Databases

The following is free to use in the library:

• Ancestry Library Edition (genealogy)

You can also access our other EPIC e-databases online. EPIC - short for Electronic Purchasing In Collaboration - is a shared initiative of New Zealand Libraries where public, education, research and special libraries have joined together to buy collective access to tens of thousands of electronic resources that can be used by people from all parts of the country. The advantage of electronic databases is they have been chosen because of their ease of use, usefulness and the quality of the content. In most cases the resources contain information that has been professionally evaluated and selected from respected and established publications. Many of these publications are not available on the Internet and can only be accessed through paid subscription services. You will need to be a library member to log in.

New Zealand Libraries Catalogue (Te Puna Search)

The New Zealand Libraries Catalogue (Te Puna Search)  is a web-based search service giving access to what is held in New Zealand libraries and worldwide. Te Puna Search is the view of the combined catalogue of New Zealand libraries on WorldCat, so customers can limit their search to the holdings of New Zealand libraries or widen their search to include worldwide library holdings. 

Index New Zealand (INNZ)

Index New Zealand (INNZ) is a free online database offered by the National Library of New Zealand that brings together, and makes easy to find, descriptions of more than 900,000 articles from over 1000 New Zealand and the South Pacific newspapers, journals and magazines.  This provides access to valuable NZ material not indexed elsewhere. Index New Zealand is updated daily and many NZ titles being indexed retrospectively, such as the Listener; some full text content; some abstracts in te reo Māori. Subjects covered include general interest material, social research, the environment, science, agriculture, current affairs, regional history, the arts and humanities. Some articles are full text but most are a description of the article. Some articles may be available through the EPIC databases or library staff can interloan an article for $1.50 per article. 

Ask A Librarian 

Remember, the only dumb question is the question you don't ask! Librarians are professionally trained and have skills to help you find the best source of information, whether its online or in print. Kawerau Library staff can be contacted for reference queries by visiting the Library or phoning (07) 306 9041. We will also do e-mail queries for Library members who need to quote their Library membership number with the query. Young people can also visit the anyquestions website, which has librarians online to help you find resources and answer your questions.

Kawerau Library Staff also recommend good books to read on our Staff Picks webpage.

Māori Collection

We have an extensive Māori Collection with some lending items and some reference items. To find out what titles we have, search for the subject heading on the computer catalogue.

Newspapers

The following are free to read in the library:

• Whakatāne Beacon 
• The Echo       
• Bay of Plenty Times
• Rotorua Daily Post
• Dominion Post
• Otago Daily Times
• NZ Herald
• Herald on Sunday
• Sunday Star Times 

We hold editions of the current month and previous month for all of our newspapers.

If you would like older editions of The Echo, Whakatāne Beacon and Whakatāne News, they are stored in the Kawerau District Council Archives and Museum Storage Building. Please contact Museum staff for access.