Special Collections

Now that we are all Auckland Libraries, around Rodney we have access to some wonderful special library collections:

The Angela Morton collection is a reference collection of books and other materials covering the visual arts of New Zealand from pre-European times to the present day. It is a memorial collection dedicated to the late Angela Morton, who was a North Shore resident devoted to New Zealand art, and the nucleus of the collection was funded from an original family bequest in 1985. Access is provided in conjunction with the opening hours at the Takapuna Library.

The Denny Hulme Motorsport collection was established to commemorate New Zealand's only Formula One racing champion (1967), the late Denny Hulme OBE, who died in October 1992. Designed for both motorsport enthusiasts and casual browsers, the collection celebrates New Zealand's golden era of motor racing and beyond, with an exciting array of past and present memorabilia. Contact Anne Jaynes, the Denny Hulme collections manager at Takapuna Library for more information.

The Chelsea Archives are a collection of records from the Chelsea Sugar refinery (now New Zealand Sugar Company Ltd) dating back to the late 19th century. The Chelsea Sugar Company in its prime was one of the largest companies in the southern hemisphere.

Children’s Literature Collection - Of use to educators who have a special interest in children’s literature. Housed in Takapuna Library, this is a combination of reference and lending material.

Medal Collection - Books by award-winning authors and illustrators of all the major children’s book awards from New Zealand, Australia, Britain, the United States and Canada. Housed in Takapuna Library this is a reference collection for use in the library.

Family history collection If you are interested in genealogy, The Auckland Research Centre has an extensive collection of resources for family history research. This is located on the second floor of the Central City Library.

International documents collection - Auckland City Libraries' international documents collection is made up of material from the United Nations (UN), encompassing the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), World Trade Organisation (WTO), and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD).

Sir George Grey Special Collections Ta Hori Kerei - Nga kohinga taonga whakahirahira (previously known as 'Heritage collections: Te Taumata o ngā Taonga Tuku Iho') were made accessible to the public in 1997, and are currently housed on the second floor of Central City Library. Since the founding gift to the citizens of Auckland by Sir George Grey in 1887, the collections have grown by purchase and generous donations by benefactors to become one of New Zealand's three major heritage collections.

The Ngā Mātauranga Māori collection includes historical and contemporary material based on Māori content or subject matter. It consists of material written by Māori authors as well as children’s books and easy readers in te reo Māori.Ngā Mātauranga Māori items have a black and white kowhaiwhai label and the word Māori on the spine of the book. This collection includes both lending and reference material. Many of our community libraries have a Ngā Mātauranga Māori section. At Central City Library, you will find the collection on the first floor.

The Manukau Research Library holds the most extensive collection available of materials relating to the history and development of South Auckland and the Counties-Manukau area.

These are just some of the resources you can find around Auckland. It pays to have a good hunt around the website as you never know what you might find that you didn't know you were looking for.