Our leadership group
Meet the people leading the National Library. Our leadership team includes Te Pouhuaki National Librarian, Chief Librarian Alexander Turnbull Library and other senior roles.
Te Pouhuaki National Librarian — Rachel Esson
Appointed Te Pouhuaki National Librarian on 17 December 2020, Rachel Esson is responsible for leading all National Library services in New Zealand. She also contributes to the leadership of the Information and Knowledge Services branch of the Department of Internal Affairs.
Previously Director Content Services of the National Library, Rachel is a professionally registered librarian who has held senior and strategic roles in academic and research libraries for many years. She has researched and published in the area of evaluation of library services.
Her previous roles have included Associate Chief Librarian Alexander Turnbull Library, Associate Director Library Academic Services at Victoria University, and Medical Librarian (University of Otago, Wellington).
She is a fellow of the Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa (LIANZA) and is actively involved with association governance.
About the title Te Pouhuaki
In August 2020, the title Te Pouhuaki o Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa was gifted by Komiti Māori for the use of successive National Librarians.
The title Te Pouhuaki is a unique and original compound word that illuminates the role of the National Librarian as follows:
Huaki — to open, uncover, reveal, present, display, unveil
Pou — post, symbol of support, someone who strongly supports a cause, expert, esteemed leader that echos the pou o te whare Māori where stories are captured, stored and shared.
Pouhuaki — an expert librarian and information manager who stands as mentor and stalwart to protect, preserve and share the nation's storied memories for the people of Aotearoa New Zealand and beyond.
Acting Chief Librarian, Alexander Turnbull Library —Jessica Moran
Jessica Moran (she/her) is currently seconded to the role of Acting Chief Librarian of the Alexander Turnbull Library. In this role she leads the teams responsible for developing, maintaining, and providing access to the Library’s documentary heritage and taonga and is responsible for developing the research collections and services of the Alexander Turnbull Library, particularly in the fields of New Zealand and Pacific studies and rare books.
Her substantive role is Associate Chief Librarian, Research Collections at the Alexander Turnbull Library, where she is responsible for managing curatorial, acquisitions, digital collections, and archival processing functions for the Library. In the eleven years she’s been with the Library, she has worked as a digital archivist and head of Digital Collections Services, before becoming Associate Chief Librarian in 2021. Prior to moving to New Zealand in 2012, she worked in university, special, and government libraries and archives in California.
Director Content Services — Mark Crookston
Mark Crookston leads the Content Services directorate, which acquires and describes the National Library’s collections, manages the digital preservation programme, and provides a range of services to libraries, publishers and authors.
Mark has had a number of library and documentary heritage roles and loves connecting people and communities to their histories, and managing collections that support societal memory, people’s rights to access information, and scholarship.
Director Digital Experience — Tim Kong
Tim leads the fine people of Digital Experience, who maintain and manage the library’s digital discovery services. These services provide access and discoverability to many other parts of the library and include the National Library, DigitalNZ, Digital Pasifik and Papers Past websites. This team work to continuously improve these services based on user feedback and engaging with communities and colleagues.
Tim is Fijian-Chinese and Pakeha. His heritage is informed by the lived experience of growing up in South East Asia for the first 18 years of his life. He joined the National Library in 2020, to lead the Pacific Virtual Museum project. Previously he had worked at the Service Innovation Lab in DIA, as well as periods of time as a roadie touring with British bands and a decade as a primary school teacher and a deputy principal.
Director Literacy and Learning — Elizabeth Jones
Elizabeth leads the Services to Schools teams, developing nationwide services that engage, motivate and inspire young people, educators and communities to enjoy reading and to support their development as digitally literate learners.
Services to Schools work closely with learning communities nationwide to develop national approaches to reading engagement, modern library learning environments and digital literacy services.
Director Office of the National Librarian — Helen Jamison
Helen manages a small team in the Office of the National Librarian that is responsible for the National Library's strategic, financial and business planning processes, providing secretariat support for the National Library’s statutory bodies, and assisting the National Librarian to meet her statutory responsibilities.
Director Public Engagement — Alison McIntyre
Alison leads the Public Engagement team, for many the first point of contact for visitors to the National Library. The Public Engagement team builds collaborative partnerships with external stakeholders that position the National Library as a safe space for convening (in person and online) and for inspiration and learning. She is seconded from her role as Associate Chief Librarian of the Alexander Turnbull Library until January 2025.
The Public Engagement team works to expand connections with the National Library through our Tiakiwai conference centre, philanthropic fundraising, manaaki, guided experiences (including He Tohu) and our shop, Te Āmiki. Our online and in-person public programming, exhibitions and onsite community events profile the unique collections of the National Library and engage communities in preserving New Zealand’s documented heritage.
Kaihautū Director Ratonga Māori – Ruki Tobin
E rere nei, he riponga wai nō Taumarere, nō Hokianga ki te puna o te mātauranga. Kōkiri, kōkiri, kōkiri!
Ruki Tobin is the inaugural Kaihautū Director Ratonga Māori National Library, Te Haumi – Enterprise Partnership Branch. As a member of the National Library Leadership Team (NLLT) he supports Te Pouhuaki National Librarian to drive Māori work programmes toward successful delivery maintaining high standards of quality and outputs in a range of functions.
Ruki is a proud descendant of the Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kahu and Ngāti Whātua iwi. He is one of the first-generation graduates of kōhanga reo, kura aho matua and wharekura who actively advocate for Te Reo Māori, Tikanga Māori and Te Ao Māori tirohanga.
His unique upbringing and skills set coupled with his experience from his previous position as Poutiaki Rauemi in Services to Schools positions him well to support Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa to embed Te Reo, Tikanga and Mātauranga Māori to improve services to Māori and peoples of Aotearoa.
