Reference and Local History Collection
Items in the reference collection are not for loan to ensure they are always available, but, in some cases, are duplicated elsewhere in the Libraries. The most comprehensive collection is housed in the Napier Library and is located on the first floor with its own reference desk and staff. Taradale Library has a great selection of current, ready-reference materials.
The General Reference Collection includes:atlases, almanacs, bibliographies and biographical encyclopaedias, dictionaries, directories, encyclopaedias, manuals, maps, and yearbooks. Many subject-specific resources are available, including New Zealand law, health, and the arts. University and polytechnic calendars are available. These resources are reviewed regularly to ensure material is current and relevant.
Special Interest Reference:
- Local government: current Napier City Council and Hawkes Bay District Council reports, agendas, minutes, annual plans and strategic plans of interest in print format are kept while topical, and as space permits. Online access is provided free of charge to ‘Local Government Online’, where all plans and reports can be viewed for any part of the country. District Health Board material is also available.
- Government publications: Napier Library is the government depository library for the wider Hawkes Bay region; and has the responsibility to make New Zealand government information available to the public. Materials are kept for 15 years (or longer) and include: New Zealand Statutes and updates; Bills before Parliament; Annual Reports (Ministries); AJHR A-J Papers (including the Budget); the Parliamentary Bulletin; the New Zealand Education Gazette; Regulations; and Hansard. Much of this information is also found on government websites to which online access is provided free of charge.
- Electoral rolls: current New Zealand electoral rolls are held at Napier and Taradale libraries; and earlier electoral rolls are held in print and microfiche format at Napier.
- Auto manuals: include workshop manuals for ‘popular’ models of cars and pickups, motorcycles, outboard motors and small engines; but not trucks. A photocopier is available to duplicate diagrams and instructions.
- Maps: The map collection includes a wide variety of New Zealand maps: street maps, topographical maps, National Parks, local soil maps, and some historical maps.
- Genealogy collection: resources for family history research, with an emphasis on New Zealand sources. The items are not for loan. They include: microfiche/microfilm resources including births, deaths and marriages; cemetery records; some electoral rolls; a collection of books on how to research family history; Ancestry Library Edition; and Find My Past; online databases available for use in Napier and Taradale Libraries; local newspapers on microfilm; and magazines on genealogical subjects.