ALEXANDER TURNBULL LIBRARY REPORT BY THE CHIEF LIBRARIAN, A. G. BAGNALL, TO NATIONAL LIBRARIAN

Turnbull Library Record, Volume 4, Issue 2, 1 October 1971, Page 114

ALEXANDER TURNBULL LIBRARY REPORT BY THE CHIEF LIBRARIAN, A. G. BAGNALL, TO NATIONAL LIBRARIAN

The fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Library to the public (on 28 June 1920) was marked by a number of functions in June and July which are noted later. It may be said that the Library commences its second half-century not merely as a division of the National Library with safeguards to ensure its continuing identity but with a clearly defined role and purpose. By concentrating on the development of its Pacific and New Zealand collections over the full range of Library materials with some support for its rare book programme its holdings will represent the National Library collections in the subject areas covered sectionally in this report. The solution to the accommodation problem in a National Library building is still some way off but in the short term the occupation of the Free Lance building, probably early in 1972, should offer some opportunity for a more functional organisation even within its limited area. The Trustees Committee for the Library met on four occasions during the year. Sir John Ilott announced his resignation as Chairman at the May meeting and appropriate recognition of his outstanding service to the Library and his donations to it were placed on record. Mr A. D. Mclntosh, cmg, the newly appointed Chairman of Trustees of the National Library was appointed Chairman of the Committee at the December meeting. In earlier reports and elsewhere reference has been made to the need for a Library liaison officer in London. At a time when economy is necessary in various directions it must still be said that the need for a senior qualified person to be able to negotiate on the Library’s behalf is paramount and is not made unnecessary by the splendid assistance given by New Zealand House together with the occasional brief services able to be rendered by members of the Library staff coincidentally in London. Failing such an appointment in the immediate future a regular annual visit of at least three months’ duration would pay for itself in the equivalent value of material located and acquired. The appointment in August 1970 of Mr W. J. H. Baillie as the National Library’s first Conservation Officer is a most important step for the future preservation of the priceless materials in the collections. The urgent measures necessary to ensure that the manuscripts, paintings, photographs and rare books now in the Library will be available for future generations are overdue.

Acquisitions Acquisition in the Library’s basic subject areas has continued satis-

factorily; difficulties in the Pacific area continue and personal contact is needed to establish agencies, exchange and other facilities. Even within New Zealand the identification of fugitive and occasionally, substantial items, is time consuming. In the periodicals sector the formal extension of the Copyright depository privilege to the Library when completed should result in more efficient and complete coverage. A wide range of long-playing New Zealand recorded music is being regularly accessioned as part of a programme to develop a national collection of all aspects of musical composition.

Material on microfilm has continued to increase, a particularly significant intake being the copies of the New Zealand manuscripts in the Mitchell Library, Sydney, identified in 1969 by Mr R. F. Grover. Purchases of non-Pacific rare books have had to be restricted although a small number of Milton items and some eighteenth century titles were acquired.

J. Through the good offices of Mr A. D. Mclntosh negotiations for the Library’s share of the collection of the late K. A. Webster were successfully taken a stage further. Pending a final settlement some hundreds of items arrived in the Library in November. The acquisition covers New Zealand manuscripts, pamphlets, books as well as a good deal of ephemera and pamphlet material on the social and political background to emigration from the United Kingdom during the early decades of the nineteenth century. It will be some time before the collection is fully catalogued.

Important acquisitions other than of printed books are noted in the appropriate sections and at the end is an appendix listing donors to whose generosity the Library is indebted for the gift of significant items and in some cases collections. The Library has also benefitted by material passed on by other institutions notably the Hocken Library, the Auckland Institute and Museum, the City of Auckland Public Libraries, Hastings Public Library, Gisborne Public Library and the Library of the Army Department. Catalogue Section During the year 3,285 books, pamphlets and music items were catalogued as well as 136 sound recordings and 47 microfilms. These microfilms represent only a small number of those held by the Library, such acquisitions covering chiefly newspapers, manuscripts, rare books and theses.

