Archives & Records
Association of New Zealand
Te Huinga Mahara
Closure of Te Maeatanga Digitisation Programme (Response from Chief Archivist) to ARANZ Letter
Nei rā te mihi maioha ki a koe, ki a koutou o te rōpū ataahua nei.
Closure of Te Maeatanga Digitisation Programme
Thank you for your letter of 20 May 2024 on behalf of ARANZ regarding the closure of Te Maeatanga Digitisation programme at Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga Archives New Zealand (Te Rua Mahara).
Thank you for your ongoing support of our kaupapa. ARANZ is an important stakeholder to Te Rua Mahara, and I look forward to meeting with you and other organisations later this year to discuss our services and how we can enable your mahi.
As you note, Digitisation has been a core part of our programme of work in recent years and Te Rua Mahara acknowledges the importance of digitisation. Strategies are, by their nature, forward looking and digitisation will remain part of our long-term strategy going forward.
The process of digitising records includes the creation of a digital intangible asset. Following government accounting rules, the creation of these assets must be funded by capital investment. Te Rua Mahara also requires ongoing operating expenditure to support other costs, such as staff overheads. Funding for digitisation was time limited through to 30 June 2024. Te Rua Mahara investigated potential funding options both internally and externally, and there were none currently available.
Our holdings remain accessible to members of the public in our reading rooms located in Tāmaki Auckland, Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington, Ōtautahi Christchurch and Ōtepoti Dunedin. Almost two million images of significance to Aotearoa New Zealand have been digitised and are available online for the public to access through the Government Digital Archive. These can be accessed through our Collections search which is available at https://collections.archives.govt.nz/.
The new Heke Rua Archives building under construction in Te Whanganui-a-Tara will open to the public in mid-2026. As you note, the building includes a shared digitisation facility that will also be used by Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa National Library of New Zealand. Digital access remains part of the kaupapa for Te Rua Mahara. Te Rua Mahara continues to work towards a sustainable funding model for digitisation, and hopes to enable this service again in the future.
I’d like to acknowledge the impacts the closure of Te Maeatanga has had, which you have discussed in your letter. This is not an ideal outcome for us. We are continuing to fulfil our obligations under the Public Records Act 2005 and are supporting our kaimahi in this time of change.
We understand this news is disappointing. We will keep our stakeholders and members of the public updated on any announcements on future services through our online channels.
Once again, I look forward to meeting with you and other organisations in the future to discuss this kaupapa.
Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, erangi he toa takimano.
Nāku iti noa, nā
Anahera Morehu
Poumanaaki Chief Archivist
Call for Papers: Tandanya-Adelaide Declaration Symposium 2024
We are pleased to announce the call for papers for the Tandanya-Adelaide Declaration Symposium 2024, which will take place during this year’s conference on 25 October 2024 at the Te Pae Convention Centre, Ōtautahi | Christchurch, Aotearoa. Join us on the lands of the Ngāi Tahu to reflect on and discuss the implementation of the Tandanya-Adelaide Declaration.
The Tandanya-Adelaide Declaration (the Declaration) is a milestone document that was launched by the International Council of Archives (ICA) and the National Archives of Australia (NAA) on 25 October 2019. The Declaration called on the jurisdictional archives of the world to acknowledge and adopt themes and commitments of the declaration for immediate action.
The Tandanya-Adelaide Declaration Symposium will provide opportunities to critically reflect on the Declaration, both as a statement of purpose but also as a guide to practical action. The event is an opportunity to hear from and connect with First Nations community members, GLAM practitioners and allies on work undertaken to implement the Tandanya-Adelaide Declaration.
Themes
The Symposium Programming Committee invites community, organisational and institutional perspectives on the use of the Declaration. Participants are encouraged to share the ways in which they have been utilising the Declaration in their work and activities. The day aims to focus on discussing existing projects and invites critical conversations on gaps and needed improvements.
The Symposium Programming Committee will give preference to lightning talks that align with the Tandanya-Adelaide Declaration’s five themes:
Knowledge authorities
Property and ownership
Recognition and identity
Research and access
Self-determination
Important Dates
Submission Deadline: Monday 22 July 2024, midnight (AEST)
You can find full details and how to submit your abstract here.
Questions? Contact us at
atsisig-convenors@archivists.org.au.
Kind regards,
Symposium Programming Committee
Indigenous Archives Collective and ASA Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Special Interest Group
Closure of Archives NZ Digitisation Programme and on-demand services
The ARANZ President on behalf of the ARANZ council and members has written to the Chief Archivist, Archives New Zealand, to express the Association's disappointment and concerns regarding the announced closure of their Te Maeatanga Digitisation Programme and on-demand service.
You can read the President's letter here
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About ARANZ
ARANZ is an incorporated society, established in 1976, with the aim of promoting the understanding and importance of records and archives in New Zealand. ARANZ is administered nationally by a Council of elected members. Branches are established in Auckland, Canterbury, Central Districts, Otago/Southland, Waikato/Bay of Plenty, and Wellington.
Archivists; record managers; librarians; and other information managers; genealogists; historians; teachers; museum and art gallery curators; religious groups; professional associations; historical societies; businesses; local and central government agencies; and many other interested in the preservation and use of archives and records.
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Help to preserve New Zealand’s archives and records.
Keep you informed about current archives and recordkeeping concerns and initiatives.
Give your concerns a stronger voice through the Association’s submissions and reports.
Grant you access to an informal ARANZ library.
Enable you to meet people who share your interest in archives and recordkeeping who can assist with your information needs.
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