Collections
This page lists all the major collections and types of resources held in our libraries. It is in alphabetical order.
Unavailability of collections
While some of our collections, or parts of our collections are unavailable due to library closures, we have online options and temporary arrangements in place. We are updating information on the individual collection page. Please contact us if you have any questions.
Adult literacy
Aotearoa New Zealand Centre
The Aotearoa New Zealand Centre collects both contemporary and historical material, in a variety of formats, about New Zealand, and in particular about the Canterbury region. It is both a research and a heritage resource and includes several specialised collections. Material held in this collection is not available for loan.
Archives
A collection of archives of local organisations, ephemera, manuscripts, oral history and photographs.
Art collection
Christchurch City Libraries has a policy of enhancing its library buildings with artworks.
Audiobooks & talking books
We have a substantial range of books you can listen to on CD and a small number of MP3 CDs, tapes and Playaway audiobooks. Audiobooks can also be downloaded through OverDrive.
- You can restrict your searches of our catalogue to only show results for a talking books by using the material type drop-down box on the catalogue search page.
- To find Playaway audiobooks, keyword search using 'Playaway'; subject search by 'Audiobooks'; title or author search.
- To find MP3 CD audiobooks, keyword search using 'MP3 CD'. A subject search by 'Talking books' will display everything we have in CD, cassette and MP3 CD format. Some MP3 CD talking books offer a M4b disc which can be used to download on to iPods and iPhones. These talking books can be found by using 'M4b CD' as a keyword search.
See also our services that bring the library to you.
Bestseller Collection
This collection aims to provide a selection of the biggest selling fiction, non-fiction, CD and DVD titles of the moment.
- Bestseller collection items may not have holds place on them.
- More information about the Bestseller Collection
Biographies
All libraries have a wide range of biographies.
Butler Collection
A collection of books by and about Samuel Butler (1835-1902).
- Held in the Aotearoa New Zealand Centre in the Research Room
- Material held in this collection is not available for loan
- Search our catalogue for items in the Butler Collection
CDs
The Central Library has an extensive collection of CDs covering classical, rock jazz, film, musicals, ethnic, country, and more. Community Libraries also have a good range of music CDs.
- More about our music collections
CD Roms
As well as books and magazines our libraries have CD Roms that you can borrow for free.
- Search our catalogue for CD Roms
- Search our catalogue for Children’s CD Roms
Children’s collections
All our libraries have a wide range of children’s books, music and story cassettes, CDs, CD Roms, magazines, DVDs and videos. Some libraries have posters for borrowing. Books for special situations, such as birth, growing up, first experiences, feelings and being differently-abled are available in the Special Collection at each library.
Computers in the library
We offer access to personal computers in our libraries for accessing the Source and internet resources as well as word processing, spreadsheets and other common tasks. We also offer wireless access to the internet at many libraries.
- More information about library computers and technology
DVDs
Latest DVDs are held in the bestseller collections and include classic and contemporary films, comedy, musicals, etc.
Older movies, documentaries and specialist material, art house movies, classic movies, television shows may be in our general DVD collection. Children’s DVDs are also available at all of our libraries.
- Charges & loan periods for DVDs
- Search our catalogue for DVDs
- Search our catalogue for Children’s DVDs
E-books — electronic books
E-books are available to library members through the Source. Please note not all e-books are downloadable. OverDrive offers downloadable e-books. Other vendors include Safari, Credo Reference, Tumblebooks, Gale Virtual Reference Library and Oxford Reference.
English language skills
Adult Literacy and ESOL resources. This is a special collection of books to help people develop their reading and writing skills. It is also used by new settlers learning English.
Family History Collection
A collection of genealogical material such as transcripts of baptism, burial, headstone and marriage records, directories, electoral rolls, and microform resources containing information about New Zealanders and people coming to New Zealand.
- Held in the Aotearoa New Zealand Centre
- Material held in this collection is not available for loan
- Family History at Christchurch City Libraries
Fiction
All our libraries hold extensive fiction collections for adults, children and young adults. Fiction is also held in other formats such as talking books and large print and in languages other than English.