Monthly issues of the New Zealand National Bibliography were prepared in the section throughout the year. In Section I - books, pamphlets, art prints, music scores and sound recordings, 1,604 items were listed as compared with 1,508 in 1969. 491 annuals were entered in Section 111 as compared with 437 in 1969. The annual cumulation for 1969 was published in October 1970, and during the year printed cards

were issued for 259 titles. Work on the second volume of the retrospective New Zealand National Bibliography to the year 1960 is well advanced and publication is planned for early 1972. By the end of this year it is expected that most of the significant titles held in the Library in the pre-1890 period will be listed.

The Catalogue Section continues to maintain the Union Catalogue of pre-1801 books held in New Zealand. Senior staff members have continued supervision of the cataloguing of the Library’s art, manuscript and map collections as well as the control of the Library’s binding programme.

Reference Section During the year the number of readers was 6,102 compared with 4,661 last year, an increase of over per cent. Books used totalled 27,175 compared with 24,338 and the number of letters answered rose to 658 compared with 557. Interloan requests satisfied were 282 compared with 177 last year. Photocopying orders for Xerox and microfilm copies rose from 1,514 in 1969 to 2,345 in 1970. In November 1970 a Rank-Xerox 720 machine was installed in the Library and it is expected that there will be a further increase in orders. To summarise increase in use an average of five more people per day used ten more books per day during the year. Having regard to the limited staff available to deal with this increase in the service demanded by the public, the work accomplished has been achieved only at some sacrifice of standards. Subjects on which scholars did research were the early development of the New Zealand Department of Education, with special reference to Reverend W. J. Habens, biographies of Sir Peter Buck, Sir John Bates Thurston, Reverend Henry Williams, William Williams, F. A. Weld and Peter Dillon, and comparative studies in land settlement, Australia and New Zealand 1880-1914. Many scholars from overseas used the Reading Room, particularly from Australia and America. Correspondence dealt with such varied subjects as the Waikato river steamer service, 19th century visits of the St Leon Circus, ballooning in New Zealand, a bibliography of the Cook Islands, Mangungu mission station, the age of Bulls school, Maori pa on the Otara river, 19th century furniture-making in New Zealand and women in New Zealand.

Because of pressure of other work only limited progress has been made with the retrospective newspaper and other indexes. Manuscripts Collection The rate of acquisition by both donation and purchase was maintained during the year at a satisfactory level. The fact remains, nevertheless, that more manuscripts could be obtained if a field officer were available to follow up clues systematically.

Among the donations were substantial Union records such as those of the Federated Seamen’s Union (1893-1935) and a number of West Coast unions including the Inangahua Gold and Coal Miners’ Union. Among business archives received were the records of A. S. Paterson and Company, while Mr Harold Pearce donated some commercial records of Edward Pearce which relate to the Levin and Company archives already received. Miss Dorothy Tully presented the diary of John Tully a New Zealand Company surveyor in the Wellington region and the donation of a further five diaries of the Hawke’s Bay and Canterbury surveyor H. B. Sealy extended an already significant holding. Mr W. B. Burt presented a most important collection of early records and documents dealing with the Chatham Islands. In another area of research interest are the papers of O. E. Burton and a war diary of Sir Peter Buck.

Purchases included a collection of early letters of F. E. Maning, the author of the classic Old New Zealand, the 1866-7 journal of a Marlborough visitor, W. W. Hawkins, and the New Zealand autobiography of Colonel T. B. Collinson of the 1840 s illustrated with his own sketches. In the field of literary manuscripts the acquisition of the Frank Sargeson papers represents one of the most important steps the Library has been able to take in the recent past. A full list of acquisitions is given in the May 1971 Turnbull Library Record.

As before, much manuscript has been borrowed for copying and the resources of the Library have been enhanced by membership of the Pacific Manuscripts Bureau, and the receipt of material through the Australian Joint Copying Project as well as from the Mitchell Library and other Australian libraries visited by Mr Grover. Art Collection

Acquisitions during the year totalled 81 original works and 95 prints. The collection now consists of approximately 8,000 originals with 97 additional albums of sketches and 10,500 prints. Among important donations were three watercolours of the Hutt and Wairarapa by Mein Smith, presented by a descendant of the artist, Miss Dorothy Tully, Greytown, and a watercolour of Whakatane by J. Swinton Diston, from Mrs F. Manson, Wellington. The Friends of the Turnbull Library presented a set of ten Susan Skerman prints derived from the artist’s studies for her Bush Walk at Expo 70; and the New Zealand Commissioner-General for Expo 70 generously presented Miss Skerman’s working drawings for the Bush Walk.

