How Can Managers in Libraries Support their Teams to Engage with Mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge)?

Abstract

The library and information profession in Aotearoa New Zealand has long prided itself on its proactive approach to issues of diversity and inclusion as they relate to its native Māori population. Up to this point, however, the processes that non-Māori librarians undergo to bridge the gaps in their knowledge in relation to this had not been investigated. This paper reports on findings from a larger study which investigated how non-Māori librarians in Aotearoa New Zealand learn about and engage with mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge), and highlights key findings of relevance to leaders and managers: the roles of te reo Māori (the Māori language) and the profession’s ongoing professional development scheme in non-Māori engagement, the need for non-Māori librarians to work through fear and discomfort and ensuring that Māori librarians are not overworked because of it, and encouraging initiative and ongoing commitment to development in this area among library teams.