Refurbished and ready to reveal all to researchers
IT’S been revamped and renewed and now it has reopened. The National Library, in Molesworth St, opened on Tuesday after being closed since 2009.
It has been refurbished from the inside out with more services for the public and better protection for its many irreplaceable objects, books, paintings and other pieces of history it holds.
A key part of the project has been to make it an approachable place, with an emphasis on helping people find whatever they want to explore from their family history or New Zealand’s past, says national librarian Bill Macnaught.
As well as the $65 million project to preserve its collection in the best condition possible, its online site has also been revamped, increasing the digitisation of images from 80,000 to 250,000, adding more newspapers and more than 2000 hours of at-risk audio recordings to the National Digital Heritage Archive.
But Mr Macnaught says the key thing is that the changes on the ground floor, called Te Ahumairangi, now make it easier for any New Zealander to access the collection.
‘‘For about 100 years, the collection has been the centrally important part of the work we do – through the Alexander Turnbull Library initially – and we still want people to discover more and get more value out of the collection.
‘‘We don’t want people to feel that this is only for elite researchers. We welcome researchers, of course, but this is the National Library and it is for all the people of New Zealand.’’
One of the biggest changes when people walk into the building will be the new Lifelines touchscreen table, Mr Macnaught says. It operates a bit like a giant iPad, and allows people to do very quick searches and get access to plenty of quality information, photos and videos.
‘‘It will allow people to cut straight through to the thing that is interesting to them.’’
He says the idea is that Te Ahumairangi is where people browse through things for their own interest, and if they want specialist help, they can go to the Turnbull Library on the first floor.
‘‘When people come in and use the ground floor in an informal way, there is an expectation that they will get drawn into research through the Turnbull Library.
‘‘And people will begin to see it is not an intimidating institution. It’s actually quite friendly and easy to come here and find interesting stuff.’’
Another way the library is inviting people in and breaking down barriers is with an emphasis on more exhibitions and events.
For instance, running until April is the Big Data programme of exhibitions, seminars, and workshops. On the first floor is To the ends of the earth: Bibles in the Alexander Turnbull Library, featuring some old, beautiful Bibles and a Koran.
There is also a renewed focus on the economic benefits that the library can bring to New Zealand, Mr Macnaught says, and, indeed, the legislation governing the library calls for it to focus on both cultural and economic values.
‘‘We want to be working with partners in scientific knowledge, engineering and business generally, sharing all sorts of technical knowledge, as well as cultural knowledge.’’
A bit of technical knowledge helped with the refurbishment, Mr Macnaught says.
When the project started, it was expected about 75 per cent of the items would end up being housed in environmentally controlled storage spaces, up from 45 per cent.
‘‘It wasn’t that we were careless about storage previously. It’s just that we didn’t have the facilities.’’
A good team was able to find efficiencies which meant the library could house all its items in the storage spaces.
‘‘For the next 20 years, we will be able to build the collections and have everything in proper storage spaces.
‘‘For me, the real beauty of the position we’re in now is that at last New Zealand has a building that is fit to look after some of the nation’s finest documentary heritage.’’
This will increase in about a year, with plans to move the Treaty of Waitangi from the National Archives down the street to the National Library’s ground floor.
‘‘It emphasises the Treaty as being the nation’s founding document.’’
For more information, go to: natlib.govt.nz