Communiqué from LIAC following the meetings of 10 February 2006 and 14 March 2006
LIAC provided draft Strategic Directions 2006/07 to the Minister. The key strategic areas for LIAC to achieve its vision of “Aotearoa New Zealand: a leading information democracy” are:
- Mapping (surveying) the existing information landscape- Imagining the information society- Contributing to policy arch of strategies and frameworks- LIAC informing Aotearoa New Zealand.
LIAC Commissioners share responsibility for individual aspects of the National Digital Strategy and New Zealand Digital Content Strategy (formerly known as the National Digital Content Strategy) and look forward to providing further advice to the Minister Responsible for the National Library on these areas.
LIAC endorses the directions of the National Digital Content Strategy, lead by the National Library, and welcomes the concept of building NZ Online – a concept which LIAC introduced and which are documented on the LIAC website.
LIAC welcomes the availability of funds (through the Community Partnership Fund) to realise the vision. LIAC emphasised to the Minister the importance of ensuring that the criteria were applied in such a way as to achieve innovation that was aligned with the original vision.
LIAC is confident that the People’s Network will meet the criteria of the Community Partnership Fund and would hope that this provides for a working network rather than a pilot project.
Underpinning the Digital Strategy, and a prerequisite for information democracy, is an urgent need for broadband comparable to that in other developed countries. LIAC’s slogan is:
2 to 10 by 2010 for all people, all the time
By this we mean: a minimum standard of 2 Mbps as a minimum to 10 Mbps by 2010. This underpins all of the above.
LIAC welcomed the following visitors to the meetings of 10 February and 14 March 2006:
- Allison Dobbie, Group Manager, Auckland City Libraries and Brian Flaherty, Digital Services Manager, University of Auckland - updates on happenings in the library and information sector in Auckland.
- Alison Elliot, Director, Collections Services, National Library - an update on the National Library/Library Association of Aotearoa New Zealand (LIANZA)/Te Rōpū Whakahau (Māori in Libraries and Information Management) Māori subject headings project.
- Anne Haira, Solicitor, Kensington Swan (Wellington) - intellectual property and traditional knowledge issues in relation to the library and information sector, and WAI 262 (flora, fauna and taonga claim). LIAC welcomes the opportunity that the claim has presented to illuminate the discussion on traditional knowledge / Mātauranga Māori.
LIAC and the National Library have recently completed the annual review of service quality.
The process for appointments to vacancies on LIAC is underway for members whose terms expired in September 2005 and whose terms will expire in September 2006. It is hoped that these positions, including the LIAC Chair, will be filled before October 2006.
Ainslie Dewe
Chair, LIAC
3 May 2006