Whakaputu / Archives and Special Collections

1. Scope

The Libraries serve as a repository and preserver of documentary heritage, while making accessible material which represents the dynamic, cultural, historic and creative output of Hamilton and where appropriate, the wider Waikato region. This includes the iwi boundaries of Raukawa, Maniapoto, Pare Hauraki, and Tainui. 

The Whakaputu | Archives & Special Collections are of enduring local and regional significance and ensure that Hamilton’s unique stories are collected, preserved and shared.  The Libraries archival collecting areas encompass all formats of documentary heritage following the ARANZ Code of Ethics and the Public Records Act 2005. These include: 

• Council records

• community archives

• photographs

• negatives

• ephemera

• oral history

• born digital material

These are of enduring value.

All items being accessioned or deaccessioned will be assessed with robust criteria via an acquisitions committee. The Acquisitions Committee consists of the Whakaputu | Archives, Reference & Special Collections Manager, the Koorero | Content Manager and other relevant specialists as required.

The Libraries will work collaboratively with Council departments and all communities in Hamilton to acquire material that:

• needs to be retained for Council under the Public Records Act 2005

• holds intrinsic value for Hamilton City and its communities

2. Collection Donation, Deposit & Transfer

• Collections are grown through donations and transfers

• The Libraries may receive deposits if deemed appropriate

• The Libraries will receive transfers from Council meeting the Public Records Act 2005

• The Libraries reserve the right to refuse collection offers if they do not meet the criteria listed

Acquisitions Committee criteria for consideration includes, but is not limited to:

• legal ownership/the legal right to deposit material

• ability to provide appropriate storage

• preservation needs are within the Libraries’ abilities

• legal and ethical considerations

• property rights such as copyright

• geographic boundaries

Materials which are not textual or graphic, and are primarily artefacts, are normally referred to the Waikato Museum

3. Deaccessioning and Disposal

All items legally owned by the Libraries that no longer fit the specific collection development criteria may be deaccessioned via an acquisitions committee.

Acquisitions Committee criteria for deaccessioning includes, but is not limited to:

• no longer meeting acquisition criteria and objectives

• deteriorated to the point where the Libraries are unable to secure appropriate conservation treatment or where the cost of such treatment outweighs the merit of the item

• duplicate, superfluous or inferior to a related item within the collection

• approved by Archives New Zealand for disposal

Disposal of material will initially be offered back to the original donor or their heir. If this is not successful, the following disposal methods would be considered:

• transfer to another relevant institution

• gift or exchange

• destruction by confidential means

• under no circumstances should deaccessioned items be acquired or traded by Library contractors, staff or their families or agents

4. Preservation

The Libraries:

• are committed to the long-term preservation of Council and community archives and special collections

• will balance the need for community access with its responsibility to preserve the heritage collections for posterity

• will use digitisation to provide sustainable access to heritage resources where possible

5. Storage and Access

The Whakaputu | Archives & Special Collections resources are stored in back of house areas, mostly at the Central Library. These resources add significantly to the depth and breadth of the library collections and can be retrieved by Whakaputu staff for customers in-house use. All archival and special collections are housed in climatically controlled environments and managed according to best practice ensuring their longevity. Due to the unique nature of this collection, materials from the Whakaputu | Archives and Special Collections are only able to be viewed in the Archives Reading Room on Level Three of the Central Library by appointment.

6. Loans

The borrowing institution must meet all conditions imposed by the Whakaputu | Archives, Reference & Special Collections Manager and all costs including insurance and transportation. Archival records and special collection items may be loaned within Council and to other heritage institutions for the purposes of exhibition or research. The Library will loan material from other institutions for complimentary exhibition purposes.

Return to Collection Management Policy.