Auckland Council: Heritage Images Online re-launched
Friday 1 July 2011, 9:35AM
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Improvements to the search and display capabilities of Auckland Libraries’ Heritage Images database will showcase many of the more than 100,000 images and maps that now make up the database.
Heritage Images Online includes photographs and maps from the internationally recognised Sir George Grey Special Collections at Auckland Libraries. It also covers a wide range of topics including family history, portraits, architecture, advertising, photographers, maritime history, fashion, sports and the history of Auckland and New Zealand.
It has been 10 years since Heritage Images Online was launched and though praised at the time for its innovation, technology has moved on and it was time for an upgrade. The look and functionality of the online database has been greatly improved, making it easier for customers to discover the historically significant material available at Auckland Libraries.
Customers can now limit search results by selecting to view records with colour images or maps only, or exclude records without images.
Other features include:
More thumbnails displayed on the page saving researchers time when viewing large results
Adding a latest additions link that brings up recently added material so customers can view at a glance anything new that may interest them
Pre-defined searches and slideshows including, Image of the day, Through the decades and Librarian’s choice. This improvement allows customers the ability to explore the digital collection without having to create their own search
Records from the library’s online map database incorporated into Heritage Images.
Also added are more than 33,000 image records through an ongoing project to digitise the supplements to the Auckland Weekly News. These additions compliment the 70,000 existing records created from the library’s photograph collection.
The improvements and additions have created an online database that will enable viewers to explore the rich and diverse heritage collections that form Sir George Grey Special Collections.
The collections are one of New Zealand’s most valuable and include the generous donations of benefactors over the years, commencing with Sir George Grey’s founding gift to the citizens of Auckland in 1887. It also includes rare books, such as medieval manuscripts and incunabula [books printed before 1501], first editions of Shakespeare, Blake, Wordsworth and Dumas.
Explore Heritage Images at http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/dbtw-wpd/heritageimages/index.htm
Explore other image collections available through Auckland Libraries
http://manukau.infospecs.co.nz/journey/home.htm
http://manukau.infospecs.co.nz/footprints/home.htm
http://www.localhistoryonline.org.nz/cgi-bin/PUI