The New Zealand and Pacific Book Collection forms part of the Alexander Turnbull Library collections.

The collection covers topics such as Māori and Pacific Island languages, voyages, history, biography and literature. It includes books and monographs published in New Zealand and overseas, some on microfilm.

The collection has been developed from the original bequest of Alexander Turnbull in 1918. The Library adds about 10,000 items to the collection each year through legal deposit, purchase and donation.

More about donations and bequests

More about the Alexander Turnbull Library collections

Planned changes to collection access

Our collections will be relocated while the Library building in Wellington is being redeveloped. During the relocation period, some collections will be available in two temporary locations: Archives New Zealand and a location on Thorndon Quay.

Relocation period availability:

  • Most original items in this collection will be unavailable.
  • Selected parts of the collection, including Books in Māori, the New Zealand Pamphlet Collection and some additional published materials, will be available in the Client Held Collection at Archives New Zealand. There will be temporary closures while they are packed and moved.
  • You may be able to source copies of materials in this collection through other libraries. Our staff can assist you with this.

We expect to finalise the dates of the relocation later in 2009. We will give you at least one month’s notice of collection access changes and closures.

For more information email atl@natlib.govt.nz

Find out more about planned changes to collection access

Access items in this collection

Search for descriptions of items published after 1984 using the National Library Catalogue. For items published before 1984 you may need to use the Alexander Turnbull Library microfiche card catalogue, which may also be available through your local library.

You can view books onsite in the reading room on the first floor of the Library. The microfilm collection is self-service. Original items need to be requested.

Requests can be made in person, by phone, letter, or email. If an original item is too fragile a microform copy may be issued.

National Library Catalogue

More about registering and requesting

Get copies from items in this collection

You can order colour or black and white copies of most items in the collection, if copying doesn’t harm the original or breach copyright.

More about making copies

More about copyright and usage

Borrow items in this collection

You can borrow microfilm copies of some items from this collection by interloan through your local library. We lend to New Zealand and overseas libraries.

More about interloans

Get help

We can answer your enquiries in person, by letter, phone or email. For help using this collection contact the Curator, New Zealand and Pacific Published Collections.

Contact Details
Contact Us Alexander Turnbull Library collections