Rate My Professor Madi Ojala

Madi Ojala is the Subject Librarian for Humanities at the University of Otago Library, based at Robertson Library, 135 Union Street East, Dunedin. She supports students, staff, and researchers in the English Language Centre Te Puna o te Kī, Media, Film and Communication, Religion, and Theology. Her role involves providing expert research assistance, delivering library instruction sessions, curating subject-specific resources, and maintaining up-to-date LibGuides. These guides, last updated in April 2026, include tailored databases, referencing tools, assignment support, and distance learning resources. Contactable at +64 3 556 7550, she uses she/her pronouns and is committed to helping users navigate complex library systems with patience, kindness, and empathy.

Ojala holds a Master’s degree in Museum and Heritage Practice (MMHP) with Distinction from Victoria University of Wellington, completed around 2021. During her studies, she participated in a summer internship at Te Papa Tongarewa Museum in 2020-21, working on the Leslie Adkin photographic collection and archive, including geological excursions documentation through prints, albums, and diaries. Prior to her current position, she worked for four years as a library assistant in the Collection Access, Resource Sharing, and Acquisitions teams at Victoria University of Wellington. In this capacity, she managed document delivery, sourcing hard-to-find resources nationally and internationally, oversaw interlibrary loans, and handled distance mail delivery for students. She served as a delegate for the Tertiary Education Union (TEU) pay equity claims for three years. After graduation, she held a contract in the heritage team at Wellington City Council. Ojala contributes to the library profession through publications, including co-authoring 'The state of pay equity' with Hannah Jenkin in Te Rau Ora Library Life Issue 509 (December 2025). The article advocates for recognition of library assistants' skills amid legislative changes like the Pay Equity Amendment Bill 2025, highlighting low wages, high turnover, and the need for union activism. She has also co-authored on libraries' roles for Moana Oceania communities.