ELIZABETH CAROLYN MILLER

Interviewer: Shona Craig

Abstractor: Robyn Powley

Interview: 14 April 2014

TRACK 1

00:01 Interview introduction – CHILDREN’S LIBRARIAN – LIZ trained as a TEACHER – DUNEDIN TRAINING COLLEGE – CHRISTCHURCH – SPEECH THERAPY – RELIEF TEACHING – NORTH SCHOOL – left teaching – LONDON BOOK SHOP – CHILDREN’S LIBRARIAN JOB – COREY HULLS (SP) – Explains

03:29 1962 – WACHNER PLACE – SPONGE KITCHEN – MRS DAVIS – NON-FICTION SECTION – DEWEY SYSTEM – NON-FICTION BOOKS – Details

05:15 School Students helped – SPONGE CAKES – FRIDAY NIGHTS – TEA HOUR staggered – Moved to WAREHOUSE – DON STREET – Explains

06:45 Recalls – Needed to bring the CHILDREN and BOOKS together – ENGLAND – various PROGRAMMES – RETURN’S TROLLEY – BOOKS LYING OPEN

09:12 LIBRARY RULES – no bossy stuff – children valued – DANCING IN SARAH’S CIRCLE - not CLIMBING JACOB’S LADDER - CONCEPTS reorganised – SARGOOD’S WAREHOUSE (SP) – Explains

11:14 NATIONAL BOOK WEEK – FRIDAY NIGHT FUN – PRE-SCHOOL PROGRAMME – QUESTERS BOOK CLUB – quality exciting books – WHITCOMBE & TOMBS - Explains

15:00 End of Track 1

TRACK 2

00:01 The children BORROWED the books – own choice – MARK WINTER – PAULINE MCLEOD – LESLEY SOPER – Explains

01:45 EASTER PARADE – CHRISTMAS PARADE – FRIDAY FUN – story and craft – STORY ROOM – borrowed a donkey – MRS TATHAM (SP) – MARY – JOSEPH – ANGELS – donkey pooed H&J SMITHS – Describes

05:03 ‘THE PEOPLE WHO DID PROGRAMMES’ – network of LIBRARIANS – 1976 travelled to ENGLAND – SCOTLAND – CANADA – AMERICA – visited LIBRARIES – 5 MONTHS travelling – FIVE ‘DOLLAR’ gift – Recalls

08:20 WOOLSTON & BLUNT – ENGLAND – cheaper books – AMERICAN BOOKS – library binding – Review Journals – TOM BLUNT – Explains

11:00 LOS ANGELES – PRISCILLA – LIBRARIAN – ORANGE COUNTY – JOAN BLUMENSTEIN – from SOUTHLAND – SUMMER READING PROGRAMME – Manual for running the programme – REWARDS – WHITCOULLS and CRAIGS – Vouchers – Explains

15:00 End of Track 2

TRACK 3

00:03 Recalls – Mother with son who was ‘NOT A GOOD READER’ – FIRST VOUCHER – SUMMER READING PROGRAMME – skills kept up-to-date – ‘BEGS’ FOR KIDS – PRE-SCHOOLERS – books read to them

02:31 Recalls – ‘Lots of flack’ when children rewarded for reading – INVERCARGILL LIBRARY – READING PROGRAMME – WOOLSTON & BLUNT – 1978 – UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO – film ‘CRAFT OF STORY TELLING’ – sold in SEVEN COUNTRIES

07:03 SCHOOL VISITS to the LIBRARY – FICTION/NON-FICTION – PLAYGROUND example – LITTLE RED RIDINGHOOD example – TRUTH – FACT/FICTION v INFORMATION – Explains

