National Library's Wellington redevelopment

Media statement
For immediate release

National Library's Wellington building redevelopment to start early December 09

The National Library of New Zealand, which houses the Alexander Turnbull Library, is moving out of its Wellington building in early December to temporary locations as it prepares to start work on the building redevelopment.

“As part of our New Generation modernisation programme we need to move out of the Wellington building while much-needed infrastructure and storage issues are addressed,” says Penny Carnaby, National Librarian and Chief Executive of the National Library.

The building redevelopment will fix leaks on the roof and the ground floor plaza level, replace obsolete systems that no longer work properly, optimise research spaces and provide space to store the collections for the next twenty years.

Some of the Library’s collections will still be accessible for public use from temporary locations.

“While some of the Turnbull Library's collections will need to go into closed storage for safety reasons, many resources will continue to be available. We remain committed to delivering services to New Zealand's research communities during the redevelopment," says Chris Szekely, Chief Librarian of the Alexander Turnbull Library.

The Wellington building on Molesworth Street will close its doors at 5pm on 3 December 09 and will re-open in early 2012.

From 8 December 09 access to the Library’s General Collections will be available through a reading room at 77 Thorndon Quay, Wellington.

From 25 February 2010, access to many high-use Alexander Turnbull Library materials will be available at Archives New Zealand in Mulgrave Street, Wellington.

The Library’s conservators and curators are involved in the careful preparation and packing of the Library’s heritage materials. The Library has also engaged an overseas heritage collection protection expert to support the move of the collections.

The building redevelopment will provide an opportunity to increase heritage content online, with the National Library planning to add up to a million digitised items online over the next two years.

“We will return, in early 2012, as a much more open and accessible National Library for all New Zealanders, ” says Ms Carnaby.

For more information and details about collection access, customers can visit www.natlib.govt.nz/building, email atl@natlib.govt.nz or call 0800 474 300 and request a brochure outlining the changes.

ENDS

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