Detail from Light output chart, 1970

Open data

Download or get API access to data from the Library and other organisations, and turn it into new apps, analysis, or reinterpretations. This metadata includes titles, dates, cataloguers’ descriptions, and more.

Build new things

We are making more data available, and in more accessible ways, as part of the New Zealand Government Open Access and Licensing framework and Open Government Information and Data Re-use Work Programme.

We're working on compiling and licensing more data sets, but if you can't wait, data.govt.nz has lots of government data for you.

Discover and use data — data.govt.nz website
New Zealand Government Open Access and Licensing framework — data.govt.nz website
Open Government Information and Data Work Programme — data.govt.nz website

Contents

Te Puna Web Directory metadata

Te Puna Web Directory (TPWD) was the National Library’s directory of Internet-accessible New Zealand information sources. It was retired in May 2016.
Sheep, hills and punga.

Papers Past data

Find and use Papers Past data for your research. You can either use the Papers Past open dataset or get data with the Digital NZ API.
Detail of a diagram showing how the DigitalNZ API works

DigitalNZ API

DigitalNZ makes New Zealand digital content easier to find, share and use by bringing together the descriptive information (metadata) about the collections of over 150 organisations into one place.
Metadata from the Ngā Upoko Tukutuku dataset, showing two subfields.

Ngā Upoko Tukutuku metadata

Ngā Upoko Tukutuku is a standardised terminology for Māori subject headings, for use in cataloguing and archival description.
XML showing metadata for an INNZ record

INNZ metadata

Index New Zealand (INNZ) is a searchable database that contains abstracts and descriptions of articles from about 1000 New Zealand periodicals and newspapers published from the early 1900s to the present day.
[Partial XML for a book by Margaret Mahy, showing the kind of data available for download

Publications NZ metadata

Publications New Zealand is New Zealand's national bibliography. The Publications New Zealand dataset contains bibliographic records created or identified by the National Library and other New Zealand libraries.

Turnbull metadata via DigitalNZ API

Use the DigitalNZ API to access and use metadata.
EAC data, ready to be data-fied.

Turnbull names metadata

Find out about the names authorities created by the Alexander Turnbull Library for its unpublished collection materials.
EAD data, ready to be data-fied.

Turnbull unpublished collections metadata

Find out about the Encoded Archival Description (EAD) records created by the Alexander Turnbull Library for its unpublished collection materials.

New Zealand Library Partnerships Programme data

Data from the New Zealand Libraries Partnership Programme that describes initiatives and activities undertaken during the COVID pandemic.

Feature image: Detail of Light output chart, 1970.