Te Whare Pukapuka o He Matapihi – Closing 30 June 2023

He Matapihi Library
He Matapihi Library
He Matapihi Library

Sadly, our lease at the National Library is coming to an end as construction begins to join the National Library building with the National Archives.

Our partnership with the National Library began when we had to move out of the Central Library so that it could undergo earthquake strengthening, and we’ve greatly enjoyed our time there.

We have always been aware that our lease would end this year, which has allowed us to be well prepared and to make this transition as smooth as possible.

Unfortunately, there is no option to remain at 70 Molesworth Street, but our two central city branches – Te Awe in Brandon Street and Arapaki in Manners Street – are open until Te Matapihi Central Library reopens in 2026.

All of our collections will still be available to be reserved, and they will be redistributed across our other libraries and Te Pātaka, our Collection and Distribution Centre. We look forward to seeing you back at another Wellington library soon.

Read our full FAQs below:

Continue reading “Te Whare Pukapuka o He Matapihi – Closing 30 June 2023”

Te Tiriti o Waitangi – 6th February events

Books about the Treaty, superimposed over the harbourHere in Wellington we’re far away from Waitangi where the official Waitangi Day commemorations happen every year. But did you know that we’re lucky enough to be able to visit the Treaty itself locally at the He Tohu exhibition at the National Library?

He Tohu is a permanent exhibition of three Aotearoa New Zealand constitutional documents, and preserves these powerful taonga for future generations. The three documents are:

  • He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni (1835)
    Declaration of Independence of the United Tribes of New Zealand
  • Te Tiriti o Waitangi (1840)
    Treaty of Waitangi
  • The Women’s Suffrage Petition (1893)
    Te Petihana Whakamana Pōti Wahine

On Waitangi Day this year you can visit the National Library for a 30-minute guided tour exploring this multi-award winning exhibition. Tours begin on the hour and half hour between 10am and 4pm, and there’s much more happening besides.

As part of the commemorations, our own He Matapihi Library (housed on-site at the National Library), will be open for the day for browsing, and will have two arts and crafts sessions open for children and their families:

  • Weaving: 10:30-11:15am
  • DIY Māori Treasure Box: 1:30-2:15 pm

Please note: He Matapihi will be the only Wellington City Libraries branch open on Waitangi Day — all other branches will be closed for the public holiday.

The National Library have a full day of activities planned so there will be lots more to see and do, including:

  • Arts and crafts activities for the whole whānau
  • Historical footage of Waitangi Day commemorations curated by Ngā Taonga Sound and Vision
  • Te reo Māori pronounciation and waiata workshops
  • View an installation of four giant banners featuring Treaty signatories, including local rangatira Te Wharepōuri

Waitangi Day 2023 at the National Library

Don’t forget you can find more information about Waitangi Day events happening across the city on the Wellington City Council website.

Browse our collection below:

The Treaty of Waitangi / Calman, Ross
“The best basic introduction to the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand’s founding document; it summarizes the history of the Treaty and race relations in New Zealand/ Aotearoa How well do any of us know what the Treaty document means? In this easy-to-follow book, Ross Calman looks at what New Zealand was like before the Treaty and how this important document has effected the way we live now.” (Catalogue)

The Treaty of Waitangi / Orange, Claudia
“Today the Treaty has come to signify what both joins and divides the people of this country. It had different meanings also to those present at the 1840 signing -the new arrivals and the tangatawhenuathen occupying the land. To the British, it was the means by which they gained sovereignty over the country; for Maori, it represented something closer to partnership. That these distinct meanings were conveyed in texts written in different languages only added to the complexities now woven around this crucial agreement.Claudia Orange’s remarkable history was first published in 1987. ” (Catalogue)

Treaty of Waitangi : questions and answers
” Covering many historical and contemporary issues, it is for people who want to gain a basic knowledge about the Treaty of Waitangi and its implications, as well as for those who want to refresh and update their understanding. It includes a summary of legislation and events since 1840 which have breached the Treaty, and a comprehensive reading list for further information. ” (Catalogue)

