Latest news with #NationalLibraryofNewZealand
Barnama
16-07-2025
- Business
- Barnama
Malaysia, New Zealand Agree To Deepen Cooperation In Halal Industry
GENERAL From Ahmad Erwan Othman WELLINGTON, July 16 (Bernama) -- Malaysia and New Zealand have agreed to deepen cooperation in the global halal industry through several strategic measures, including the alignment of certification standards, joint research efforts, and the enhancement of halal assurance frameworks. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is currently on a working visit to the island country, said the collaboration is vital to uphold the integrity and international marketability of halal products, amid rising global demand from Muslim consumers. 'This forum is especially significant as it allows both nations to explore new opportunities to strengthen the halal ecosystem through inclusive and complementary approaches,' he said at the Halal Forum and High Tea with New Zealand Minister for Biosecurity and Food Safety Andrew Hoggard, here today. The event, held at the National Library of New Zealand, was attended by senior representatives from industry and government agencies of both countries. Ahmad Zahid, who also chairs Malaysia's Halal Industry Development Council (MPIH), said Malaysia's participation in Fieldays 2025, which is the Southern Hemisphere's largest agricultural exhibition, reflects its commitment to expanding international engagement in agriculture and the halal sector. In his speech, Ahmad Zahid also expressed appreciation to New Zealand's two recognised halal certification bodies, namely the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ) and the New Zealand Islamic Development Trust (NZIDT), for their continued efforts to ensure compliance with halal standards aligned with Malaysian requirements. 'This collaboration is more than technical alignment. It symbolises mutual respect for religious and cultural values in the global trade ecosystem,' he said. Ahmad Zahid said Malaysia also welcomes the participation of New Zealand companies and agencies in the upcoming Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS), as part of efforts to boost bilateral trade in the halal sector.
Economic Times
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
Maurice Gee, acclaimed New Zealand author, dies at 93
Gee wrote over 30 novels for adults and children during his long career. His notable work, Under the Mountain, was first published in 1979 and adapted into a television series in 1981 and a film in 2009. (Image credit: National Library of New Zealand) Maurice Gee, one of New Zealand's most respected and prolific writers, has died in Nelson at the age of 93. His family confirmed that the author passed away peacefully at home on the afternoon of June 12. In a statement, his children Nigel, Emily, and Abigail said, 'He lived a long and full life and approached death with cheerfulness and calm. He asked us not to grieve. Our father touched the lives of many through his words and leaves behind a remarkable legacy in New Zealand literature.' Also Read: Who is Adam Scott beyond the golf course? All you need to know about the Australian golfer chasing his second major Gee wrote more than 30 novels for both adults and children over a career spanning decades. Among his most well-known works is Under the Mountain, first published in 1979 and later adapted into a popular television series in 1981 and a film in 2009. His adult fiction included In My Father's Den (1972), which was made into a feature film in 2004, and The Plumb Trilogy (1978–1983), widely regarded as a cornerstone of New Zealand literature. Born in Whakatāne in 1931, Gee grew up in West Auckland, a region often serving as the backdrop for his fiction. His upbringing and local surroundings profoundly influenced his storytelling. Works such as Going West, Crime Story, The Burning Boy, Live Bodies, The Halfmen of O, and Blindsight showcased his range and depth as a writer. Gee received numerous awards and honours throughout his career. These included the Prime Minister's Award for Literary Achievement, the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, and the Katherine Mansfield Menton Fellowship. In 2003, he was named an Arts Foundation Icon, one of the highest honours for a New Zealand artist.A major biography of Gee, Maurice Gee: Life and Work, was published in 2015 by Rachel Barrowman. The Oxford Companion to New Zealand Literature praised Gee's contribution, stating that his work 'bountifully gives us a rich vision of some region and aspect of New Zealand life, and of human life in general... Yet there is always an awareness of living at the edge of an abyss.'Gee was also known for his support of end-of-life choice, reflecting the calm and considered approach with which he viewed poured in following the news of his death. Nelson MP Rachel Boyack called him 'a giant of New Zealand's literary world,' adding that Under the Mountain was one of her childhood favourites. Poet Bill Manhire described Gee as 'one of the greats,' while writer Rachael King simply wrote, 'RIP you legend of children's fiction.'Publisher Fergus Barrowman, who has long associated with Gee's work, said the author has been central to his understanding of the world since reading Plumb in 1979.
