This plan outlines the specific strengths and current collecting priorities for the heritage Map collection held by Auckland Council Libraries.

About the collection

Subject coverage

The Maps collection includes road and street maps, topographical maps, cadastral maps, farm location maps, map series, real estate maps, tourist and travel maps, pictorial maps, nautical charts, aerial photographs, war maps, technical and architectural drawings.

Geographic coverage

The collection is primarily focused on Auckland and the area covered by the old Auckland provincial boundaries, with selective coverage of Aotearoa, the Pacific and Antarctica. Historically items that were of enduring national and international significance were also included in the collection, such as items donated by Sir George Grey and a large collection of maps connected with the First World War. 

Formats and extent

Material can be printed, or in manuscript form (i.e. unpublished, hand-drawn, and/or annotated). Most maps are in atlas or sheet format, but the collection also contains relief maps and digital maps including some which no longer exist in a physical format.

Also catalogued as part of the collection are maps of significance located withing printed books, 19th century parliamentary papers and in the general manuscript collections. These are assigned a map number but remain in their original location.

Sometimes there are overlaps between what might be considered ephemera, a printed booklet or a map. In these cases, curators discuss and decide on the best location for the material.

Strengths of the collection

The map collection is strong in the following areas:

• Early Auckland real estate maps
• Street maps of Auckland
• New Zealand topographic and cadastral series
• Geology (Hochstetter, DSIR map series)
• Antarctica
• Pacific Islands material
• New Zealand wars
• Nautical charts
• AA and tourist maps of New Zealand

Current collecting priorities

The following collecting priorities are identified to focus resources, build on existing collection strengths, to fill gaps in the collection and proactively develop new collecting areas.

Proactive priorities

Acquisitions in these areas seek to fill gaps and/or provide balance to the collection:

• Early maps of Aotearoa (pre- and early 1900s)
• Manuscript maps relating to Auckland

Ongoing priorities

Acquisitions in these areas build on our existing collection strengths:

• Auckland street maps
• Nautical charts – a representative selection covering Auckland, NZ and the Pacific
• Real estate sale material
• Auckland tourist maps
• Maps and charts of early voyages including the Pacific and Antarctica

Selectively collected items

Subject areas that are well-represented in the collection are considered on an individual basis. This includes:

• Superceded topographical maps that fall within the broad geographic coverage will continue to be selectively added. These maps are often withdrawn from the current use library collections, and it is unlikely that they will continue to be produced in hardcopy format in the future.

Stop collecting

These are areas in which we may have previously collected, but are no longer collecting:

• International maps are no longer collected unless there is strong connection to Auckland, New Zealand, or the Pacific.
  
• Digital copies of maps held in other collecting institutions.

Exclusions

We do not collect the following:

• Maps that fall outside the geographical scope are not actively collected unless they have strong historical or cultural significance.
• Duplicates of material already held will not be collected, unless the duplicate is in better condition.
• Maps which are produced by Auckland Council and will be collected by Council Archives.

Want to discuss a research query or donation?

Specialist staff are available to assist you with research questions or potential donation of materials. 

Learn more about our research services or find out how to donate to the heritage collections.