Tangaroa, atua of the oceans, lakes and rivers – and all life within them, and the guardian of knowledge of carving – is where you can find books on bodies of water, fish, art/the arts and carving.
Rongomatāne, atua of peace, the kumara and cultivated food is where you can find te ao Māori books on peace, agriculture, gardening, food and cooking.
Think of it like a library within a library, with books ranging from history to medicinal herbs to recipes for dinner. Even the letters used on the spines to classify where they go are letters from the Māori alphabet.
The trial library is a row of shelves on the second floor in Te Awe and has been integrated with the online library catalogue. You can search the catalogue using kupu reo, and you may be directed to these shelves in Te Awe.
Bridget hopes that this will become a permanent feature of Wellington City Libraries.
“There are lots of people all around the world who are creating classification systems to meet their needs, especially in indigenous communities.
“We want people to find it genuinely useful and relevant. That is the most important thing. It’s not about me, the cataloguer. Cataloguers just want people to find what they’re looking for.”
If you have any feedback on the trial, you can contact enquiries@wcl.govt.nz.