The National Library of New Zealand will be redeveloped over the next three years at a cost of $NZ69 million. This was announced as part of the 2008 budget.
‘The redevelopment will open up and expand the building, making its valuable heritage collections more accessible to the public, and creating almost 4000 square metros of additional storage and exhibition space,’ Prime Minister Helen Clark said.
‘The National Library’s collections are estimated to be worth $1 billion. They include material such as journals and notebooks of Katherine Mansfield, Sir Apirana Ngata’s papers, and a diverse range of books, cartoons, paintings, photographs, and sound recordings. It also houses the Alexander Turnbull Library. This development is a major milestone in the history of the National Library – a 21st century library for the digital age will be created.’
The redevelopment will provide controlled storage environments, which meet international preservation standards for collections, and will enhance research space and facilities. The National Library will ensure that its collections continue to be available during the redevelopment. Minister for Libraries, Judith Tizard said the redevelopment was an ‘exciting and significant’ milestone in the history of the institution.
‘The redevelopment of this building will ensure that the National Library of New Zealand continues to make an important contribution to our national identity both in our own sense of nationhood, as well as increasing the awareness and understanding of New Zealand internationally,’ she said.
The National Library, not only houses the important collections and items mentioned above. It also plays a major role in supporting school and public libraries throughout the country. On a day to day basis, Rodney Libraries customers will be most familiar with their role in obtaining books not available in our own collection through the "interloan" service.
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