The Endowment Trust Board purchased a watercolour portrait of Te Rauparaha sketched from life in 1842 by J. A. Gilfillan - one of the outstanding art acquisitions since Mr Turnbull’s death; three C. D. Barraud watercolours, purchased in Paris, one being a full-length

portrait of Te Rangihaeata, dated 1856; and thirty-four watercolours by General C. E. Gold, mostly views in Wellington and Taranaki, which were bought at auction at Christie’s in London together with a watercolour of Massacre Bay in the eighteen-forties which has associations with Heaphy. Among the general purchases were eleven charcoal drawings of New Zealand landscapes in iB6O by E. R. Sandys, of HMS Opal; two watercolours of Wellington in the eighteen-forties by Fox; from England a watercolour of a bush scene by Mein Smith; two watercolours of New Plymouth in the ’sixties by H. H. Arden; and an 1866 watercolour of the scene of the Wairau massacre, by W. F. E. Liardet.

Twenty-seven paintings were lent to the Library for photographing; and several hundred photographs of paintings in the National Library of Australia and other Australian institutions were received as a result of Mr Grover’s trip in 1969. These most usefully complement photographs of New Zealand works in the British Museum. The increasing interest in New Zealand art, reflected in rising auction prices, lifted to 230 the number of enquiries dealt with by correspondence or in person (as against 156 in the previous year), while there were 160 telephone enquiries (94 last year) most of the queries being concerned with the identification of subjects, attribution of artists or biographical information on artists. There was also a marked increase in the demands made upon the art holdings for reproductions in New Zealand and overseas in illustrating books, as art prints and on television. As in all sections of the Library, heavier demands upon the wider services provided by the section are made the more difficult to meet by lack of adequate space and working facilities. Map Collection

The appointment of a full-time map librarian at the beginning of 1970 has enabled the work of the section to be greatly extended. A large backlog of cataloguing was dealt with (1,700 maps were accessioned, compared with 500 in 1968-9), and a more active acquisitions policy has been pursued. Many gaps in the holdings of current Lands and Survey maps have been filled, and approaches to various local and ad hoc bodies have resulted in significant additions to the map collection. A large and interesting collection of some 800 Wellington and region subdivisional plans was deposited on permanent loan by Gordon Harcourt Ltd, usefully supplementing a large number of such plans already held. Over 230 reference enquiries were dealt with, two-thirds of these being from the public, the other third from staff members, particularly in the Reference section. In 1970 235 maps were catalogued for the New Zealand National Bibliography, compared with 189 in 1969.

Photograph Collection The Photograph Collection continues to be well used by members of the public and Government Departments and this has resulted in a total of 727 orders being handled during the year. An increasing number of these orders are for super-enlargements for displays and for murals. Accessioned negatives now total 93,868, there being also 71,801 catalogued prints and 23,500 loose prints. Three hundred and fiftyeight albums are also held. Donations during the year have included collections of negatives from Gordon Burt, Earle Andrew and W. R. Burt. Much valuable material has also been lent for copying, including a collection of very early negatives of Hokitika and district lent by Mr W. H. Shannon. Conservation

With the arrival in August of the National Library’s Conservation Officer after a tour through the United States of America to institutions actively involved in dealing with problems of preservation in libraries, progress will be made in dealing with our own problems in this area.

Pending the renovation of premises for his laboratory and workshop, the Conservation Officer has been concerned with the establishment of procedures for dealing with bulk binding repairs and microfilm production as a preservation technique. Due to the heavy use of the collection for reference purposes a large portion is in need of repair. It is hoped to take full advantage of the facilities of the Government Printing Office in an effort to make progress despite restriction in staff and facilities within the Library. Exhibitions, Displays and Publicity

The Jubilee Exhibition was the most comprehensive the Library has mounted, to show highlights from the original collections and from acquisitions made during fifty years as a State library. In the exhibits of books and manuscripts equal emphasis was placed upon the rare book and English literature collections as well as upon the Pacific and New Zealand collections. A special display covered the founder and his family background. One hundred pictures were chosen to illustrate the point that although historical interest is the important criterion and amateur work may be very important, yet the Library’s art collection as a whole stands comparison with many of the country’s art galleries. An extensively annotated catalogue accompanied the exhibition. A Jubilee window display in Kirkcaldie and Stains Ltd attracted considerable public attention. During New Zealand Book Week a small display was mounted in the entrance hall of the Library. Paintings from the Bett Collection, on deposit in the Library, were lent for a Nelson Historical Exhibition and paintings from the Turnbull collections were lent for an exhibition of early New Zealand art at the

