As part of the wider closure of the Epsom Campus, the Sylvia Ashton-Warner Library at Epsom will be closed from Tuesday 14 November 2023. Get key information about how this will affect your Library and Student Hubs services. Read more…
Vaiaso o te ‘Gana Tuvalu -Tuvalu Language Week 2023
Fakatalofa atu – welcome to Vaiaso o te ‘Gana Tuvalu -Tuvalu Language Week, which includes Tuvalu Independence Day on 1 October. This year’s theme is fakatumau kae fakaakoi tau ‘gana ke mautu a iloga o ‘ta tuā – preserve and embrace your language to safeguard our heritage identities. Read more…
Te Wiki o te reo Māori 2023
He mihi tēnei ki a koutou katoa i runga i Te Wiki o te Reo Māori. Haere mai ki Te Tumu Herenga ki te whakanui i tō tātou reo rangatira. Nō reira, kia kaha te reo Māori.Read more…
Changes in Te Herenga Mātauranga Whānui | General Library
We’re excited to share that the way we use our library spaces is changing. In response to student feedback, we will soon be refurbishing Levels 1 and M in Te Herenga Mātauranga Whānui | General Library.Read more…
Epetoma o te reo Māori Kūki ‘Āirani – Cook Islands Language Week
‘Epetoma o te reo Māori Kūki ‘Āirani – Cook Islands Language week kicks off from Sunday 30 July to Saturday 5 August 2023. In the latest 2018 Census, 80,532 people of Cook Islands descent live in Aotearoa and 46,668 people of Cook Islands live in Tamaki Makaurau.Read more…
Collection connections: In the Lee of a Looted Island
The University of Auckland art collection is a significant part of Cultural Collections, and we are extremely excited to have a painting from the collection recently installed in the Special Collections Reading Room, Ground Floor, General Library.
The painting, ‘In the Lee of a Looted Island’ (1966), is by Don Binney and has recently been returned from having some routine conservation. Read more…
Our Mātauranga Māori and Pacific collections are on the move!
From 24 July 2023, the General Library’s Mātauranga Māori and Pacific collections are temporarily moving to Levels 3 and 4.Read more…
University of Auckland 140 years: In the classroom
To mark the 140th anniversary of the opening of Auckland University College (AUC), Special Collections goes back into the classroom to look at university teaching before PowerPoint, Zoom and Canvas.Read more…
General Library shelving removal: Levels 1 and M 27-29 June 2023
From Tuesday 26 June to Thursday 28 June, the empty shelves will be removed from Levels 1 and M in Te Herenga Mātauranga Whānui | General Library. This work will have no impact on access to Mātauranga Māori and the Pacific Collection.Read more…
Malo lava le soifua, Susu mai, Afio mai, Maliu Mai. Manuia le vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa.
Welcome to Samoa Language Week 2023. The theme for this year is: ‘Mitamita I lau gagana, maua’a lou fa’asinomaga,’ meaning ‘Be proud of your language and be grounded in your identity.’Read more…
University of Auckland 140 years: First four professors
To mark the 140th anniversary of the opening of Auckland University College (AUC), Special Collections has taken a closer look at the appointment and careers of the first four professors.Read more…
Sylvia Ashton-Warner Library at Epsom changes
Starting in May 2023, low-use items in the Sylvia Ashton-Warner Library collection will be transferred to the On-Demand Collection, and the Library Catalogue will show this new location.Read more…
University of Auckland 140th Anniversary: Orientation
To coincide with Orientation Week, Special Collections has put together a display celebrating this important and fun part of the university year.Read more…
Special Collections Twenty at 20: Titirangi summer cottage
Sleeping porches were a fashionable feature of homes designed at the turn of the 20th century. See an example in a Titirangi ‘summer cottage’ in the final Special Collections Twenty at 20 series story. Read more…
Special Collections Twenty at 20: Throughlines
Intriguing item no. 19 is a 1965 exhibition catalogue that contextualises an Auckland artist’s work, provides a snapshot of the gallery scene and wonderfully evokes the era. Read more. Read more…
Special Collections Twenty at 20: Naval gazing
Paul Beadle is probably best known as an influential sculptor, artist and first Dean of the Elam School of Fine Art. What is less well known is that he served with the Royal Navy as a submariner and navy artist. Dive deeper in the latest Twenty at 20 story. Read more…
General Library collection changes update
Work continues in Te Herenga Mātauranga Whānui | General Library on our collection layout and Level 2 will be closed from Tuesday 15 November 2022. Read more…
Your new Library homepage is here!
In late November 2022, after Semester Two exams have finished, you’ll notice some exciting new changes on the Te Tumu Herenga | Libraries and Learning Services homepage. Read more…
Special Collections Twenty at 20: A tasty treat
This correspondence register was made in Sydney, used in Port Vila, stored in Suva and shipped around the world twice before coming to Special Collections with the Western Pacific Archives in 2002. Somewhere on its travels it was eaten by beetle larvae. Discover more about its journey in the latest Special Collections Twenty at 20 story. Read more…
Special Collections Twenty at 20: Sweeping rooflines
To mark this year’s 20th anniversary of Special Collections, the curators have selected some intriguing items for the Twenty at 20 series. No 15 examines an idyllic watercolour of a large country house at Turakina.Read more…
October is Dyslexia Awareness Month!
