Explore the National Library and Alexander Turnbull Library Collections
Defending Ōrākau Expanding our understanding of Ōrākau with James Cowan's papers.
2485
Hi-res images available to download for free
Papers Past: Millions of pages of New Zealand newspapers.
Shearing - through the eyes of a wood engraver.
A - Z
Browse and search specific collections
What you can do with the collections
Using the collections
Order and use items, make copies, get help, hire choral and orchestral music for performance, and more.
Caring for your collections
Guides to caring for paper, photographs, audio, and more. Take care of your own precious items with our advice.
Donating items
Help our collections grow by donating. We would love to have a look at your New Zealand and Pacific material.
Search a slice of the collections
PublicationsNZ
Search everything published in or about NZ.
Find newspaper and journal articles
DigitalNZ
Find, share, and use millions of pieces of NZ's digital content.
AtoJs Online
Search the full text of the Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives.
Papers Past
More than two million pages of digitised New Zealand newspapers and periodicals from between 1839 to 1945.
Royal Society
The Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand.
Sir Donald McLean Papers
Search and read unique letters to and from one of the central figures in 19th century New Zealand.
Children's Digital Library
One of the Library's books available at the ICDL. ReadTe Taniwha i te Kura.
Te Ao Hou
The complete run of the iconic magazine.
Subscription e-resources
Access to local and global databases, like the Berg Fashion Library.
Cool items from our collections
Stream HelloElectroland
Stream New Zealand music: Listen in to Snarlos.
Art at the Library
Part of the largest art collection in New Zealand: An unfinished landscape by Toss Woollaston.
Take the wide view
Take in the breezy ocean view over Seatoun.
Recently added
100 years ago today
News from 100 years ago, today – brought to you by Papers Past.
Can you believe we've got...
Captain Cooks' knife and fork.
February on the wall
Come see the women's team hit it for six at Lancaster.
Plan of Whenuapai air base
One of many blueprints, maps, and floorplans you can pore over.
Wood engravings
"...a dynamic scene of three sperm whales in foreground, with small rowboats negotiating waves caused by the leaping of the whales. On the right one broken rowboat tips its crew into the sea..."