Use the Library
Researchers
Start your research at the Alexander Turnbull Library
Librarians
Use Te Puna and National Library services
Publishers & Authors
Get an ISBN, a record, and advice about Legal Deposit
Schools
Support for school libraries and learning
Business
The information you need, quickly and easily
Image search
Browse and search half a million digital images
Papers Past
Millions of pages of historic NZ newspapers
Subscription e-resources
Search electronic resources from around the world
PublicationsNZ
Search everything published in New Zealand
Donate to the collections
Donate items to the Library collections
Upcoming events
- Wednesday 18 OctoberReading Chinese
- Wednesday 18 OctoberDaughters of the Pacific
- Thursday 19 OctoberSeniors' week family history workshop
- Thursday 19 OctoberSix o'clock: Poets under the influence
See events read more
Flickr Commons
Free to download and use
Download high-res collection images and use them however you want.
Get advice
Become an oral historian
Oral history advice and workshops to get you started, or hone your skills.
Closed Monday October 23
The Library will be closed for Labour Day on Monday, October 23.
We open again on Tuesday. Have a good weekend!
Collection availability
Due to the Kaikoura earthquakes, some of our collections were not available for research.
We are pleased to announce that most of the collections are now accessible and able to be ordered.
See what's available
Unfolding the map
Uncover the history of New Zealand held in its maps
Visit to learn about New Zealand's maps, from Polynesian navigation and the charting and surveying of Aotearoa, to modern developments in topographics and digital mapping.
Where are you from?
Aroha Pumai
A beautiful love song performed by Mere Amohau.
A recently digitised gem from New Zealand’s musical past.
The music collections
T is for Tumblr
Turnbull Ephemera
Beautiful and unique posters, prints, and other materials from daily life.
Turnbull Rare Books
Gorgeous manuscripts, intricate fine printing, and other wonderful objects.
Our strategic directions
Turning knowledge into value: this is the National Library's strategic direction to 2030.
See how we're aiming for big changes in taonga, knowledge, and reading.
Read the strategy
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Interloan
Our books in your hands
Get National Library materials sent to your local library by making an interloan request.
Open data
Build new things
Data sets and API access to metadata for millions of records. Grab it and see what you can make!
Preservation advice
Look after special items
Learn how to take care of your precious photographs, books, and digital documents with advice from the National Preservation Office.