From Custody to Capability: Enabling Communities to Care for Their Own Documentary Heritage

Abstract

At the National Library of New Zealand, we are transforming the way we engage with communities to enable them to collect and protect the resources that are important to them. We are deliberately collecting less as the National Library and are building a pathway to a post-custodial engagement with our indigenous and other communities. Alongside our sister organisation, Archives New Zealand, we have a strategic objective to “Grow Capability & Partnerships” with a focus on growing capability and partnerships to strengthen communities to care for their own collections. We will do this by helping to deepen critical skills and expertise for the future documentary heritage and information workforce.

We have partnered with other cultural sector organisations to deliver a programme, Te Pūranga, that works with indigenous archivists to strengthen their knowledge and confidence in caring for their own collections. Commencing in August 2023, it introduced the participants to the culture and heritage agencies, the work we do and the ways we can support them with their work. It has continued with regular online workshops and in-person seminars. Feedback from participants included that the programme has improved their confidence and knowledge which has had direct benefits for their communities.