October marks Dyslexia Awareness Month. Dyslexia affects one out of every ten New Zealanders, but it has only been officially recognized by our government as a significant learning difference since 2007.Read more…
Fijian Language Week 2022
Ni sa bula! Welcome to Fiji Language Week Macawa Ni Vosa Vakaviti which runs from 3-9 October. Read more…
Special Collections Twenty at 20: Unexpected photographs
A Special Collections copy of the report on the 1939 Young Māori Conference held at Auckland University College differs from the standard version. Story number 14 in the Twenty at 20 series explains why.Read more…
Bruce Biggs and the revitalisation of te reo Māori
The Māori language petition for active recognition of te reo Māori was delivered to Parliament in 1972. It had over 30,000 signatures and became the starting point for a significant revitalisation of te reo Māori.
At the time, te reo Māori revitalisation was still in its infancy at the University of Auckland, after receiving a boost during the 1950s, with Bruce Biggs — ethnographer, linguist, and champion of te reo Māori — at the helm. Read more…
Special Collections Twenty at 20: Letter from the Tongan Royal Household
To mark this year’s 20th anniversary of Special Collections, the curators have selected some intriguing items for the Twenty at 20 series. Here is number 13. Written in lea faka-Tonga This 1912 letter announcing the baptism of Princess Elisiva FusipalaRead more…
Special Collections Twenty at 20: Favourite ephemera
To mark this year’s 20th anniversary of Special Collections, the curators share item number twelve, our favourite piece of ephemera: a 1948 Ashes football test match souvenir programme. Read more…
Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav: 75th Year of Independence Day of India
August 15, 2022 will mark Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, or the 75th Year of Independence Day of India. Independence Day commemorates the end of British rule and the establishment of a free and independent Indian nation.Read more…
40 years of Winter Lectures
Back in the winter of 1958, historian Sir Keith Sinclair proposed the University of Auckland follow Canterbury University’s lead in establishing a special series of lunchtime lectures on topics that could be addressed by speakers from a range of departments and faculties. Make a cup of tea and begin to explore almost 40 years’ worth of free public lectures.Read more…
Calling all postgraduates: new resources on Canvas!
Libraries and Learning Services have been doing more mahi to support our postgraduate researchers. The Postgraduate Skills Canvas page has recently been expanded to include some exemplars of outstanding theses from across Waipapa Taumata Rau | the University of Auckland.Read more…
Special Collections Twenty at 20: Revolving diagrams
What was this ingenious 17th century revolving book diagram used for? Read the latest Special Collections Twenty at 20 story to find out.Read more…
Special Collections Twenty at 20: An iconic Swanndri
To mark this year’s 20th anniversary of Special Collections, the curators share item number nine, geographer Kenneth Cumberland’s Swanndri jacket which he wore on the 1980s television series Landmarks.Read more…
Join our Poster Design Workshops
Te Tumu Herenga | Libraries and Learning Services is offering workshops that will help you to tailor your message to your audience and provide some practical tips for designing an effective and engaging research poster.Read more…
Special Collections Twenty at 20: Well-travelled letter book returns
Notable Auckland architect Daniel B. Patterson’s letter book provides insights into his clients, contractors and collaborators. Read more in the eighth story in the Twenty at 20 series. Read more…
Special Collections Twenty at 20: A quirky scrapbook
Many of the archival collections in the care of Special Collections have been part of Te Tumu Herenga | Libraries and Learning Services for much longer than two decades. Among these is the William Steadman Aldis papers, gifted to the Library in 1940 by his youngest daughter Amy Letitia Aldis.Read more…
Special Collections Twenty at 20: The sweetest item
The sixth story in the Twenty at 20 series is an election sweetener. A Labour-red lollipop was handed out to students in the Quad in 2002 and is the only confectionary item in Special Collections. Read more…
Special Collections Twenty at 20: Archive within an archive
Tapa notebook poetry project: ‘Issa gift(s) that keeps on giving’. The fifth story in the Twenty at 20 series explores spoken word poet, Zechariah Soakai’s ‘tapa notebook’. The notebook is inspired by other poets’ work held in Special Collections.Read more…
Special Collections Twenty at 20: McCahon’s glorious glass
Colin McCahon drawings identified in the James Hackshaw architectural papers helped to authenticate windows at a Rotorua school. Learn more in the fourth Twenty at 20 series article.Read more…
Special Collections Twenty at 20: Our wordiest title page
Title pages were once very crowded with lengthy descriptive text. The third story in the Twenty at 20 series examines the book in the Special Collections stacks with the wordiest title page. Read more…
New Study and Research Skills Hubs for your faculty
Te Tumu Herenga are excited to launch the new faculty-based Study and Research Skills Hubs: a set of online study tools designed to help you develop the academic skills needed to succeed in your studies.Read more…
