Libraries - New Zealand - Taranaki Region

Date: 21 March 1989 - 21 Mar 1989

From: NZOHA Country Library Service Oral History Project

By: Blanchard, Dorothy Alice, 1915-2013

Reference: OHInt-0058/03

Description: Dorothy Blanchard gives details of her family's background, describing her father's career as a tailor and his lameness as a result of an accident. Mentions various treatments including a surgical boot. Gives detail about her mother's family, upbringing and how her parents met. Describes her childhood in Christchurch, her father's membership of the Clothing Worker's Union, her parents' Anglicanism and attitude to reading, contact with Maori and discipline. Talks about developing goitre and the treatments. Describes her education including time at Canterbury University and Teachers' Training College. Talks about Brian Mason, other students, schools she taught at, meeting David Blanchard and other people in the Tokirima community. Recalls attitudes to sex and childbirth at the time. Describes the early stages of her marriage including learning to cook on a coal range, building their house, the remoteness of the farm and the composition of the mainly farming community. Discusses her husband's childhood, family and schooling and their own children. Recalls her first contact with the Country Library Service with reference to Eve Franklin and Margaret Gow. Notes that the Tokirima `B' library was originally in the home of school teacher Mr A E Dear and how she took over when the Dears left. Talks about how the library operated and its users. Discusses changing reading tastes. Talks about drivers and their backgrounds and interests with particular mention of Jim Sutherland and Joy Tutty. Reads a morning talk written by George Corbett which details the Service. Discusses the subscription system and the library shifting to the local Tokirima School. Notes that Tokirima is 22 miles from Taumarunui and the difficulty of driving on the roads. Describes the variable frequency of the book van visits and the rail system of delivery of books in between times. Comments on the building of the main trunk line through Taranaki and the rail services that were available. Mentions the Tangiwai rail disaster. Talks about community activities she was involved with and comments on Tokirima community life. Talks about local Maori. Recalls the temporary downturn of use of the library when television first introduced and how the library was moved and operated from the school house. Refers to help from Rosemary Corbett. Comments on the end of the country library service and mentions the loss of other services including closure of passenger rail services. Details her husband's death and her subsequent selling of the land and moving to Marton. Describes current television, radio and reading habits. Reference to Hugh Lorimer and other library staff. Venue - Marton Interviewer(s) - Hugo Manson Venue - Mrs Blanchard's home at Marton Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-002046, OHC-002047, OHC-002048 Tape numbers - OHA CLS/2624, 2625, 2626, 2637, 2628, 2629 Quantity: 3 C60 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 3 Hours Duration. Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete OHA-0307. Printed abstract contains two portrait photographs of Dorothy Blanchard Search dates: 1915 - 1989

Date: 2015

From: Ekers, Paul, 1961-:[Digital cartoons published in the New Zealand Herald and other publications]

Reference: DCDL-0030900

Description: Shows a man about to play classical music to discourage a punk rocker watching television and lounging in his living room. The older man is thinking "Worked for the library" referring to New Plymouth's Puke Ariki library's tactic of playing classical music to 'deter undesirables' from loitering outside the library. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).

Date: Sep 2007 - Nov 2008

From: Owen, Dylan, 1958-: Photographs

Reference: PADL-000272

Description: Photographs of Stratford, Eltham, Hawera, Patea, Inglewood, Douglas, Norfolk, and Whangamomona buildings, 2007-2008 Arrangement: These files were originally delivered to the library within folders called "Buildings Dec 2007 to Jan 2008" and "Buildings September to November 2007" Quantity: 129 digital photograph(s).

Date: 1858

By: Watson, I M (Miss), active 1970s

Reference: Eph-A-LIBRARY-1858-01

Description: Includes notice of fines: One penny for each day a book is detained. One shilling for lending a book to a non-subscriber. Injury to a book is determined by special award. Refusing to comply with an award of the Committee is forfeiture of membership. Exhibited in ‘Humble: the life of 100 small objects’, exhibition curated by Barbara Lyon, in the Turnbull Gallery, National Library of New Zealand, 27 August - 17 November 2017. This item was previously thought to be a membership ticket for the Book Club, but the existence of another example used as a bookplate for a book previously owned by the Book Club makes it clear that it was used to stick into books. The number was likely an accession number and possibly may even have been used to locate the item on the shelf. The squiggly lines may have been made when the book was permanently withdrawn from the Book Club's stock. Quantity: 1 b&w photo-mechanical print(s). Physical Description: Letterpress and ink handwriting, on paper 75 x 90 mm.

Date: 1972

From: Sutherland, James Hector: Photographs of the Country Library Service in operation

Reference: PA1-o-847-4-3

Description: New Zealand Country Library Service bookvan outside the Waitotara library. Photographed by James Hector Sutherland on the 23rd of May 1972 Inscriptions: Album page - beneath image - "Charlie" at Waitotara (EDL.2) 23/5/72. All ready to begin the work for the visit Quantity: 1 b&w original photographic print(s). Physical Description: Silver gelatin print

Date: 2000-2003

By: Donald, Mary, active 1992-2020; Bondy, Jeff, active 1980-2022; Bone, Viv, -2008; Day, Kelvin, active 1980-2022; Goldsmith, Paul, active 1970-2022; Kawana-Brown, Eve Margaret, active 1980-2022; Lambert, Ron, active 1972-2002; Johnstone, Anne, active 2000-2003; Porter, Suzanne, active 1980-2022

Reference: OHColl-1273

Description: Diary style oral history interviews with eight people involved in the development of Puke Ariki, carried out by Mary Donald and Anne Johnstone between 2000 to 2003. Some contributed regular diary interviews over the period of the project and others contributed one or two interviews. Interviewees are: Kelvin Day, Suzanne Porter, Ron Lambert, Viv Bone, Jeff Bondy, Paul Goldsmith, Simon Pickford, and Eve Kawana-Brown. There is also a copy of a Radio New Zealand interview with Suzanne Porter. Title supplied by Library. Arrangement: Digital abstract files were numbered 1 to 40 by the interviewer to match the chronological order of each recording in the project. Each file is also identified by the last name of the interviewee. The library archivist has grouped the digital abstract files for each interviewee, and arranged each abstract file in date order. Puke Ariki is a combined museum and library in New Plymouth which opened in June 2003. It is an amalgamation of the New Plymouth Public Library (founded in 1848) and the Taranaki Museum (founded in 1919). Post 1989 both institutions came under the governance of the New Plymouth District Council which lead the development and continues to govern Puke Ariki. Thirty-nine interviews were carried out between 2000 to 2003 by Mary Donald and Anne Johnstone. Quantity: 42 C60 cassette(s). 35 Electronic document(s) digital abstracts and project overivew. Finding Aids: Full list in Oral History backfile.. Search dates: 2000 - 2003