Alexander Turnbull Library reopens for researchers

Alexander Turnbull Library reopens for researchers

The National Library of New Zealand building in Wellington reopens its doors to researchers on Monday (6 August) for the first time since refurbishment work began two years ago.

While work continues on the $65 million refurbishment programme ahead of the public opening in late November, the Library’s priceless collections from the Alexander Turnbull Library are now available for researchers to access.

“The refit of the ground floor continues, but we are delighted to be able to reopen our Reading Rooms from 10am on Monday,” said National Librarian, Bill Macnaught.

“During the construction work, our collections were very carefully stored away and researchers had very limited access, through temporary facilities off-site. Now all the collections are available once again with improvements not only to the reading rooms but also to the behind-the-scenes collection storage and staff workspaces.

“We are on schedule for the ground floor to reopen in November but we wanted to reopen access to the research collections as soon as we safely could,” Bill Macnaught said.

A new, small Gallery will also be available to the public from Monday, showcasing treasures from the Alexander Turnbull Library’s vast collections. The first Turnbull Gallery exhibition Fresh: Recent Past, New Start (6 August – 29 September), draws together material from across the collections to give a snapshot of the work of New Zealand’s pre-eminent research library.

From Monday 6 August, Reading Room facilities and the Turnbull Gallery will be open from 10am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday, at the National Library building, Molesworth Street, Wellington.

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