Wairarapa Arts Centre. The Susan Skerman working drawings were exhibited at the Waikato Art Gallery and the Wairarapa Arts Centre before the Library took delivery of them. Extensive newspaper and radio publicity was accorded the Library throughout New Zealand, in part associated with the Jubilee and the new print releases. Jubilee

Three functions marked the 50th Jubilee of the opening of the Library. On the evening of 30 June an address entitled The Library and the Cosmos was delivered by Professor J. C. Beaglehole, om, cmg, hon dlitt (oxon). The occasion was arranged by the Trustees’ Special Committee for the Turnbull Library and was chaired by the Honourable D. J. Riddiford, Minister of Justice, a member of the Committee. At a further reception on 9 July a preview of the Jubilee Exhibition was opened by the Honourable B. E. Talboys, Minister of Education. The Friends of the Turnbull Library celebrated the Jubilee on the evening of 16 July, when Dr E. H. McCormick presented his address, Alexander Turnbull - Some Biographical Reflections. The then chairman of the Friends (Canon Nigel Williams) being abroad, the chair was taken by Professor D. F. McKenzie, the present chairman of the Society.

Alexander Turnbull Library Endowment Trust The Board in September appointed Mr A. D. Mclntosh, cmg, as successor to Sir John Ilott who regrettably was obliged to retire on account of ill-health after four years’ service as chairman. Four meetings were held during the year when matters arising from the administration of the Board’s funds were considered. Major items purchased by the Board were the manuscripts of Frank Sargeson and Denis Glover, the New Zealand volume of the autobiography of Captain T. B. Collinson and a Gilfillan painting of Te Rauparaha. The assets of the Board amounted to $57,254 as at 31 March 1970. Receipts during the year totalled $9,636 from the sale of prints and donations. Payments included $3,660 for print purchases and $4,527 for the purchase of items for the collection. The 1970 print series consisted of a limited edition of a painting by Gustavus von Tempsky (issued as the Library’s ‘Jubilee’ print) and two paintings of the 1845-6 war in the Bay of Islands by Major Cyprian Bridge. Publications

In addition to the annual print series of the Endowment Trust and the Jubilee Print, and the Jubilee Exhibition catalogue, three issues of The Turnbull Library Record were published by the Friends of the Turnbull Library. The Endowment Trust has in course of publication a work by Dr Andrew Sharp, Duperrey in New Zealand and expects that the

biography of A. H. Turnbull by Dr E. H. McCormick will be completed later this year.

