Issue 130

In early 2023, New Zealand faced a series of severe weather events that wreaked havoc across various regions, including Northland, Tāmaki Makaurau, Waikato, Tairāwhiti, Hawke’s Bay, Bay of Plenty and Tararua. The resulting floods caused widespread damage, significantly impacting schools and, by extension, their libraries. To understand the extent of the damage and the subsequent recovery efforts for New Zealand school libraries, we spoke with Lewis Brown, the Project Lead for the School library collection recovery initiative.

Extent of the damage

Brown shared, ‘In the wake of the floods, the National Library of New Zealand, in conjunction with the Ministry of Education, conducted a phone survey of approximately 1,000 schools in the affected regions. The survey revealed that 138 schools suffered damage or loss to property and resources, with 32 of these schools specifically requesting assistance for the loss of library or classroom books.’

Brown went on to detail that the impact of the floods on students’ learning was profound. Many schools had to relocate to temporary premises, disrupting the normal learning environment. Additionally, communities faced the loss of homes, as well as vital community supports and infrastructure, which further strained the education system.

Impact on school libraries

School libraries were significantly impacted by the devastation. ‘Two schools lost their entire library collections, eight schools lost over 1,000 books each, and four kura kaupapa Māori lost their learning resources,’ Brown noted. In total, more than 25,000 books needed to be replaced, and 11 schools required new shelving. Eight of the affected schools did not have a SCIS subscription and were provided with a one-year subscription to help them rebuild their collections.

Supporting schools to rebuild

Rebuilding the affected schools and their libraries has been a collaborative effort. The New Zealand National Library Services to Schools team has played a crucial role by offering advice, professional learning and quality resources to educators. Brown elaborates, ‘We provided information and advice on managing flood damage, support for restoring library spaces, and special long-term loans to mitigate collection loss. Additionally, we curated a list of books to support discussions around loss, grief, trauma and dealing with emotions.’

The support extended beyond just physical resources. The initiative aimed to inspire and inform student learning, foster a love of reading, and help students develop a deeper understanding of their culture and heritage.

Looking to the future

The recovery process has been lengthy and challenging. ‘The Ministry of Education is leading the efforts to repair and rebuild the affected schools. Some schools have only recently managed to fully restock and reopen their libraries by the second quarter of 2024, due to delays in acquiring replacement books and ongoing repairs or relocations,’ Brown shared.

While the road to recovery has been arduous, the efforts of the New Zealand National Library Services to Schools team serve as an inspirational example of the central role that libraries and their support networks can play in times of adversity. The team at SCIS and our parent organisation, Education Services Australia (ESA), wishes all the affected schools in New Zealand and the Services to Schools team all the best with their continuing recovery efforts.