General Library collection changes update
The Pacific Collection is established, New Zealand material is integrated into the Main Collection and the print Statistics Collection has been disestablished now that many statistics are online.Read more…
Special Collections: 2021 Christmas hamper
Collection changes including the new Pacific Collection
The next time you visit the General Library, you may notice a few changes to the collections. We are in the process of establishing a stand-alone Pacific Collection and integrating New Zealand material into the Main Collection.Read more…
Tokelau Language Week 2021
Welcome to Te vaiaho o te Gagana Tokelau, Tokelau Language Week 24 – 30 October 2021. This year’s theme is Tokelau! Tapui tau gagana ma tau aganuku, i te manaola ma te lautupuola which means Tokelau! Preserve your language and culture, to enhance spiritual and physical wellbeing. Read more…
![Architectural drawing of Auckland University College Arts Building [University of Auckland ClockTower] (sheet 8), Lippincott Collection (LP2).](https://www.news.library.auckland.ac.nz/files/2021/09/clocktower-lippincott-wordpress-feature-image-option01.jpg)
ClockTower design: celebrating 100 years
2021 marks 100 years since Roy Lippincott and Edward Billson won the competition to design the University’s first significant purpose-built building, now known as the ClockTower.Read more…
BSANZ 2021 Conference: Communities, books and the power of words
Interested in studies about books, authors, publishing, readers and related topics? Registrations are open for the Bibliographical Society of Australia and New Zealand 2021 virtual conference, 22-23 November. Read more…
Winter of discontent: 1981 Springbok tour
The Library is marking the 40th anniversary of the controversial 1981 Springbok tour with a display that captures the passions the tour provoked.Read more…
Kiribati Language Week 2021
The 32 atolls and coral islands that form the Republic of Kiribati are most often associated with the immediate impacts of global climate change and rising sea levels. However, Kiribati also has a unique oral tradition, art and culture.Read more…
New Zealand Electronic Poetry Centre: 20 years online
The New Zealand Electronic Poetry Centre went live 20 years ago on 20 July 2001, making it one of the country’s longest-running poetry hubs.Read more…
Short loan and digitisation requests
As we are no longer at heightened Alert Levels, the digitisation services for our 2-hour short loan collections has ceased. Please visit our collections to access materials. Click and Deliver and overseas students can continue to request materials. Read more…
A mystery building, a pirate ship and other architectural treasures
A pirate ship cabaret and tearooms is one of the treasures housed in a collection of architectural drawings by architect S S Alleman (1901-1978).Read more…
Communist Party centenary: The Party and the hangover
James Hector: a note from the past
James Hector (1834-1907) was a leading scientist and administrator in Aotearoa. For Hector Day, Special Collections highlights a handwritten note by Hector left in a zoological journal.Read more…
We are making changes to Te Herenga Mātauranga Whānui | General Library
We are making some changes in the General Library to re-organise our collections and optimise library space.Read more…
Te Tumu Herenga: Our name and our story
Celebrate Māori Language Week and learn the story behind our name, Te Tumu Herenga.Read more…
Make a great start this semester
Achieve your learning goals by developing new skills and creating new habits this semester.Read more…
Picturing Cultural Collections
A series of photographs are hanging in the Special Collections Reading Room in the General Library. Read their backstories and discover more about Cultural Collections.Read more…
Help for Creative Arts and Industries students using library resources
The Fine Arts and Architecture and Planning collections are in their new home in the Library. Visit the General Library and view the new locations.Read more…
Special Collections: delivering tailored services
Special Collections artists’ books display
View the artists’ books display at Special Collections in the General Library until Friday 6 March.Read more…
Honouring Professor Jonathan Mane-Wheoki
Holiday treasures unearthed
Cultural Collections: Delivering digitised archives
We’ve made requesting items more convenient
Niue Language Week
The Fine Arts Library closed at the end of Semester Two 2019
The Fine Arts Library closed on Monday 18th November 2019. From 2020 the Fine Arts books, journals and supporting services will be available from the General Library.Read more…
Te Wiki o te Reo Māori
Customary meets contemporary in whakapapa-inspired artwork
The Architecture and Planning Library is now closed
The Architecture and Planning Library closed at the end of Semester One. From Semester Two the Architecture and Planning books, journals and supporting services will be available from the General Library. Read more…
General Library turns 50
First World War armistice: Clear the line
General Library recycling bins
Journeys of an historic handpress
Ngā Kura Māori: The Native Schools System 1867-1969
Launch of Chinese rare books catalogue
The tomokanga of Te Herenga Mātauranga Whānui
“The First Girl Graduates”: The legacy of Kate Edger
Miss Butterfield’s busy year
‘The Balloon of the Mind’: Yeats, Donnelly and Cuala Press