Otago Daily Times
12-06-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Dealer sickened by plan to destroy half a million books
The country's largest second-hand book business wants to save half a million books from being disposed of by the National Library of New Zealand. The National Library claims they've been trying to re-home them since 2018, that there's no demand, and that most haven't been requested in decades. They say the process of shredding and recycling them, via a commercial service, has started. Book dealer and Hard To Find Books owner Warwick Jordan says he couldn't sleep last night and felt physically sick. His various offers over the years to take all the books himself haven't been accepted. 'To give you some context, this issue actually goes back to the 1990s. In the late 1990s, the National Library wanted to get rid of about this number of books. Initially, what they did was they started putting them up in small groups in tender. They put two tenders out. I won both of them, a total of about 30,000 books.' The process of dealing with the remainder was stalled when the issue became political, he says, until 2018 when only 5000 out of 45,000 were sold via a Lions Club book sale. Jordan labelled the book sale idea as 'dumb' because the books - although valuable to him - wouldn't be of interest to the average person. The library ended up giving him the leftover from the sale. 'I know what kind of books these guys are destroying. I know that two thirds of them I can use. There's about one third that really is just junk. I mean, it's just no one wants it. It's just out of date.' The books are international, mostly non-fiction and cover a range of topics like were bibliography, religion, philosophy and computer science. Jordan says one example of a book that was going to junk was a two-volume set bibliography of UFO books from the 1950s. He believes it could retail for $300-$500. 'I'm not saying they're all worth that kind of money. But there's a lot of interesting and unusual things that wouldn't sell to the average Joe public. But there are people out there who are interested, specialised interest.' Jordan says he continued to make offers for the remainder, including packing, delivery, and paying money for them. Although now he longer can afford to make the same financial offer as he did back then, he's willing to find a way to make it work. 'I mean, if I want to make money, I'd go and sell something that actually sells. I want to save the books. It's a disgrace. There could be books in there that is the only copy in the world. Who knows?' National Library director of content services Mark Crookston told Afternoons they had undertaken a range of considerations before reaching this decision. 'We've found homes for about 100,000 items and haven't found home for about 500,000 items. The sale option is one of those options that we considered and we discounted in this instance.' Rules of disposal of public assets suggest they could not make a deal like this unless it was run through auction or 'time consuming and expensive' tendering process, he says. Another reason was the costs required to stamp every book as 'withdrawn' and remove the sleeves, Crookston says. 'We'd have to either employ our existing people away from doing things that they're currently doing or employ additional people to do this … That's quite a considerable, many hundreds of thousands of dollars undertaken.' Jordan was baffled, saying there's no logic to it because he believes the service doing the disposal would charge a lot to be remove the sleeves and all the materials on books that can't be recycled. 'I don't understand because we could do that for them.' Crookston rebutted that saying 'collection management 101' principles mean they couldn't allow that. 'We think what's in the best interest of New Zealanders via the National Library is for these books to be destroyed. That's the most cost efficient and cost-effective way to deal with this issue. 'Library leaders around New Zealand and the world know that when there's large disposal projects or processes undertaken with books is that there's strong views held about it because a lot of people just don't like books being destroyed. But in collection management, that's just what a lot of libraries have to go through.'
Scoop
28-05-2025
- General
- Scoop
Digitising Marlborough History One Ferry Ride At A Time
Article – Kira Carrington – Local Democracy Reporter The National Library of New Zealand, in partnership with the Preserving Local History and Education Trust, has now added the Marlborough Express newspapers from 1929 to 1952 to their online collection, Papers Past. The new issues will be available from … More than two decades of yellowing Marlborough Express newspapers crossed Cook Strait on their way to be digitised in a mammoth National Library project. Former Marlborough Museum director Steve Austin had picked up the newspapers from the museum archives, stacked them in the back of his car, and personally drove them onto the ferry, making three separate trips during 2023 to get them to the New Zealand Micrographic Services in Wellington. The National Library of New Zealand, in partnership with the Preserving Local History and Education Trust, has now added the Marlborough Express newspapers from 1929 to 1952 to their online collection, Papers Past. The new issues will be available from 12pm on Wednesday. 'I've felt personally committed to the significance of this project,' Austin said. 'I realised that transporting these materials carried risks, and it wasn't something I was willing to leave to someone else. I wanted to ensure everything went smoothly.' Transporting the newspapers was 'a major undertaking', Austin said. 'The bonus was getting to visit the facilities, inspect the equipment, and meet some of the amazing people involved in the project.' The work meant the public would have online access to all Marlborough Express volumes from 1886 until 1952. The trust's chairperson, Andy Fenton, called Austin's dedication to personally delivering the newspapers 'nothing short of inspiring'. 'Steve's story is worth archiving in its own right,' Fenton said. 'As individuals united by a shared passion for preserving history, we've all gone to extraordinary lengths to bring this project to fruition.' The trust was established in 2022 to preserve Aotearoa's cultural heritage by creating digital records of local and community newspapers, and making them publicly available online. 'Our team is made up of ordinary New Zealanders with an extraordinary mission: to preserve the stories that have shaped our communities and nation, and to make them accessible to both current and future generations,' Fenton said. The trust funded and arranged for newspapers to be photographed, and the images donated to the National Library's National Digital Heritage Archive. National Library director of content services Mark Crookston said partnering with the trust had allowed them to digitise newspapers covering all regions up to 1945. Previously the Marlborough Express was only available on Papers Past up to the 1920s. 'We're delighted that the partnership with the trust and their work with Marlborough Museum has enabled us to fill this gap.' Liz Ward, the manager of Heritage Marlborough, the Marlborough District Council's heritage unit, called it one of the 'more significant efforts to preserve Marlborough's history' since the creation of the Papers Past project. The work meant the public would have online access to all Marlborough Express volumes from 1886 until 1952. The trust's chairperson, Andy Fenton, called Austin's dedication to personally delivering the newspapers 'nothing short of inspiring'. 'Steve's story is worth archiving in its own right,' Fenton said. 'As individuals united by a shared passion for preserving history, we've all gone to extraordinary lengths to bring this project to fruition.' The trust was established in 2022 to preserve Aotearoa's cultural heritage by creating digital records of local and community newspapers, and making them publicly available online. 'Our team is made up of ordinary New Zealanders with an extraordinary mission: to preserve the stories that have shaped our communities and nation, and to make them accessible to both current and future generations,' Fenton said. The trust funded and arranged for newspapers to be photographed, and the images donated to the National Library's National Digital Heritage Archive. National Library director of content services Mark Crookston said partnering with the trust had allowed them to digitise newspapers covering all regions up to 1945. Previously the Marlborough Express was only available on Papers Past up to the 1920s. 'We're delighted that the partnership with the trust and their work with Marlborough Museum has enabled us to fill this gap.'
