Return your books to us
Use NZ Post's Services to Schools special discounted delivery rates to return books to the National Library. Find out where to send or deliver books. Download return address labels for your boxes.
When to return books
If you've finished using our books, you can return them early.
The due dates for books from the Schools Lending Collection are shown on your dashboard (scroll and find under ‘important dates’).
Access your loan requests dashboard
Due dates are also on the printout that comes with your books.
The return dates for books from National Library Wellington are noted on the due date slips in the back of the books.
For more information about when your books are due back to us, see Dates to request and return books.
How to return books
The National Library has an arrangement with NZ Post that offers discounted delivery rates for schools using our lending service. Once you have set up an account with NZ Post, you can use the discount rates for your other delivery needs too (besides returning books to the National Library).
NZ Post service for deliveries and returns
Alternatively, you can use a delivery service of your choice or return books to our centres in person.
Here's how to return your books in 3 or 4 easy steps.
Step 1: Set up your Services to Schools account then order ticket book(s) if using this service
First — set up your Services to Schools account with NZ Post
Email NZ Post to set up a specific ‘Services to Schools’ account at least 2 weeks before you plan to return your books to the National Library.
Email mary.martin@nzpost.co.nz with ‘Services to Schools’ in the subject line.
Give your school’s:
address (mailing and physical address if different)
telephone number
contact name and email address.
NZ Post will send you your account number once it's been set up. You'll need this number to order your courier tickets.
Then — order prepaid book(s) of NZ Post tickets
There are 2 ways to order a book:
phone NZ Post 0800 268 7437 and give your NZ Post account number, or
visit the NZ Post website and order online.
Before you order, read What ticket books to order below.
You should receive your ticket book within 1 to 3 business days.
Ordering through the NZ Post website
In the 'buy' tab, select Purchase with account/credit card. If this is your first order, follow the steps to:
set up a user profile using your NZ Post Services to Schools account number
authenticate your account by clicking a link in a confirmation email sent by NZ Post.
Sign in to your account — your username is your email address, your password is the one you created earlier.
Go to the Store page to order your ticket book.
What ticket books to order
There are 2 types of ticket books you can order depending on the weight of the boxes you want to return to the National Library.
Weight of box of books | Product code of ticket book to order | Discounted cost/book (excl. GST and VFR*) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Up to 15kg | CNTOTS | $142.06 (20 tickets) | Ignore the 5kg weight limit on the tickets |
15–25kg | CPCTWI | $264.62 (25 tickets) |
* Variable Fuel Rate (VFR) — note that this cost varies but is typically about 5 cents.
Note:
Usually, schools order the CNTOTS ticket books because boxes sent from the National Library typically weigh no more than 15kgs each so will be a similar weight to return.
To keep school and library staff safe, try to ensure that the boxes you return weigh no more than 15kgs.
You can only use these discounted tickets to send items within the North Island or within the South Island, not between the islands.
NZ Post doesn't sell single tickets — you need to order a book of tickets. But remember you can use the discounted tickets for other deliveries too.
Step 2: Gather our books, run a report, then remove books from your catalogue
If you've kept the book lists we sent with each loan, use these as a checklist. If you can't find your lists or need to check what is still on loan to your school, email us and we can send new lists to you: servicestoschools@dia.govt.nz.
Return what you can
Don't worry if you haven't gathered up all the books that are due back. Just return what you can and send the remaining books later or request to have them renewed.
There are no fines or penalties for late or lost books from the Schools Lending Collection. And having late books is not a barrier to borrowing more — you can still request books for next term.
However, there are fees for overdue, lost, or damaged books from our Wellington-based collections.
Renew books, overdue books, lost or damaged books
If you've added our books to your ILS
If you've added National Library books into your integrated library system (ILS), run a circulation report showing issue data for these resources. You can use this data as part of a follow-up evaluation of the impact the lending service has had on your students' learning.
Once you've run the report, scan and remove the books from your ILS before you start packing boxes.
Step 3: Box your books, attach address label and NZ Post ticket as required
The return address label to use for each box of books depends on which collection the books come from. If you're not sure, you can find the collection information stamped (or labelled) inside the front cover of the book.
Books borrowed from the Schools Lending Collection
Return books by courier (or in person) to your nearest National Library collection centre. Use these address labels or copy the centre addresses below:
Our Auckland centre address is:
National Library of New Zealand
8 Stanley Street
Parnell
Auckland 1010.
Our Christchurch centre address is:
National Library of New Zealand
7/150 Cavendish Road
Casebrook
Christchurch 8051.
Books from our Wellington collections
Return books from National Library's Wellington, Overseas Non-fiction Collection and Wellington, New Zealand Pacific Collection to Wellington using the return labels supplied with your books. If you've lost your return labels, the address to use is:
Collection Delivery
National Library of New Zealand
Dockway 1
Aitken Street
Wellington 6011.
South Island schools: You'll need to arrange alternative postage or courier tickets to return Wellington-based books to us as the Services to Schools' NZ Post tickets can't be used to send items between islands.
Match NZ Post ticket to box weight
Make sure the weight of each box is within the weight limit for the NZ Post ticket you attach (up to 15kg for CNTOTS or up to 25kg for CPCTWI). And remember the delivery address must be within the same island to use either of these ticket options.
If the weight of your box ends up being more than the maximum weight allowed for your tickets (e.g. more than 15kgs), do not attach another ticket. Each ticket has an individual tracking number, so only one ticket can be used on a box. Instead, split the books between 2 boxes and use a new ticket for the second box. Also, as mentioned earlier, lighter boxes are easier and safer for loan coordinators and National Library staff to handle.
If the weight of the books you're returning is much less than 15kg (e.g. if you're only sending 1 or 2 books), you may want to use/arrange alternative postage or courier tickets.
Step 4: Arrange for a courier to collect your box(es) of books or drop them off at our centre
To book an NZ Post courier to collect your boxes:
phone 0800 268 7437.
If you're a rural school, put the boxes with your outgoing mail that your rural postie collects. Another option is to take the books to your local town's postal service outlet.
If you'd like to track your boxes once NZ Post has collected them:
phone 0800 268 7437.
Returning books yourself
You can return books from our Schools Lending Collection to our Auckland and Christchurch offices in person if that's easiest for you. Books from our Wellington lending collections can only be returned to the National Library in Wellington.
Auckland — 9am to 4pm, Monday to Friday
Drive into the basement car park and place boxes onto the pallet beside the first set of doors on the left-hand side.
After hours: Put them through the book return slot on the Parnell Rise side of the building.
Christchurch — 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday
Go through the open roller-door entrance and place books on the rollers on the right-hand side, below the hatch labelled ‘Returns’.
After hours: Put books through the slot in the roller door.
Wellington — 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday
We only receive books from our Wellington lending collections. Ensure your books are in a box or bag labelled ‘Collection Delivery, Wellington’ and deliver to the ground floor reception (waka) at the National Library, Wellington.
Need more help?
NZ Post contacts
Phone 0800 268 7437 to:
order tickets
arrange a pickup
track items
query a late or missing item.
Contact Mary Martin at mary.martin@nzpost.co.nz or 022 0163 689 — if you:
have any general questions about how the NZ Post schools' service works
think you have been charged incorrectly.
Services to Schools
Phone 0800 LIB LINE 0800 542 5463 Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm.