Sue Sutherland

In the 2023 King’s Birthday and Coronation Honours List, Christchurch librarian Sue Sutherland became an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her library and information services work. She spoke with Metropol writer Cheryl Colley.

Many New Zealanders are reluctant to talk about or even acknowledge their achievements. This was certainly the case with Sue Sutherland, who speaks modestly about her long libraries career.

When Sue received the letter informing her of the award, she initially thought she would turn it down.

“After all, I felt I had just been doing my job. But after some further consideration, I eventually saw that accepting the award would be excellent recognition for the role of libraries in our communities, and recognition of the work done by the many people whom I had been fortunate enough to lead.”

It is certainly for her visionary leadership particularly in the field of digital technology for libraries that Sue’s colleagues had put together the various submissions for the nomination. Yet, as Sue says, her becoming a librarian in the first place was pure happenstance. “At age 16 back in the 1960s, I decided it was time to get a job. I saw a position advertised for a library assistant at the Ashburton Public Library, went for an interview and got the job. My father though, was not that impressed. He said I should have learned to type and become a secretary.”

Sue had found her niche for life. Eventually coming to Christchurch after librarian roles in Dunedin, Sue took over as the New Zealand Librarian at the Canterbury Public Library, starting in April 1979. In 1986 she was appointed Deputy City Librarian and then Libraries Manager for the council from 1994 to 2005. During that time, Sue presided over dramatic changes to the size of the library network, the quality of the buildings, and internet resources and technology.

“Christchurch City Council was forward-thinking, and an early adopter of new technology. I was also convinced that information dissemination was changing rapidly, and we needed to be at the forefront of these changes,” she recalls.
“This really was a golden time for libraries. I was able to set the strategic direction, gain the necessary funding and find the right person to be the first Digital Services Manager in a New Zealand public library.

“Libraries are in the information business, and our team also developed an initiative to introduce a network of more than 500 public access computers in Christchurch libraries, allowing patrons easy access to the internet.

“A library website was set up and we were able to provide library users with increasingly sophisticated online resources and service delivery. We also developed a call centre named the “Fingertip Library” to provide even easier access to services for our public.”

Under Sue’s leadership, new libraries were opened locally at New Brighton (1999), Fendalton (2000) and South (2003).

Shirley, Halswell, and Papanui libraries were extensively refurbished, and Sumner Library joined the network.

The award-winning South Library and Learning Centre was a satisfying end to many difficult years trying to enlarge Spreydon Library, and to find a site for the proposed St Martins Library.

From Christchurch, Sue moved to roles with the National Library of New Zealand. As Director of Policy and Information Democracy, she led the implementation of the government’s digital content strategy, which was adopted in 2007 and which shaped the subsequent approach to digital content management in New Zealand.
She was responsible for the establishment of three national digital projects – the Aotearoa People’s Network Kaharoa, a government-funded service providing free public access to the internet in public libraries; Kotui, a consortium of public libraries enabling access to affordable library software and DigitalNZ, an online metadata platform granting public access to more than 30 million New Zealand digital objects.

Sue says that one of the key contributors to success in her career was being invited to be part of the Bertelsmann International Network of Public Libraries. The objectives of the network are to pool the know-how that exists worldwide, to give momentum to the international exchange of experience among experts in public library management, to develop successful concepts and above all to put them into practice.

Sue has authored several publications and has contributed to national frameworks developing strategic direction for libraries for many years. Today, Sue has her own business providing consultancy services to libraries and cultural organisations.