The National Library and Alexander Turnbull Library collections are spread over four floors in our Wellington building. We also have some collection items in off-site storage.
Lower ground floor
Newspaper Reading Room
Microfilmed newspapers are accessible in the Newspaper Reading Room on the lower ground floor. You can browse for the copy you want, or ask staff for assistance.
Original newspapers need to be requested for viewing. Requests can be made in person, by phone, letter, or email.
More about the National Newspaper Collection
Music Room
You can access reference items in the Music Room on the lower ground floor by browsing the shelves or asking staff for assistance. Other items, such as music scores and sound recordings, can be requested using the National Library Catalogue. The Music Room is closed on Saturdays, but material can be viewed in the ground floor reading room by arrangement.
More about the Music Collection
Ground floor
National Library General Collections
Items in the Family History Collection, New Zealand and Pacific Collection and General Reference Collection are directly accessible on the ground floor. You can browse the shelves or ask staff for assistance.
Items in the following General Collections need to be requested first and retrieved by staff before you can use them:
- General Lending Collection
- General Serials Collection
- Music Collection (use in the lower ground floor Music Room on weekdays)
- National Children’s Collection
You can request material from these collections by registering as a user when you visit the Library, and then making a request using the catalogue.
Material is usually delivered within 20 minutes, although items held in off-site storage will take approximately four days to be delivered.
More about National Library General Collections
Electronic resources in the General Collections
You can access electronic resources in the General Collections using the computers in the reference areas on the ground floor. There is no charge for using these resources.
Turnbull Library Pictures
Photographic prints of items in the Alexander Turnbull Library Photographic Archive, Drawings, Paintings and Prints collection, and Printed Ephemera Collection are stored in filing cabinets in Turnbull Library Pictures on the ground floor. You can browse the prints, or ask staff for assistance.
More about Turnbull Library Pictures
Dorothy Neal White Collection
To view items in this collection, contact us before your visit.
More about the Dorothy Neal White Collection
Family Search service
There is a Family Search microfilm service on the ground floor of the Library. Through the service, you can access millions of archival records microfilmed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
The service is open 10.00am-4.00pm weekdays and 9am-12.30pm Saturdays. You can order films when you visit the Library. Once they have arrived you have four weeks in which to view them.
You can see what's available through the Family Search service by using their online catalogue.
Contact the Family Search service
Family Search Library Catalogue – Family Search website
First floor
Alexander Turnbull Library Research Centre
All items in the Alexander Turnbull Library are held in storage.
You can access material from the published collections of the Alexander Turnbull Library by registering at the Research Centre desk on the first floor and then making a request. Requests for items are collected at 9.30am, 11.30am, 1.30pm and 3.30pm, and items are delivered 20 minutes later for use in the reading room.
More about the Turnbull Library published collections
Manuscripts
You can access material from the Turnbull Library Manuscript Collection at the Manuscripts Centre desk on the first floor. Requests for items are collected at 9.30am, 11am, 12.30pm, 2pm and 3.30pm, and items are delivered 20 minutes later for use in the reading room.
More about the Turnbull Library Manuscript Collection
Second floor
Alexander Turnbull Library unpublished collections
A number of collections can be visited by appointment on weekdays:
- Drawings, Paintings and Prints collection
- Printed Ephemera Collection
- Cartographic Collection
- Oral History Centre collection
- Photographic Archive
Staff are happy to arrange appointments for you. Contact us to talk about your requirements, and to arrange a time.
Access restrictions
You may not be able to access an item immediately if it is fragile, if a listening or viewing copy needs to be made, or if there are restrictions placed on the item by the donor.
