Kia ora, Kia orana, Salem

I am writing this just after our last meeting of the 2023-2025 term for the Asia-Oceania RDC meeting, held in Astana, Kazakhstan on August 17, 2025.

I am humbled firstly, to have been elected for my second term to the Asia-Oceania regional division committee and then, to also have the honour of being elected as the new Chair. Our division was very engaged in the election process with 49 people from 19 different countries putting their hands up to be considered for the AO-RDC. Congratulations to everyone who was elected for the coming term and thank you to everyone who took part in the election process.

My name is Kim Taunga, my family on my father’s side are from the Cook Islands and on my mothers, from Ireland. I live in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland in Aotearoa/New Zealand. I work for Auckland Council as Head of Community Delivery South and the unit I lead has 14 community libraries, along with art galleries, performing arts centres, community centres and community development within it.   

Firstly, I would like to acknowledge and sincerely thank outgoing Chair Lin Li Soh who has led the committee with very organised and enthusiastic aplomb. As LIANZA (Library and Information Association New Zealand, Aotearoa) President in 2022 I was privileged to be able to attend WLIC Dublin. It was there that I first met Lin Li. Winston Roberts, a fellow New Zealand Librarian was AO RDC Chair then and both Lin Li and Winston were so encouraging and welcoming to the IFLA world. They took time to welcome the LIANZA delegation guiding us through our first WLIC, making sure we went to a huge variety of sessions and met everyone we could. Their inclusive and welcoming approach made me want to see how I could be more involved in IFLA as everyone was so welcoming and passionate about enhancing the role of libraries in a global context.

In Astana this August I met with the six members of the new committee who were able to attend WLIC, (Kia ora Faizal, Hitoshi, Lilly, Helen, Labiba and Dolores!) and am looking forward to meeting everyone else online very soon. I am interested in the committee working to our considerable individual strengths to collaboratively create a great action plan for the next two years which will work in partnership with other sections, committees and represent our region well guided by the regional priorities work, the IFLA Strategy and other work I would also like us to have a goal to encourage new professionals to be involved with IFLA, featured in this newsletter are some reflections from one such librarian,  Dany Miller-Kareko who attended her first WLIC in Astana thanks to an emerging leaders grant.

 I have already attended my first regional council meeting, held in Astana and chaired by ERTUĞRUL ÇİMEN and I include here a great quote from him “Together, let us strengthen IFLA’s regional impact — and ensure libraries remain vital, visible, and future-ready for all”.

A heartfelt thank-you to everyone from the previous committee, I look forward to building on your considerable work and efforts with the new team and our regional office over the next two years. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to any of us, we will publish the meeting schedule soon and will be encouraging observers to attend.

Contributed by Kim Taunga, Chair, Regional Division Committee for Asia and Oceania