APPENDIX Library Donors April 1970-March 1971 Mr I. C. Abemethy, Miss P. Aitken, Miss R. T. Alidin, Miss M. B. Anderson, Mrs C. H. Andrews, Mr P. Andrews, Mr W. J. C. Ashcroft, Mr P. Averi, Mrs N. M. Baillie, Mr D. H. Balm, Miss M. C. Barker, Mr A. C. Barrington, Mr K. McL. Baxter, Mr C. H. Beach, Professor J. C. Beaglehole, Reverend A. Broughton, Mrs G. M. Brown, Mr K. Brown, Mr W. Brown, Mr M. Bruce, Mr F. Burrell, Mr W. B. Burt, Reverend O. Burton, Mrs K. M. Butters, Mrs Callaghan, Mr J. Callanan, Mr J. S. Carmichael, Mr S. T. Carter, Mr J. H. Christie, Mr K. Clement, Mrs M. Clements, Mr F. T. Clere, Mr B. E. F. S. Collins, Mr J. Commons, Professor J. B. Condliffe, Miss R. R. Coull, Mrs J. M. Couper, Mr Cretney, Miss E. Currie, Mrs M. A. Dalgety, Mr J. P. Davey, Mr J. Doherty, Lt-Col. C. Earle, Mr G. J. Elliott, Mr E. A. Ewen, Mrs E. C. Fisher, Mr O. Flo, Mr T. C. Forester, Miss I. Forrest, Mr G. R. Gallant, Mr K. S. Gandy, Mr W. M. Gardiner, Mr F. Gay, Mrs P. Godsiff, Miss M. Gordon, Mr R. F. Graham, Reverend K. Gregory, Mrs D. A. Hall, Mr B. G. Hamlin, Mr T. Hankinson, Mrs F. Hanson, Mrs Z. Hardyment, Mr J. A. Harrison, Mr C. A. Harvey, Mr R. C. Hedditch, Mr A. S. Helm, Mr T. J. Henry, Mr R. E. Hereford, Mrs M. Hetley, Mr G. H. V. Hewitt, Mr L. W. Houliston, Mr S. Hunt, Mr M. T. Hutton, Sir J. Ilott, Mrs L. M. Inglis, Mrs E. L. Jackson, Mr H. R. Jackson, Mr D. L. Jenkins, Mrs D. E. Johnson, Mr D. H. Johnson, Mr I. Johnston, Mr A. L. Jones, Mrs C. E. Kay, Mr R. F. Keam, Mr H. Keith, Mrs C. F. Lang, Mr P. Lawlor, Mr B. L. Leverton, Mr F. Lewis, Mr G. R. Lewthwaite, Professor L. W. McCaskill, Mr B. J. McCormack, Mr R. H. McKenzie, Mr K. M. McKillop, Mr I. D. McLean, Mr J. McNeish, Professor H. T. Manning, Dame Ngaio Marsh, Mr M. Marshall, Mr H. G. R. Mason, Miss R. Mason, Mr J. R. Matthews, Mr R. C. Medland, Mrs L. A. Miller, Mr W. Miller, Mr P. R. Millward, Mr L. A. L. Moore, Mr E. L. Mulcock, Mr H. D. Mullon, Mr D. F. Murdoch, Sister M. Murdoch, Mr L. Nicholls, Mr J. Nissen, Mr P. O’Farrell, Mrs Osborne, Mr P. O’Shea, Father M. Palmer, Mr H. W. Parkinson, Mr N. Z. Parsloe, Mr R. H. Pavitt, Mr L. Paszkowski, Mrs F. Pearce, Mr H. S. Pearce, Miss J. Perkins, Dr G. C. Petersen, Lt-Col R. B. Phillipps, Mr A. J. Pickering, Mr R. Pinney, Mr Pointon, Mr F. Ponder, Mr R. E. Pope, Count Stefan C. Potocki, Mr P. Prescott, Mrs L. Prodinger, Mr J. D. Raeside, Mr A. J. Ratliff, Reverend H. E. Reaney, Mrs C. A. Rennie, Mr R. Richards, Lady Jessie M. Richmond, Mrs W. H. Robieson, Miss L. Rodda, Miss P. A. Roe, Mr F. Rogers, Mr W. B. Ross, Mr W. Ross Taylor, Mr G. H. Scott, Mr G. C. Shaw, Mr E. P. Simcox, Mr J. R. Simonsen, Mrs Simpson, Miss M. M. Slatter, Mr D. Smith, Mr R. J. Smith, Mrs K. So, Mrs E. J. Springer, Mr L. J. R. Starke, Mr R. M. Startup, Mrs H. J. Steptoe, Professor J. Stevens, Mrs L. H. Stevenson, Reverend J. E. Stewart, Mr J. S. Strange, Mr W. T. H. StrangeMore, Mrs E. Store, Mr C. R. H. Taylor, Mr G. Taylor, Mrs D. R. Te Kanawa Mrs A. Thackrah, Mrs E. J. Trolove, Mr G. A. Tuck, Miss D. Tully, Mr M. J. Turnbull, Mr and Mrs Verrall, Mr Wareing, Right Reverend A. K. Warren, Mrs M. E. Watson, Mrs C. W. Watts, Miss G. Wheeler, Mrs L. P. Wheeler, Mrs A. White, Mrs M. White, Mrs C. Whiteley, Mrs M. Williams, Mrs O. W. Williams, Mrs C. M. Wilson, Mr G. B. Wilson, Mr L. G. Wilson, Reverend Dr R. M. Wiltgen, Mr C. Winstone, Miss O. Wolters, Mr H. W. Wood, Miss A. Woodhouse, Mrs P. R. Woodhouse, Mr P. Zwartz.