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Tāhuhu addresses the question of how to store collections

This month the Tāhuhu Programme made the lead story in a special International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) issue on preservation, storage and curation strategies.

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The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) is the global voice for libraries, representing the interests of the profession.

For the Winter issue, the editors, Reinhard Altenhöner and Jakob Nadal spoke with Peter Whitehead, Collection Care Leader at the National Library and Hinerangi Himiona, Archivist and Principal Māori Advisor Tāhuhu. This interview explores the fundamental question of how to store collections, sustainability, the co-design process, Tiriti partnerships and Te Ao Maori concepts.

3 women and 2 men standing in front of repository
From left: Laura Mirebeau (Conservator Books and Paper), Lorraine Laulau (Project Manager Tāhuhu), Graeme Shaw (Curator Newspapers), Peter Whitehead (Collection Care Leader), Amy Cosgrove (Collection Registrar).

In his editorial Reinhard Altenhöner picks up on concepts introduced by Peter Whitehead.

“Whitehead describes this entire plan as Tāhuhu, the “backbone” of the whare tupuna or “meeting house.”

The backbone is a fundamental structure and serves the National Library’s program as a powerful metaphor of support for the mahi (“work”) that is planned over the next six to seven years, which includes the heke (“ribs”) as the individual projects within the backbone of tāhuhu. The entire project grows out of thoughtful planning to promote use and ensure the sustainability of the collections and the infrastructure required for their preservation.

You can read the article here. If you can’t access this Cohesion link then contact communications.tahuhu@dia.govt.nz and we will email you a copy.