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Wanting to get the best of both worlds, Hana Whaanga enrolled with the Open Polytechnic so she could have the freedom to choose where and when she studied while she earned a living doing what she loves, working for the community as a librarian.
Hana, who is of Ngati Kahungunu descent, first tried studying a different field with a local university. But attending classes full-time while working part-time took her too far away from her real love of being immersed in the library profession.
Working in libraries since leaving high school, Hana felt it was her calling, so it made sense for her to switch her studies and enrol in a Diploma in Information and Library Studies through the Open Polytechnic.
“Working part time and going to university didn’t work. Rather than fitting work around my studies, I wanted something I could do at my own pace. Because I could keep doing what I wanted during the day, it worked around my hours of work.”
Spending a year in Perth, Hana was able to take her studies with her, and while there decided to put her hand up to present a talk at an Australian Library conference.
“I couldn’t afford to go so I had to cancel. One of my Open Polytechnic lecturers, Alison Fields, was there and saw my name and a few years later asked me if I wanted to write a paper with her.
“She is a lovely lady and really stands out to me because I feel confident to contact her at any time. For lecturers to be accessible to their students, and also approachable and easy going, is really important”.
Currently working for Hutt City Libraries, Hana has since completed both the Level 5 and Level 6 Diplomas in Information and Library Studies and is still as passionate as ever about learning and the library industry.
“I love having good conversations with people and getting to know the community. Working in a public library is about connecting people with information and what they need.
“As part of my job I have a particular focus on working with children and I run two children’s programmes. One involves reading stories to preschoolers and the other is a book club for primary school children.
“I get kids interested in stories and also using their imagination through literature and learning new things. It is so rewarding working with the public and being there to see someone learn something new. Whatever I can do to serve the community is great.”
Now intending on studying towards a Bachelor in Applied Science, Hana thrives on sharing her enthusiasm for learning to the rest of the world and subsequently is very active in both online library forums and social media platforms.
“I like writing and from a very young age I have written stories so I thought, ‘why not share these musings and put them on the internet?’ I then started developing my own website after taking a web design course over the summer through the Open Polytechnic which taught me about HTML.
“I also edit the Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa’s (LIANZA) fortnightly e-newsletter where I ask people to write on particular topics. My role is trying to pull the most interesting bits from around the world and NZ to librarians’ attention in an electronic environment.”
Hana describes herself as a lifelong learner and says studying runs in her family. “My mum was studying from the time I started school and now she has a PhD. My Dad has also started studying and is at university right now doing a Masters.
“The information you get from studying is gold, even if you don’t get a degree out of it, you gain untold learning and professional development.”
This Diploma is an entry-level qualification for librarians and is suitable for people with no prior experience in libraries, as well as those currently working in a library. It must be completed before you can enrol in the Level 6 Diploma, and is also a starting point for a Bachelor of Applied Science or Bachelor of Arts degree.
This Diploma can be a stepping stone from the Level 5 Diploma to a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Applied Science degree. You must have successfully completed the Level 5 Diploma before enrolling in this Diploma.
As a child Anita Jackson always wanted to understand how things work. Completing a Bachelor of Engineering Technology with the Open Polytechnic meant that she could align her interests with a career.
With over 20 years’ experience working in administration, Mandy Tepania decided, with the support and encouragement of her family, that she needed to put some qualifications behind that experience.
