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New Zealand’s Parliamentary Library – Pic of the Week

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This week’s pics are brought to you all the way from New Zealand!  I recently returned from a trip there to visit family over the holiday period.  While in Wellington, I stopped in to see friends and former colleagues at the Beehive (executive wing of the parliamentary complex) and Parliament House, and also took a quick tour of the beautiful Parliamentary Library building (keeping with the trend of Law Library staff visiting libraries whenever we travel overseas!).

The Parliamentary Library “is a working library that provides research services for members of Parliament and parliamentary staff.”  Previously called the General Assembly Library, it has been collecting items and providing services to the New Zealand Parliament since 1858.  The Parliamentary Librarian is an employee of the Parliamentary Service under the Parliamentary Service Act 2000, which sets out the functions of the library in Schedule 1.

The current library building was built between 1897 and 1899 in the Victorian Gothic style and is included in the register of historic places compiled by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust.  It has been carefully restored and refurbished over the years and contains ornate wood carving and stained glass details.  Check out these links for a look inside the entrance, foyer, corridor, reading room, and the international documents room (which is available for use by members of the public).

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