University Library Collection Becomes a Legacy

university-of-waikato

Mon Feb 22 2010 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)

University Library Collection Becomes a Legacy

Monday, 22 February 2010, 11:41 am
Press Release: University of Waikato

The University of Waikato Library is the first New Zealand library to list a collection on Legacy Libraries.

The University’s Pei te Hurinui Jones book collection has been listed on Legacy Libraries, an online index system that records the personal libraries of famous historical figures.

Pei te Hurinui Jones, of Ngāti Maniapoto descent, was a leading Māori scholar and translator in the 20th century, says Waikato University’s New Zealand Collections librarian Kathryn Parsons. Dr Jones’ manuscripts and personal library collection is regarded as being among the most significant collections held by the University Library.

His work includes the editing and translating of three volumes of Māori chants and song-poetry into English; translating three Shakespeare plays into Māori; and, writing several books on Tainui and its people. He was made a member of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1961 and received a Waikato University honorary doctorate in 1968.

Ms Parsons hopes listing Dr Jones’ personal library collection on Legacy Libraries will further promote his work and assist in research. Staff also intend to further add to the listing by including annotations which provide details of the provenance of his books and the research notes about them.

Legacy Libraries was set up by the I See Dead People’s Books group, a volunteer group that shares the belief that it’s important to make these libraries available so the exchange of ideas can be fostered among book lovers and researchers alike. Other personal library listings include Alfred Deakin, second Prime Minister of Australia, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, writer of the infamous Sherlock Holmes books.

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Legacy Libraries is a subset of LibraryThing, a social indexing web application for storing and sharing personal libraries and book lists. LibraryThing was first established in 2005 and has one million users and more than 40 million books indexed.

“LibraryThing is used by a number of people from avid readers and book collectors to students and researchers,” says Ms Parsons. “It’s an online book club that connects people with similar interests.”

To view Dr Jones’ profile visit http://www.librarything.com/profile/PeiTeHurinuiJones

ENDS

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