- Fiction books are shelved in alphabetical order by author’s surname
- In some libraries the fiction is shelved alphabetically in categories e.g. mystery, adventure
Games
PlayStations and PC games available at New Brighton Library, PlayStations and X-Boxes at South Christchurch and Parklands Libraries.
Godley Gifts
The Godley Gifts is a collection of essays, watercolours and the children’s story Seadrift, by early Canterbury settler James FitzGerald. In 2007 a limited edition, finely-bound, facsimile set was produced in Christchurch. On 16 December 2009, one of these sets, appropriately number 59, was gifted to Christchurch City Libraries by the J. R. Godley Trust in honour of the 150th anniversary of the libraries’ founding in 1859.
Government publications
A comprehensive range of Central and Local Government publications including Parliamentary papers, legislation, statistics, official reports, annual plans and annual reports, district schemes and other planning documents.
- Held in the Aotearoa New Zealand Centre
Information files
Some libraries have supplementary and topical material is kept in files which may be photocopied, or in some cases borrowed over night.
Internet
We offer free internet at all our libraries except the Mobile Library and wireless access to the internet at many libraries.
Jigsaws
Jigsaws are available for exchange at the following libraries: Akaroa, Fendalton, Halswell, Little River, Linwood, New Brighton, Redwood, and Shirley. Hornby Library jigsaws are held at the Community Care shop in the same building. The Community Care shop is open Monday to Friday, 9:30am – 3:30pm.
Large print
A range of fiction and non-fiction titles is available in large print. You can restrict your searches of our catalogue to only show results for a Large Print by using the material type drop-down box on the catalogue search page.
- Fendalton Library have a collection of children’s large print titles
Magazines
Our magazine collection covers the spectrum, from Aero Modeller to Vogue. All libraries have borrowing collections, whilst most of the reference magazines are held at Central Library. A wide range of magazine content can also be accessed online through the Source.
Māori
Material on Māori subjects or which present a Māori perspective on a subject, or by authors who identify as Māori and Māori language publications.
- Material published by, or relating to, Ngāi Tahu as tangata whenua including Ngāi Tahu Claim information
- Much of this is in the Ngā Pounamu Māori Centre
Maps
Contemporary and historical maps of Christchurch and Canterbury, current New Zealand topographical maps, street maps, National Park and track maps, soil & geological maps and nautical charts for local areas are held in the Aotearoa New Zealand Centre.
Margaret Mahy Collection
A collection of New Zealand children’s and young adult books from the nineteenth century to the present day named in honour of the New Zealand author and former Christchurch City Libraries’ Children’s Librarian, Margaret Mahy.
- Held in the Aotearoa New Zealand Centre
- Material held in this collection is not available for loan
- Search our catalogue for items in the Margaret Mahy Collection
- More about the Margaret Mahy Collection
Marsh Collection
A collection of books by and about Ngaio Marsh (1895-1982). It includes translations of most of her works into other languages.
- Held in the Aotearoa New Zealand Centre in the Research Room
- Material held in this collection is not available for loan
- Search our catalogue for items in the Marsh Collection
Merton Collection
A collection of books, pamphlets and papers by and about Thomas Merton (1915-1968), a Trappist monk. Merton’s father was a New Zealander and two of his aunts lived in Christchurch. Donations in 1969 by the aunts, Agnes and Beatrice Merton, formed the basis of the collection to which the Library has added significant new publications since.
- Held in the Aotearoa New Zealand Centre stack (please ask at the desk)
- Material held in this collection is not available for loan
- Search our catalogue for items in the Merton Collection
- Information on Thomas Merton
Mother tongue
See World Languages
Motor Manuals
A comprehensive collection of motor manuals is available online from the Chilton Library. Manuals for cars, commercial vehicles, motor cycles, outboard motors, small engines, etc are available for borrowing and reference. Central Library (currently closed) has a wide range of motor manuals. New Brighton, Shirley, Fendalton and Papanui also have collections.
- More about our motor manuals
Music
The Central Library has an extensive collection of classical music scores and sheet music. See CDs for recorded music.
- More about our music collections
Nautical Collection
The Nautical Collection is a small donated collection held at Lyttelton Library, comprising of items dedicated to seafaring life, ships and shipping. It is mainly non fiction with a few fiction titles.
- Search our catalogue for items in the Nautical Collection
New Brighton Local History Collection
Newspaper and other clippings and photographs that have been collected over the past 10 years.
