Overseas published collections — collection management project

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What we are doing with the overseas published collections
No items from the Alexander Turnbull collections affected
Response to initial book lists
What are the overseas published collections?
Overseas published collections — future collecting
Collections policy and collections plan
Book list available — duplicate copies
Previous book lists — these lists are closed
Thank you

What we are doing with the overseas published collections

We plan to rehome some of our overseas published collections. This is so we can make room to grow our Māori, Pacific and New Zealand collections and we can continue to build well-managed coherent collections that support the National Library’s functions.

Listen to:

• National Library Director of Content Services Rachel Esson and Chief Archivist Richard Foy’s interview with Kathryn Ryan on RNZ — Nine to Noon (27 January 2020)

• National Library Director of Content Services Rachel Esson explain the project to Jesse Mulligan on RNZ — Afternoons (18 December 2019)

No items from the Alexander Turnbull collections affected

The items being considered for rehoming are from the National Library General Collections. No items from the Alexander Turnbull collections will be part of this initiative.

The research strength of the National Library lies in the Alexander Turnbull Library which holds an outstanding research collection of published and unpublished New Zealand resources, together with collections of international renown based on the original collecting interests of Alexander Turnbull in areas including rare books, John Milton and voyages of discovery.

The Alexander Turnbull Library collections are held as a separate collection in perpetuity.

Response to initial book lists

Since publishing our initial book lists we have received requests from more than 20 different libraries which include public and specialist libraries. As a result, these books will be retained in the New Zealand library network. We have received orders from prison libraries throughout the country.

We are also working with Rotary and Lions who have taken the remaining books from the first lists for book fairs they will run later in the year — further details to come next month.

When we undertook this project, we anticipated a low demand for these books and thought secure destruction might be the likely outcome.

We’re delighted that since releasing the lists to libraries first and then government and third-party organisations we’ve had a more positive interest in this collection than expected and more options to rehome these books. Rehoming rather than secure destruction is now the most likely outcome.

National Library makes more room for New Zealand and Pacific stories — Media release

What are the overseas published collections?

The Overseas Published Collections is not one single collection but is made up of an assortment of books pulled from different libraries since 1939 – within New Zealand and overseas. These books haven’t been carefully curated for any purpose and approximately 80% of them have not been issued for 20 to 30 years.

Local supply from well-stocked libraries, new offerings of large back-catalogues of e-books and audiobooks for the New Zealand reading public have largely replaced the need for some of our overseas published books.

Overseas published collections — future collecting

We are not rehoming all of the overseas published material. The National Library collections still contain books published overseas. We are committed to collecting and preserving material and books that are relevant and of interest to New Zealanders.

That means a portion of our collection will always be made up of overseas published material. We continue to buy overseas books to provide the lending collection that New Zealanders need. This is especially important given the work with schools on the value and contribution of print collections (both New Zealand and overseas) for reading engagement and literacy of young people.

The National Library acquires between 80,000 to 90,000 electronic and print publications a year that consist of New Zealand, Pacific and overseas material.

The areas of the overseas published collection we will retain are:

• library and information science
• music
• reference works
• children’s literature
• family history, and
• print disabilities.

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Collections policy and collection plans

Our collection needs to work for New Zealanders. A significant part of our role as stewards of Aotearoa’s documentary heritage is to preserve the memory of New Zealand and our place in the Pacific. No other library in the world is going to collect and preserve our stories, that's our job.

We manage our collections in line with our Collections Policy and collection plans. The National Library still collect overseas published material but the National Library’s collections policy puts a focus on collecting New Zealand and Pacific material.

We have consulted about our Collections Policy with a wide-range of stakeholders, with librarians and interest groups. They agree we should be focussing our resource on safeguarding Pacific, Māori and New Zealand content for future generations. We need to make sure we have the right collection for us.

The National Library’s role is to develop, grow and build well-managed collections that are relevant to most of the people they serve.

National Library of New Zealand Collections Policy

Take a tour into the National Library basement

Take a tour with Bill Macnaught and Stevie Davis Tana into the National Library basement and hear about what we are doing to make room for New Zealand, Māori and Pacific stories.

Book list available — duplicate copies

We are seeking expressions of interest for the next phase of rehoming the overseas published collections from libraries, government agencies and third-party organisations.

This next list of books for rehoming consists of around 5,200 titles that are all duplicate copies held by the Library.

Register your interest

Libraries and organisations can register their interest in books from the latest lists. We will be prioritising requests from libraries first.

Expressions of interest will close on 14 April 2020.

Copy and paste the books or section of the lists you're interested in and email opcmanagement@dia.govt.nz

Download the duplicates in the overseas published collections list

Duplicates in the Overseas Published collections (PDF, 765KB)

Previous book lists — these lists are closed

The first phase of rehoming books began late last year. The book lists for the first phase of this project were available on the website from October 2019 to January 2020.

Expressions of interest for these books have closed.

Book lists from the first phase are provided for information only as expressions of interest have closed for these books.

Computer science, information and general-works — Overseas Published Collections (PDF, 2MB)
Philosophy and psychology — Overseas Published Collections (PDF, 1.25MB)
Religion — Overseas Published Collections (PDF, 1MB)
Social science — Overseas Published Collections (PDF, 2.85MB)

Thank you

Thank you for your feedback and participation in the first phase of our overseas published collections project. You have helped us to develop and refine our processes.

If you have any questions email us at opcmanagement@dia.govt.nz

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Page updated 6 March 2020