INFO 530 Maori Information Sources is an elective paper in the PGCertIS at Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand.
In this blog I will look at some of the issues around e-Books and te Reo Maori, an official language of New Zealand / Aotearoa.
Tonight's INFO 530 lecture focused on resources available in te Reo Maori (Maori language).
Of particular interest to me was the discussion around commercial viability for resources in te Reo Maori. Does the cost related to publish or produce these resources (in print) really outweigh its value to the intended audience, albeit a small market segment? From a business perspective, you certainly do not want to purchase/produce/sell products that result in a loss against cost/benefit. Though from a cultural perspective, loss in terms of knowledge and information sharing, may arise from not purchasing/producing/selling the product.
It would seem that if you are an authoritative or established author, or if you have sufficient financial backing and support, publication particularly in print, will not be an issue. However for the majority, and this was discussed in length, financial outlay seems to be the largest barrier to whether or not publication occurs.
Why is te Reo Maori of little commercial value?
Te Reo Maori is one of three official languages of New Zealand / Aotearoa. The other two official languages are English and New Zealand Sign Language.
Recognised as an official language of New Zealand only, it is this very recognition that limits the commercial viability of te Reo Maori. Whilst French, English and Spanish, for example, are recognised in more than one country, te Reo Maori is not, therefore in a commercial sense, it serves a very small market segment.
Te Reo Maori has seen significant growth through the establishment of Kohanga Reo (Maori Language Kindergartens) and Kura Kaupapa (Maori Language Primary/Intermediate/Secondary Schools): te Reo Maori is the primary language taught and used by these schools, with English introduced later in the schooling curriculum.
Revitalisation is occuring, but is it going fast enough? From a librarian's perspective, when Kura graduates enter mainstream tertiary institutes, how do they support their student's learning needs? Te Reo Maori resources in academic libraries can be limited due to a number of reasons including funding allocations and scarcity of resources.
I think it is also important to note, that in the interests of biculturalism, New Zealand / Aotearoa tertiary institutes permit students to write their assessments, including Thesis and Dissertations, in te Reo Maori. These scholars, more than any, require appropriate resources in te Reo Maori.
How do you overcome barriers to te Reo Maori print resources?
One way certainly, is to digitise the content and move te Reo Maori print resources into the digital age: e-Books.
If the Orewa College's compulsory ipad stationery item proposition occurs, and e-Reading devices become the norm inside a student's school bag along with their lunch box, then there is a real possibility the e-Books will also become the norm.
The production of te Reo Maori in electronic format seems sensible and practical. Print costs would become a thing of the past, trees would be saved and the environment would be better for it.
The question I wonder now is, why hasn't there been an upsurge in te Reo Maori e-Books?
Aroha mai Spencer - I have added your comments about this post below:
ReplyDeleteI think the move to e-books for te reo Maori resources will come. One factor that will slow its progress is the lack of authors wanting to write in te reo. This is evident in the list of finalists for the Pikihuia writing awards, where there were only five finalists for the best short story in te reo Maori. This is in stark contrast to the English finalists where there were eighteen short-listed. It is great to see more theses written in te reo, the challenge is to make these into books (a good thesis does not always become a good book).