Manuscripts Collection

What is the Manuscripts Collection?

The Manuscripts Collection at the Alexander Turnbull Library is one of New Zealand’s foremost collections of non-government manuscripts and archives. The Collection is built to sustain advanced research in New Zealand studies and preserve documentary heritage and tāonga in perpetuity for all New Zealanders.

Examples of manuscripts include personal or family papers such as letters, emails, journals, diaries, notebooks, reminiscences, speeches and scrapbooks. Archives refer to the records created or collected by an organisation, society or business. The Alexander Turnbull Library Manuscripts Collection contains both manuscripts and selected archives.

Blog posts about the Manuscripts Collection

13km of shelving

Occupying more than 13 kilometres of shelving, the Collection comprises 10,500 microfilms and almost 2 terabytes of electronic records. Growth in born-digital materials is increasing rapidly and is expected to escalate exponentially in the future.

The Manuscripts Collection includes material from individuals who may not be well known, but whose papers record evidence of significant national experiences such as the effect of war, economic depression, new leisure activities, and changing demographics.

Personal papers

The Collection also includes the personal papers of individuals and archives of select organisations that have made significant or unique contributions to the national scene.

The material in the Manuscripts Collection reflects events, policies, cultural practices and social developments which have affected or influenced the lives of all New Zealanders.

Using the Manuscripts Collection

Items in the Manuscripts Collection are unique, primary source materials and must be viewed on-site in our secure reading room on Level 1 of the National Library building in Wellington. To view manuscript materials you will first need to register as a reader. Once registered, requests must be made in advance via the unpublished catalogue, Turnbull Archival Catalogue (Tiaki). Follow the steps below to register to view the Manuscripts Collection.

• You’ll need a RealME account — you can use your existing RealMe account, or create a new one from the Turnbull Archival Catalogue (Tiaki).

• On the Turnbull Archival Catalogue (Tiaki) homepage click Login or register and follow the instructions to use your RealMe account or make a new one.

• Click ‘Continue’ to go to the Turnbull Archival Catalogue (Tiaki) registration page.

• Fill in the registration form and you’re done.

For more details on requesting to view manuscript items see our page on registering and requesting.

RealME account
Turnbull Archival Catalogue (Tiaki)
Registering and requesting

Permissions process

Some parts of the Manuscripts collection have access and/or restrictions on their use. If you wish to view restricted material, you will need to work through the permissions process before you can access the content.

The timeframe for clearing permissions may differ, depending on the items requested and the type of restriction. An explanation of the Manuscripts Collection's access and use statements can be found on our page for access and use restrictions.

Access and use restrictions

Reusing items from this collection

New Zealand copyright law applies to manuscripts. Copies can be made from items if copying does not breach copyright, or any other access and use restrictions applied to the collection.

The Library is unable to clear the copyright of manuscript items on your behalf. Unless the Library metadata states the item is out of copyright, you will need to determine the copyright status of the material you wish to use, and whether this requires copyright clearance from the copyright holder.

Copyright — information about the copyright of material on this website
Getting permission to use a copyright work — information from the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand

Copying items from this collection

Copying services are provided in the Library Reading Room, or you can order photocopies or photographs of items by letter or email. Please use the Ask a librarian service to make enquires or request copies.

Making copies
Ask a librarian

Requesting microfilm reels via interloan

We do not lend original material from the Manuscripts Collection therefore borrowing items isn't supported. However, MS-Copy-Micro and Micro-MS-Coll microfilm reels can be requested via interloan. Please contact your local, public or tertiary Librarian to arrange this.

For research enquiries relating to the Manuscripts Collection please use the Ask a librarian service to contact our Manuscripts Research Specialist.

Ask a librarian

Manuscripts Collection strengths

The Manuscripts Collection is supported by a collecting plan. This plan establishes collecting priorities and guides the selection of material for the Library.

Manuscripts collection plan

The strengths of the Collection are outlined below.

Māori history

• letters by Māori leaders

• whakapapa books

• nineteenth-century Māori history

• waiata

• land transaction records, and

• records of Māori and Pakeha ethnographic research.

European exploration

• journals

• logbooks

• letters and other papers relating to early European exploration

• missionary activity, and

• immigration and settlement.

Religious practices of New Zealanders

• missionary activities

• organised churches, and

• non-institutionalised spiritual movements.

Other strengths of the Manuscript Collection

We've also got:

• the world’s largest collection of Katherine Mansfield papers plus other New Zealand writers’ papers

• diaries and other papers of New Zealanders serving in wars and conflict zones, including the New Zealand wars

• records of the National Council of Women and the Māori Women’s Welfare League and other women’s organisations

• New Zealand Federation of Labour and employer groups and select organisations and individuals active in industrial relations, and

• individuals and select organisations active in the provision of childcare and education.

UNESCO Memory of the World New Zealand Register

Two collections from the Turnbull's Manuscripts Collection have been inscribed into the UNESCO Memory of the World New Zealand Register. These collections are recognised as having special documentary status in a New Zealand context.

UNESCO Memory of the World New Zealand Register

Manuscript collecting priorities

The Library will actively focus resources on acquiring manuscripts and archives in the following areas:

Ongoing priorities

• Architecture and the built environment

• Colonial and postcolonial relationships within New Zealand

• Craft and artisan industry: manuscripts and archives documenting New Zealand’s craft and artisan industry

• Domestic life in New Zealand

• New Zealander’s experiences of war and conflict

• New Zealand’s people: manuscripts and archives which contribute understanding to the full range of New Zealand’s changing cultural and ethnic demographic

• Science-related manuscripts and archives, particularly scientific history, environment, and sustainability

Proactive priorities

• Māori history and traditions

• Selected New Zealand emerging and contemporary literature, art, and performing arts

• Social, political and climate change activism

• Stories and voices from Pasifika, migrant, disabled and LGBTQIA+ communities

Donating manuscript material

Find out about the process for offering material to the Alexander Turnbull Library. We cannot accept all items offered to us, although we appreciate the generosity of potential donors. Get in touch if you would like to discuss offering us material.

Offer material to the Alexander Turnbull Library