Treaty of Waitangi settlements
“The settlement of iwi claims under the Treaty of Waitangi has been a prominent feature of New Zealand’s political landscape over the last thirty years. In this timely book, leading scholars offer the first analysis of the economic and social impact of the settlement process.” (Catalogue)

Te Tiriti o Waitangi / Morris, Toby
“Ground-breaking full-colour graphic novel about Te Tiriti o Waitangi | The Treaty of Waitangi. Accessible, engaging, image-rich design. Dual-language flip book with Maori and Pakeha authors Ross Calman and Mark Derby. Text in te reo Maori version developed by Maori Language Commission-registered translator Piripi Walker. Reviewed by some of Aotearoas foremost Te Tiriti o Waitangi experts to reflect current scholarship. Includes a link to both versions of the treaty translated into thirty other languages and New Zealand Sign Language.” (Catalogue)

Treaty to Treaty : a history of early New Zealand from the Treaty of Tordesillas 1494 to the Treaty of Waitangi 1840 / Bennett, R. S.
“This book is a large & detailed history of early NZ and includes events elsewhere in the world that have had an effect on this country. The size of this project and the author’s wish to bring to the fore interesting and important material not covered in other historical work has necessitated the production of three volumes rather than the one as originally intended. Volume One contains essays on background topics.” (Catalogue)

Access changes to The Economist magazine

economist coverA change is coming to digital issues of The Economist in our eLibrary. The publisher of The Economist has put in place a new lending model with restrictions around accessing digital issues.

Overdrive decided they could not support the changes and so from the 1st of February The Economist is no longer available to borrow from Libby. You won’t be able to access it from their website or within the Libby app, it is being removed entirely. The last issue available to borrow will be January 28th 2023. All the back issues that are currently available will be removed on February 1st too.

The Economist is still available to read within PressReader, our other digital magazine platform – but due to changes required by the publisher, The Economist via PressReader must be read when you’re in the library, using one of our computers or when connected to the library’s WiFi. You won’t be able to read issues when you’re outside of the library or be able to download them to a device. These are similar to restrictions PressReader has been required to put in place already around reading the Dominion Post and Stuff’s other newspapers.

Unfortunately these changes are beyond our control and we’re sorry for the inconvenience this causes our readers.

Don’t forget our eLibrary technical support team are here to assist you with online resources, so reach out to them if you want help getting started with a new resource eLibrary Help – Getting started. You can also contact them via our online Technical support form or pop into your local branch library to talk to us in person.

Holiday hours for 2022/2023

A warm season’s greetings to all our library borrowers and visitors with best wishes for a happy holiday season. Here are the opening hours across all our libraries from Saturday 24 December 2022 to Monday 9 January 2023.

All our libraries will be closed 25 December, 26 December, New Year’s Day and 2 January, as well as December 27th and January 3rd. Between Christmas and New Year,  all library branches except He Matapihi Molesworth (closed until 9 January) will be open with reduced hours. See our holiday timetable for details.

He Matapihi Molesworth will reopen and resume their regular hours on Monday 9 January (when the National Library reopens after their holiday closure period).

Of course our eLibrary will be available throughout the holiday period! This includes eBooks, eMagazines and streaming movies to keep you entertained, along with newspapers & eMagazines in PressReader. Happy holidays everyone!

“Bestseller Collection” being retired

Illustration of a book with a bestseller sticker and a sad smileon itFor many years, Wellington City Libraries has provided a collection of popular titles called the Bestseller Collection. Titles could be borrowed by library members for a small fee, allowing readers to access titles that they would otherwise have to wait in a reserve queue for. The Bestsellers are being retired this weekend, to make way for a new collection, due to be rolled out in early 2023.

The new collection will contain popular titles that are free to borrow on a first come, first served basis. We look forward to telling you more as plans firm up!

If you currently hold a Bestsellers concession card, this can be used to borrow from the DVD collection in our libraries, or the CD and Vinyl collections found at Te Awe Brandon Library.

If you have any questions about this change, please talk to staff at your local library, or email enquiries@wcl.govt.nz, and we’ll be happy to help.