Te Puawai - The Library Plan
Te Puawai is our library plan that will guide and focus our efforts to achieve our vision of supporting Ōtepoti Dunedin’s wellbeing by empowering communities to connect, create, read, learn and flourish.
Ōtepoti Dunedin’s network of six libraries, two book buses, digital services and resources are not just storehouses of knowledge; they are at the heart of Ōtepoti Dunedin’s UNESCO City of Literature. Our libraries strive to provide space for community connection, reduce digital inequity, nurture reading and research – learning and creativity. They provide safe, welcoming places for relaxation and community building. Our libraries are a place where everyone is welcome.
The best plans are developed from the ground up. Te Puawai – The Library Plan was developed over 2024- 2025. It is an expression of the values, vision, and priorities of Dunedin Public Libraries because it has had input from over 800 members of our community – readers, visitors, stakeholders, supporters and community groups. And of course, our library staff, who are passionate supporters of the communities that our libraries exist to serve.
In developing Te Puawai, we thought about how the city’s network of libraries and services can continue to serve changing communities in a changing world. We held staff workshops that provided insights and perspectives on the library’s future, including what the library needs to focus on to create change and innovate.
Together we shaped our library vision for the future and developed a set of core values to guide decision making, behaviours, and ways of working together.
We recognised that it was important to engage with our communities. We received over 750 responses showing that Ōtepoti Dunedin is engaged with the vision, values, and future direction of our libraries and our library services. We held 10 workshops to hear from members of the community who are engaged in using our libraries and those who are not regular library users. Insights received through community conversations have been integral to the development of Te Puawai.
Te Puawai gives us an opportunity to articulate our strengths and design a blueprint that will enable us to meet our vision.
Read Te Puawai - The Library Plan
