NZMS response to COVID-19

In light of the Government’s Alert Level 4 lockdown, all NZMS’s physical offices are closed for the time being and we look to unite with the rest of the GLAM sector during this period of uncertainty. We want to promote kindness and compassion towards one another throughout this difficult time and to remember we are all in this together. By isolating ourselves at home we are doing our part to protect our country, our health, and our people.

We acknowledge that many of our customers face a range of tough decisions in the fight against Covid-19, including closing their doors to the public. We are empathetic to these organisations and understand such measures are a massive disruption, both to the communities wanting access to the collections and to the people caring for them.

With the closure of our physical offices, our teams are now working from home, endeavouring to deliver business as usual where possible. Fortunately, Recollect development and support is fully operational online so we can continue to assist our customers. This means we can still offer services like Recollect implementations, data transformation, and data clean-up.

We are utilising online messaging and video chat software business-wide to embrace a supportive digital work environment — including making time for a few ‘virtual morning teas’ to ease tension! Our Recollect implementation teams are very familiar with delivering projects online and the use of online meetings, workshops, and sales calls are second nature.

However, not all our team can physically work from home, particularly those carrying out digitisation and microfilm projects. This work has had to pause for the next four weeks or until the level 4 restrictions are lifted – and that makes things hard for us. Please be assured that if we are part-way through any of your projects, your items and documents are safe within our secure premises. As soon as we can all safely return to our offices, we will easily pick up where we left off.

We know how much communities across New Zealand value GLAM sector organisations and the vital role they play in our society as community hubs, informal learning environments, and protectors of our cultural heritage. We encourage our customers with Recollect sites to promote digital access to their collections online, so that even in self-isolation the public can explore and engage with the vast amount of information available.

Please reach out to us if you have any concerns or questions. Our team would love to hear from you via email, cellphone, or video call.

Kia kaha, he waka eke noa.

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