14:14 PARENT/TEACHER MEETINGS – ST GEORGE SCHOOL/FERNWORTH – FANCY DRESS PARADE - Explains

15:00 End of Track 3

TRACK 4

00:01 FANCY DRESS PARADE – books for SCHOOL LIBRARY – Explains

01:30 New CITY LIBRARIAN – MENDING – PROCESSING – YEARLY SPRING CLEAN – RESERVE CARDS – ISSUES and RETURNS – Explains

05:01 Odd things happened – spoke PRIVATELY to staff – MINI SKIRTS – CAROLYN – PHONE TECHNIQUE – DIANE FERLATTE – LOUISE RICHARDSON – NZ WOMAN’S WEEKLY – staff management – Explains

08:34 Made film 1978 – School Visits – 1980 - New Librarian – things falling apart – LESLEY SOPER - LIZ qualified – NZ LIBRARY ASSOC – 1968 – Awarded ASSOCIATESHIP of NZ LIBRARY – 1975 – LESLEY and LIZ shared ideas – Explains

10:29 Recalls – ‘HE’ – New Librarian – LIZ loved as a librarian – “Are you the Queen?” – POOH PARTIES – PUNI CREEK – POOH STICKS – ‘This Person’ – CONFLICT – LESLEY – amazing support – 1990 – disestablished CHILDREN’S LIBRARIAN position – conflict – worked there 28 YEARS – PROGRAMMES PERSON- STACK ROOM – BLUFF – ‘underground stuff going on’

15:00 End of Track 4

TRACK 5

00:03 Received MBE – 1987 – DAD had OBE – Mother called him ‘OLD BULL ELEPHANT’ – MBE – DAD called LIZ – ‘MY BABY ELEPHANT’ – library known in ENGLAND – staff credited for what they did – STOCK valued – Explains

01:55 DOLL HOUSES – PUPPET THEATRES – made everything – SWEDEN – SWITZERLAND – LONDON – glass dome – sold POPCORN – McNAUGHTON STATIONERY – Easter Eggs hidden – CHRISTMAS TREE – High School boy shook the Doll House – FISH TANK – Explains

06:00 Chickens for display – boys looking for trouble – LIZ holding baby chicken – OSTRICH PUPPET MARIONETTE – called ESMERALDA made 1977 – ZOZO – MONKEY PUPPET – boys on motorbikes – Explains

11:09 SARGOODS – library there until 1990 – PAWN SHOP – DON STREET – unwell – counsellor – BERTIE BUDGIE – LIZ thought about a pet – living in GRANNY CRIB – CHIHUAHUA – PAT (who bred dogs) – KALINKA (SP) – Explains

End of Track 5

TRACK 6

00:01 Got KALINKA – after 1986 – JAPAN 6 weeks – story telling by mime – three weeks OSAKA – three weeks TOKYO – schools and libraries and nursery school – ZOZO or TIFFANY – Technical Journalist – Explains

03:24 Looked after well – went to Church – whole service written down in English – Describes

04:16 TIFFANY – Mother brought her home from PERTH – used TIFFANY as a go-between when children upset in the LIBRARY – SASHA and TIFFANY talk to each other – Explains

06:44 ‘THE TROUBLES’- library service for children – MISS MILLER – DREAMWEAVER – STORY TELLER – INVERCARGILL ICON – Explains

07:58 Left the Library 1990 – superannuation lost – lies told – PALMERSTON NORTH job offered –money concerns – DEREK GORDON – first independent storyteller in NZ – LIBRARY CONFERENCE – CHILDREN’S LIBRARY MEETING – DUNEDIN – monthly – Explains

09:56 Recalls – Knew DEREK – LIZ thought maybe she could do that – didn’t know how – NORTH SOUTH article – ROSEMARY McLEOD – INVERCARGILL’S LOST LIBRARIAN article – BARRY HARCOURT – pictures

10:29 Recalls – Government funded course – HOW TO RUN YOUR OWN BUSINESS – DOLE – Independent Story Teller – DREAMWEAVER – 28 years MISS MILLER – DEREK – BRINGWONDER – Explains

12:52 28 YEARS as CHILDREN’S LIBRARIAN – gift to the City – never one way – dressed and behaved differently – ‘people totally accepted me’ – changed the concept of CHILDREN’S LIBRARIANSHIP

13:53 Finishes interview – thanks