E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā mātauranga o tātou iwi Māori, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.
He mihi nui ki ngā kaimahi katoa o Te Rōpū Whakahau.
The research projects Te Ara Tika: Māori and Libraries and Te Ara Tika Guiding Voices: Māori Opinion on Libraries and Information Needs were initiated to study Māori use of libraries and information services, and to identify the information needs of Māori communities. Frustrations have been expressed in these studies at the difficulty of locating accurate information in te reo Māori and on Māori subjects. The American and European-derived classification and cataloguing used in library systems can often be confusing, unhelpful or inaccurate when looking for Māori information. Catalogue records have also been produced over time by people with varying understandings of tikanga Māori.
These issues have been recognised by the Library and Information Association of Aotearoa New Zealand (LIANZA), leading in 1998 to the creation of the Māori Subject Headings Working Party (MSHWP). The group's aim was to guide the development of local cataloguing standards in te reo Māori.
The present MSH Steering Committee is made up of two representatives from each of the three sponsoring organisations: Te Puna Mātauranga-o-Aotearoa (NLNZ), Te Rau Herenga-o-Aotearoa (LIANZA) and Te Rōpū Whakahau (TRW). The Steering Committee members are Alison Elliott and Anne Anderson (NLNZ), Kitty Murray and Lisa Tocker (LIANZA) and Glenn Taitoko and Jenny Barnett (TRW).
The Iwi-Hapū Names List was launched at the LIANZA conference in Auckland, October 2004, as part of the
current phase of the Māori Subject Headings Project. This is a web-based resource published on the web site of the National Library of New Zealand.
The list is based on the names of waka, iwi and hapū included in He Puna Kupu Māori and
TAPUHI, and has been prepared in consultation with Te Taura Whiri.
Comments on or contributions to the Iwi-Hapū Names List may be directed to Lynn Benson or
Anne Anderson, both at the National Library.
Sally Simpson (Te Rarawa, Ngāpuhi) was appointed in February 2004 as the project researcher to conduct hui wānanga (group interviews) with students and staff at Te Whare Wānanga-o-Waikato, Te Whare Wānanga-o-Tāmaki-Makaurau, Te Whare Wānanga-o-Awanuiārangi and Te Wānanga-o-Raukawa, as well as patrons at Ngā Whare Mātauranga-o-Manukau and Ngā Kete Wānanga-o-Ōtautahi. The hui took place from June through August 2004 in Hamilton, Auckland, Whakatane, Ōtaki, Manukau City and Christchurch respectively.
The project also involved consultation with library professionals (including members of Te Rōpū Whakahau), academic researchers and students of kura kaupapa and wānanga. These individuals were asked to participate in the form of a survey. Open submissions were also sought from selected government institutions.
The information gathered in the course of this research was presented in a report to the Steering Committee in February 2005. This report, Te Ara Tika: Guiding Words, is now available on-line (PDF, 779KB).
Following advertisements for volunteers posted to New Zealand librarians' e-mail lists in March 2005, the Māori Subject Headings
Project Team was announced at the Te Rōpū Whakahau Hui-ā-Tau in Kawhia, April 2005. They will be working through to the end of June 2005 to develop a limited initial set of terms for
the Māori Subject Headings thesaurus.
The project manager is Whina Te Whiu (Auckland City Libraries - Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero). Rangiiria Hedley (Waikato University / Auckland Museum)
and Ann Reweti (Wellington City Libraries) have been engaged as language and tikanga consultants, while Robyn East and Judy Keats
from the National Library are providing cataloguing advice.
The initial set of headings produced by the MSH project team will be launched at the
LIANZA conference in Christchurch, September 2005.
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