1. Guiding Principles
To provide a record of the culture and history of Hamilton and the Waikato area for current and future generations.
The Ngaa Koorero Tuku Iho/Heritage and Research Library serves two main purposes:
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to preserve the published documentary heritage of the Waikato Regional Council boundaries (with a focus on Hamilton City), as well as the iwi boundaries of Raukawa, Maniapoto, Pare Hauraki, and Tainui
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to provide access to selected published documentary heritage of New Zealand for the purposes of general reference, research or recreational interest.
2. Scope
Collections mainly consist of published documentary heritage material. The primary collecting focus is Hamilton and the greater Waikato region. Material from other areas of New Zealand is also collected, but at a lower level. International material may be collected if it supports topics of interest to the local community.
The collection is made up of textual or graphic materials including:
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printed materials such as books, maps, magazines, newspapers
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the digital equivalents of these
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audio visual material and other materials are collected where appropriate, but the preference is for longer lasting and non-proprietary physical formats such as paper and microforms.
3. Selection Criteria
The Rangahau/Heritage and Research Team are responsible for selecting material for the collections. A number of criteria are considered when selecting materials including:
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whether the author is local
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the geographic coverage of the material
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whether the subject material is already adequately covered within the collection
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how popular the subject material is within the local community
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the significance or value of the material
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the format of the material.
4. Price and Quantity
Only one copy of each item selected is normally purchased for the collection. If the item is of relevance, e.g. particularly important as a record of Hamilton’s history, a duplicate copy may be purchased. Duplicate items may be retained from donations:
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if they are otherwise difficult to obtain
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the item may be at risk because of fragility or potential theft
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because of its historic significance.
5. Retention and Deselection
Material from Hamilton and the greater Waikato area is permanently retained unless replaced by copies in a better condition. Materials from outside this area may be deselected if they have been superseded or are deemed to no longer support the purposes of the collection.
6. Access
Due to its cultural and historical significance, material from the Ngaa Koorero Tuku Iho/Heritage and Research Library are not able to be borrowed. These can be viewed on Level Three of the Central Library.
7. Ngaa Koorero Tuku Iho /Heritage and Research Library Loans
Heritage and Research Library items may be loaned to other heritage institutions for the purposes of exhibition or research but handling and display must meet accepted professional standards. The borrowing institution must meet all conditions imposed by the Koorero/Content Manager and all costs including insurance and transportation.
Return to Collection Management Policy.