Archives New Zealand

Archives New Zealand

Archives New Zealand is a legal deposit for government records and material; the purpose of its collection is to regulate information access for the purpose of education, political debate, and efficient and systematic records management. Whilst the building had a café at the entrance, it was not set up for public displays or user spaces and thus, gave the impression that it is not widely visited by the public. The staff reported that Archives New Zealand worked in collaboration with other institutions to support exhibitions such as He Tohu, rather than exhibit material independently. It was apparent that there was a desire to deliver a more dynamic user experience and these factors have likely contributed to Archives New Zealand identifying “taking archives to the people” as one of its three focus strategies for the next 20 years.

The archives work strictly within the parameters of the Public Records Act of 2003 and their own departmental policies. The archive holds six million items dating from eighteen forty to the present, so specific criteria exist for the digitisation of material, that is, material that is frequently accessed, or will assist citizens to achieve their democratic rights. Therefore, description for discovery is considered important for user access. Digitised materials have been used in dynamic ways by users, for example, early correspondence between Maori citizens and the government has been used to rediscover local iwi dialects and reconnect Maori citizens with language and culture. Greater emphasis on the cultural significance of government records and citizen’s interactions with government over time, may help to raise the institution’s profile and work towards its strategic goals.