After a full-on 12 months as APLM Chairperson, Debbie Duncan is moving on. We caught up with her to discuss her time as chairperson and the future of public libraries plus the forces driving change throughout public libraries located up and down NZ ………
PL: Hi Debbie, What’s next following your year as the Chairperson?
DD: Probably two things.. In my day job I am concentrating on bedding in a new community services division within council and in terms of the profession, I am also the convenor of next year’s LIANZA conference and am the APLM representative on the Kōtui governance board..
PL: Sounds like you’re going to be pretty busy then?
DD: [laughs] yes definitely!
PL: Which aspects of being the Chairperson of APLM proved most interesting?
DD: One of the most interesting aspects of the role was having the opportunity to participate in a number of forums and workshops at a national level and have conversations with people whom I may not have otherwise caught up with.
I felt very privileged to be in a position where I was able to express the concerns and issues of public libraries.
On a personal level, the forums also gave me a greater understanding and appreciation of the political environment and how it influences the bigger library picture.
PL: Any pearls of wisdom for your replacement?
DD:
- Take every opportunity to talk to anyone and everyone.
- Take advantage of any opportunity to participate within the wider profession.
- The world is changing so fast that we need to be part of leading the change, rather than having it done to us
PL: What are you most proud to have achieved during your time as APLM chair?
DD:
Appointing Tim Antric as Executive Director of APLM. His skills and energy have provided a great platform for making some serious in-roads into delivering on our strategic action plan.
The change to our membership to have regional reps included in on the executive committee and the extension of voting rights to additional members. Each member now has a vote on all matters concerning the APLM. We now have 143 members from 64 library services.
PL: What do you see as being the future of public libraries in NZ?
DD: I think that they have an extremely bright future. I believe that Public libraries play a unique role in supporting informed, connected and resilient communities, through the provision of resources and services that facilitate the development of knowledge and life-long learning. The advent of technology has really allowed us to expand our methods of service delivery to reach a broader cross-section of the community than ever before.
I do however have some major concerns around the sustainability of the current Public Library funding models. As these primarily centre on the circulation of physical material with revenue being derived from rental charges or non-compliance, the increasing shift to digital resources and use of the library as a community hub severely limits the ability to continue to gather funding from these sources. I believe that APLM has a responsibility at a national level to lobby for changes to this model – based on the principle of Public Libraries being accessible to all!
PL: What’s driving change in public libraries?
DD: I think it’s around the rapid rate of technological change, which has moved information into new mediums and provided opportunities for alternative service delivery models.
The other major factor is societal changes. The gap between haves and have-nots has rapidly grown – and unfortunately, this has resulted in many people lacking the skills and technological access to positively participate within their communities.
Public libraries are the last bastion of democracy and are therefore increasingly placed to meet these needs as they’re the one place anyone is welcome to access reliable quality information.
PL: What are your hopes for the APLM longer term?
DD: I want to see it go from strength to strength. I would like to see everyone in New Zealand realise what an amazing role libraries play in their communities and I believe that APLM has a pivotal role to play in this!