanake\Evolve was hosted at Te Papa Tongarewa and explored the intersection between technology and culture. The NZMS team was pleased to join the discussion and learn about harnessing digital tools to address global challenges and create sustainable, impactful community connections.
“I was particularly energised by the number of talks making connections to contemporary issues such as climate change, education, and AI (positive and negative!). While conferences can sometimes be somewhat insular and removed, it was refreshing to witness an engaged and passionate range of speakers addressing these pressing issues.”
Stephen Hardman, Southern Regional Manager, NZMS
As a proud sponsor of the conference, NZMS was pleased to uphold a cherished NDF tradition by providing ice cream for the attendees. We hope you all thoroughly enjoyed it! Representing the NZMS team were Andy, Stephen, Jamie, Geoff, Petra, and Emanuella.
“The Lightning Talks were particularly engaging; they rapidly covered an array of interesting topics, from virtual reality-enhanced historical walks to strategies for AI literacy.”
Emanuella de Ruiter, Marketing Coordinator, NZMS
NDF offered a deeply engaging two-day conference, complete with inspiring presentations, networking opportunities, and insightful keynote sessions. This was further complemented by a full day dedicated to workshops which fostered a collaborative environment where attendees could learn alongside other professionals in their field.
“Highlights included Hon Simon Kofe talking about the processes involved in establishing Tuvalu as the world’s first digital nation, Dr. Johnson Witehira speaking about decolonising our futures, and Dr Kara Kennedy on AI and literacy. Common themes at the conference were the use of te reo Māori in the digital world, the ethical considerations surrounding digital access to heritage collections, the importance of inclusivity of indigenous cultures, and the impact of AI on the cultural heritage sector.”
Geoff Evans, Business Development Manager – Central Region, NZMS
Ngā mihi nui and congratulations to NDF and all those involved in organising this fantastic conference. We can’t wait for the next one. You can view some of Andy’s tweets and social media posts about NDF below!
NZPCC Forum 2023
The New Zealand Photographers of Cultural Collections Forum, an annual event organised by NDF in collaboration with National Services Te Paerangi, serves as a dynamic platform to explore the multidimensional aspects of cultural heritage imaging and digitisation.
“NZPCC was a whirlwind of a day for me, I learnt so much about our industry, and it was interesting to hear and see how larger institutions are handling their digitisation projects. I think the big takeaway I got from the forum was people’s willingness to share knowledge with each other within the cultural heritage space. The attitude I picked up on was that shared knowledge lifts everyone in the sector up together, for the benefit of society, and the longevity of all collections.
“I’m enormously grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the forum, it was a real privilege and something I won’t ever forget. The whole day made me feel like my hard work getting into the GLAM sector has paid off, and that I could stand as equals with some of the amazing people I met at the forum.”
Michael Kingsley, Digitisation Technician, NZMS
Jamie Lean, Operations Manager for the Central Region, was among the speakers at the event. He delivered a presentation on newspaper digitisation, which encompassed an introduction to the Preserving Local History and Educational Trust and its objectives. To engage the photographers in attendance, he discussed the equipment NZMS uses for newspaper digitisation, namely Phase One iXH 150MP and Fujifilm GFX 100MP cameras. Jamie also highlighted some peculiarities of digital imaging compared to traditional microfilm capture for newspapers, as well as NZMS’s future goals.
Images courtesy of National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, photographer: Mark Beatty.
NZMS had the privilege of being represented at the NZPCC Forum by team members from locations right across the motu. Among those in attendance were Jamie, Petra, and Alex from our Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington office, along with Michael from our Ōtautahi Christchurch branch. It provided an excellent opportunity for our team to connect with colleagues nationwide and deepen our understanding of the field of digital imaging.
“NZPCC was a great opportunity to catch up with the imaging teams from so many institutions. Jamie’s presentation was a good follow-up to the Newspaper digitisation project that we have been working on for the last 18 months. Filling in the gaps since our presentation in 2022.
“I really enjoyed Richard Ng’s (of Auckland Museum) presentation on the digitisation of MOTAT’s large vehicle collection. His use of light painting to photograph oversized objects was illuminating…Nicholas Setteducato of Puke Ariki, as usual, had a very entertaining presentation. He spoke about exploring the role of generative AI within the cultural heritage sector and it got people talking and a few good laughs. In the roundtable discussions, I noticed that the subject of data integrity came up a lot. The longevity of digital formats seems to be a growing area of concern among many institutions. It’s great to see a real sense of community forming, and enthusiasm for pooling collective knowledge!”
Alex Jago, Digitisation Technician, NZMS
Participating in the various national conferences and events over the last few months has been incredibly rewarding for the NZMS team. We are proud to be part of the cultural heritage sector and are eager to continue supporting the significant work taking place to preserve Aotearoa New Zealand’s taonga. If you’re interested in learning more about NZMS and how we can assist your organisation, please reach out.