Newspapers
A selection of major New Zealand newspapers is held across the network. In addition Central Library holds most New Zealand regional newspapers and a selection of overseas newspapers. A complete run of the Christchurch Press is kept on microfilm in the Aotearoa New Zealand Centre and other major Christchurch newspapers dating from 1851 are also held.
- More information about accessing current newspapers
- More information about access to historical newspapers
Newton Collection
A small collection of mountaineering books, pamphlets and serials donated by Henry Newton.
- Held in the Aotearoa New Zealand Centre in the Research Room
- Material held in this collection is not available for loan
- Search our catalogue for items in the Newton Collection
Ngāi Tahu Collection / Ngā Rākau Teitei e Iwa
Material relating to the Ngāi Tahu claim and general books about Ngāi Tahu or written by Ngāi Tahu authors.
- The Ngāi Tahu claim now has an online index: Te Kerēme
- Held in the Ngā Pounamu Māori centre
- Material held in this collection is not available for loan
Non-fiction
All our libraries hold non-fiction collections for adults, children and young adults. Non-fiction is also held in other formats such as talking books and large print.
- Non-fiction books are shelved in numerical order using the Dewey Decimal Classification system
- The number given to each book is shown on its spine
The Peace Library
Christchurch City Libraries has a large collection of material about the Peace Movement in New Zealand. The collection of books and magazines is held in trust by Christchurch City Libraries for the Peace Foundation and the Women’s International League for Peace. Archival material is held by the Macmillan Brown Library, University of Canterbury, and other material is held by the Canterbury Museum.
- Held in the Library Store
- Material held in this collection is available for loan with the exception of some magazines which must be viewed in the Aotearoa New Zealand Centre
- Search our catalogue for items in the Peace Library
Photographs
Our photographs collection has been sourced from newspapers, archives, books, reports and donations from private collections. Photographs can be searched for through our catalogue. A substantial number have been digitised and are available on this web site.
- Online Photograph Collection
- Ordering copies of photographs in our collection
- Order digital copies of images online
- Held in the Aotearoa New Zealand Centre
- Material held in this collection is not available for loan
Playaway
See Audiobooks and talking books.
The Source
We subscribe to a wide range of online resources which provide access to articles from thousands of magazines and professional journals, newspapers and encyclopedias and other reference works. Most of these are available online to library members with PINs but some can only be used in our libraries.
- More information about the Source.
- See our list of the sources that we subscribe to.
Sky TV
Selected channels available at Fendalton, South Christchurch and New Brighton Libraries.
- More information about Sky TV
Standards
New Zealand Standards (NZS), and joint Australian/New Zealand Standards (AS/NZS) are available online at any of our libraries. We also have a large collection of Australian Standards (AS), British Standards (BS) and other international standards in the Central Library which is closed at present.
- More information about our Standards Collection.
Statistics
- All statistical publications originating from Statistics New Zealand including census information
- Other statistical reports produced by government departments including statistics from the National Health Information Service
- Held in the Aotearoa New Zealand Centre
Talking books
See Audiobooks and talking books.
Telephone directories
New Zealand telephone directories are held at all libraries, except the mobile library. The Central Library holds a range of overseas telephone books and trade and business directories. Many directories are also available online.
Theses
Theses which complement and add depth to the collection such as theses in geography, history or politics with local content, artistic, literary and cultural topics which have few other printed resources, and theses which include research conducted in Christchurch or Canterbury.
- These are held in the Aotearoa New Zealand Centre
- More information about our theses collection
Videos
The small video collection includes music, sport, educational and literary videos and is free to borrow.
Waitangi Tribunal Reports / Ngā Rīpoata o Waitangi
A collection of Tribunal reports and information on the claims settlement process.
- Held in the Aotearoa New Zealand Centre
- Material held in this collection is not available for loan
World languages
To reflect the diversity of new settlers to Christchurch we now have growing collections of fiction and some non-fiction in Afrikaans, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Thai, Vietnamese and Russian and smaller collections in some European languages.
- Find out more about our World languages collection.
Young adults
Collections of fiction, non-fiction, graphic novels and magazines for young adults, are held at all libraries.




