The NZHA made a submission to the National Archival and Library Institutions Ministerial Group outlining our concerns regarding the restructuring of our national archival and library institutions (Archives New Zealand, the National Library of New Zealand, andNgā Taonga Sound and Vision).
For the benefit of our members we post the response from NALI below, which the NZHA Executive will consider in the new year. More information on the Ministerial Group can be found here: https://www.dia.govt.nz/National-Archival-and-Library-Institutions-Ministerial-Group
Kia ora koutou
Thank you for your contribution to the stakeholder engagementprocess for strengthening the contribution of the national archival and libraryinstitutions: Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga, the NationalLibrary of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa and Ngā Taonga Sound &Vision. We valued your feedback. The information we received from you andothers who made submissions or attended stakeholder workshops has informed ourcurrent work programme.
We received a large number of submissions, 151 in total, from a wide range of organisations and individuals in the sector. These submissions, and the summary of submissions, will be released publicly early in the new year. The key themes from the submissions were:
· concerns about funding;
· the importance of ensuring these institutions have infrastructure that is fit-for-purpose to preserve our culture and heritage for future generations; and
· the need to improve the ability of Archives New Zealand and the National Library of New Zealand to provide sector leadership and, for Archives, to help to ensure democratic accountability and that Archives’ mana is recognised.
The process also highlighted opportunities for the institutions to collaborate more effectively.
Based on the public feedback, we have agreed that the existing arrangements for the institutions cannot continue.
The Chief Archivist and the National Librarian are hosting workshops with Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision and the statutory bodies that advise the Minister of Internal Affairs on library and archives issues. These workshops will further assist us to develop options to enhance the mana of the institutions and facilitate collaboration among them.
We expect to take recommendations on the future of the three institutions to Cabinet in the first half of 2019.
Once again, thank you for sharing your insights and supporting our work to ensure these institutions are able to better meet the challenges they are facing and can continue to make our documentary and audio visual taonga and records accessible to all New Zealanders.
Email sent on behalf of:
Hon Grant Robertson Hon Tracey MartinAssociate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister of Internal Affairs
The New Zealand Historical Association 