Panel talk — Disruption, trends and transformation: Libraries and archives leading change

Name: Panel talk — Disruption, trends and transformation: Libraries and archives leading change
Start: 2026-03-25T07:30:00+13:00
End: 2026-03-25T09:15:00+13:00
Location: Corner Molesworth and Aitken Streets, Thorndon, Wellington, New Zealand 6011

Schedule

Wed Mar 25 2026 at 07:30 am to 09:15 am

UTC+13:00

Location

Corner Molesworth and Aitken Streets, Thorndon, Wellington, New Zealand 6011 | Wellington, WG

Hear from six international leaders about how best practice in the library and archive sector is constantly shapeshifting, and how transformative programming and community engagement is changing the face of the contemporary library and archive sectors and the communities they serve.
Join us at the Library or online. Link to the livestream on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/live/E97qTb-xXsg
Places for memory, access and trust
Rūaumoko is the atua Māori (Māori god) associated with earthquakes, volcanoes and the movement of the land. In this context, Rūaumoko represents disruption, but also transformation and creativity.
In our world, disruption is not an exception; it is becoming the norm. For libraries and archives, one of the challenges is not to stand apart from disruption, but to become places of convergence — of memory, access and trust, ultimately leading to transformation of communities, service and access.
The kōrero celebrates our new heritage campus — Te Kahu.
Find out more about Te Kahu: https://www.archives.govt.nz/discover-our-stories/official-blessing-of-te-rua-the-new-archival-building
A panel of sector leaders
Facilitated by Te Pouhuaki National Librarian Rachel Esson, this lively kōrero features a panel of international leaders from libraries and archives in Australia, Canada, the United States of America and Aotearoa.
The panellists are:
* Anahera Morehu, Poumanaaki Chief Archivist at Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga
* Leslie Weir, Librarian and Archivist of Canada at Library and Archives Canada
* Dr Marie-Louise Ayres, Director-General at National Library of Australia
* Simon Froude, Director-General at National Archives of Australia
* Robin L Dale, Deputy Librarian at the Library of Congress, United States of America
Light refreshments will be served after the panel talk.
Our new heritage campus – Te Kahu
This kōrero will also celebrate the opening of our new heritage campus — Te Kahu on 25 March 2026.
Te Kahu brings together the new archival building and the National Library building in Wellington. It brings together Aotearoa New Zealand’s documentary heritage in one modern, purpose‑built place.
On 8 July 2025, an official blessing brought to life the new names for the heritage campus in Wellington:
* Te Rua is the new archival building
* Te Puna is the National Library building
* Te Hono is the link bridge connecting the two buildings
* Te Kahu is the name for the entire heritage campus.
Te Kahu marks a new era chapter in how we care for our collections — improving access, preservation and collaboration for generations to come.
About the speakers
Rachel Esson, National Librarian, Te Pouhuaki, is responsible for leading Archives Library services in Aotearoa New Zealand with her co-leader Anahera Morehu Chief Archivist. She is a fellow of the Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa (LIANZA), served as the president of LIANZA, from 2019 to 2020. Rachel is a firm believer in the value of libraries and the positive impact they have on their communities, enriching lives culturally and economically.
Anahera Morehu (Ngāti Whātua, Te Rarawa, Ngāpuhi, Te Aupōuri, Ngāti Kahu) is the Poumanaaki Chief Archivist at Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga Archives New Zealand. The Chief Archivist ensures compliance with the Public Records Act and is the steward of the public record. The role also oversees guardianship of the most important national documents of Aotearoa New Zealand, taonga that include He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni (1835 Declaration of Independence), Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Treaty of Waitangi), and Te Petihana Whakamana Pōti Wahine (Women’s Suffrage Petition). Together with the National Librarian, Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision’s Tumu Whakarae and other sector leaders, the Chief Archivist plays a shared role in the realisation of Te Kahu, and the future aspirations of New Zealand.
Dr Marie-Louise Ayres (Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities) has held several senior roles spanning nearly 25 years at the National Library of Australia, including the past nine years as Director-General. She has been a tireless advocate for increasing the prominence and accessibility of the Library’s collections, most notably through the development and expansion of the online archive Trove. Under her leadership, the Library has undergone significant transformation, strengthening its national and international standing and deepening its commitment to connecting all Australians with their national collections.
Simon Froude is Director-General of the National Archives of Australia. As Director-General, Simon is leading National Archives through the next phase of its transformation to ensure it continues as a beacon for best-practice management of the official records of the Commonwealth of Australia, and that Australian Government information of enduring significance is secured, preserved and available to government agencies, researchers and the community.
Leslie Weir, as the Librarian and Archivist of Canada, is overseeing the work of Library and Archives Canada (LAC) on Reconciliation with First Nations, Inuit and Métis Nation and the implementation of Vision 2030 with a focus on transformation of service and IT infrastructure, as LAC looks forward to the upcoming move of its public services into Ādisōke in 2026, in partnership with the Ottawa Public Library, all in support of achieving LAC’s mandate with a focus on people and access. In August 2025, Weir began a two-year term as President of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) her presidential theme is “Be Bold”.
Robin L Dale is the acting Principal Deputy Librarian of Congress and the Deputy Librarian for Library Collections & Services at the Library of Congress, leading the strategic direction, collection development, stewardship, and researcher services at the world’s largest library. She also oversees the Law Library of Congress, the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, and the John W Kluge Center. Before joining the Library of Congress, Dale served in various leadership roles in and in support of libraries. She served as Deputy Director of Library Services at the US Institute of Museum and Library Services where she directed $186 million in federal library grant programmes; managed open source technology and preservation services at Lyrasis, a not-for-profit organization serving libraries and museums; was associate university librarian for collections and information systems at University of California, Santa Cruz, and for more than 10 years, served as a programme manager at the Research Libraries Group, a not-for-profit organisation that collaboratively tackled problems faced by more than 160 research libraries worldwide.
Image: Te Pouhuaki National Librarian Rachel Esson and Poumanaaki Chief Archivist Anahera Morehu standing outside the new Archives New Zealand building Te Rua.