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Guide to Using the LAGANZ Catalogue
- Curators
- Access to the Collections
- Guide to Using the LAGANZ Catalogue:
The following guide gives detailed instructions on how to use the LAGANZ catalogues and how to request materials from the various LAGANZ collections when visiting the archives.
1: Archives and Manuscripts Collection
Although some individual manuscripts and 'MS-Papers' collections are restricted, a considerable amount of the collections is available to bona fide researchers and people with a genuine need for access. Some materials are available under specified conditions such as specific donor agreements. The discretion of the curators in approving or declining access is final so far as the Alexander Turnbull Library is concerned. If a reader is dissatisfied with such a restriction the question may only be appealed to the Trustees of LAGANZ.
The manuscript and archival collections are in several sequences, which must be distinguished when information is requested:
MS-
MS- is a fully catalogued collection of individual unpublished and semi-published manuscripts and conference papers, addresses and speeches, theses etc. Each item is recorded in the card catalogue with a shelving location starting 'MS-' with a number following e.g. 'MS-0345' At present these manuscripts are not recorded on the website. The MS SHELF LIST is in the bottom of the Card Catalogue.
MS-Papers-
MS-PAPERS- is another fully catalogued collection and is the largest sequence in the collections. All of them are recorded in the online shelflist available through the LAGANZ website. It contains large organisational archives, collections of individuals' personal papers and "organisation files". The "organisation files" are usually miscellaneous collections of ephemeral material from particular community organisations which were assembled as fragments of mixed provenance, many community organisations not having bothered to keep formal archives . These collections often include both published and unpublished materials such as printed ephemera from lesbian and gay community organisations. In them may be found isolated minutes, annual reports, items of correspondence, street handouts and leaflets.
The catalogue provides title, personal or corporate author (where appropriate), and subject access. The subject terms are taken from a subject thesaurus developed especially for the collection. A copy of the thesaurus, which is cross referenced, is in the 'LAGANZ Tool Box' on top of the card catalogue. Use this to help yourself in finding the appropriate subject headings for the topic you are investigating, for example 'SEXUAL LAW REFORM' rather than 'HOMOSEXUAL LAW REFORM' or 'CHILD CUSTODY' rather than 'CUSTODY OF CHILDREN'. The subject headings can also be searched in the LAGANZ-MS-Papers-Shelflist part of the LAGANZ website.
The collections within the MS-PAPERS series vary considerably in extent. While some are documented in great detail others have only a cursory description. Work continues on providing detailed inventories of these collections as curatorial time allows. Pending curatorial evaluation, unprocessed collections are not available. When a collection has been evaluated and curated a guide to it (termed a collection inventory) is prepared. These inventories list the series and subseries into which the documents are arranged (e.g. Minutes, Correspondence, Account Books, Membership lists, file copies of Newsletters) and provide folder numbers in many cases (e.g. LAGANZ-MS-Papers-0081-186). Different conditions of access may apply to different parts of a collection. Membership lists, for example may require closer control than published newsletters or ephemera. When an inventory has been made this will be indicated on the LAGANZ-MS-Papers-Shelflist part of the website.
Ordering MS- or MS-Papers Material from the Card Catalogue or Website
In making out a request slip (use the pink type) copy the MS- or MS-PAPERS- information, the name of the collection as given on the catalogue card or in shelflist and the folder numbers (where there are any) for the material you want. Write in your name and date the slip and hand it to the staff on duty at the Manuscripts Reading Room desk. They will call one of the curators to approve the request and a curator will then retrieve the material for you. While you are waiting for it, take the time to familiarise yourself with the reading room rules (e.g. pencils only, no pens) and the photocopying system, if you are likely to want some photocopying done.
Manuscript and archival materials you have finished with should be returned to the Manuscripts and Archives Reference Desk. If you have not finished with them ask the staff on the desk to have the material set aside for further use. We hold material aside for a week before it is reshelved by a curator. If you need help in interpreting the catalogue, thesaurus and classification, or advice on the subject you are investigating ask the staff to call up one of the curators.
Please handle all materials with care so that they will last for future generations.
2: Newspapers and Periodicals Collection
The magazines, newsletters, and community newspapers form part of the library (or 'Printed Collections') of the Lesbian and Gay Archives of New Zealand. The library is also named 'The Jack Goodwin Collection' after Jack W. Goodwin (1916?1983), a journalist and editor who worked in the interests of the gay community for many years. It is based on books from his library, but many works have been added later.
All of them are fully catalogued in the card catalogue but not in the National Library and Alexander Turnbull Library Catalogue (the OPACs). From 2002 some books and pamphlets are being added to the online National Library of New Zealand catalogue but this does not apply, at present to newspapers and periodicals. A proposal has been developed to put the whole of the list of newspaper and periodicals holdings on line through the LAGANZ website but this will take some considerable time.
The card catalogue provides title, corporate author, (where appropriate), geographical and subject access and some indication of holdings. The subject terms are taken from a subject thesaurus developed especially for the collection. A copy of the thesaurus, which is cross referenced, is in the 'LAGANZ Tool Box' on the top of the catalogue. Use this to help yourself in finding the appropriate subject headings for the topic you are investigating, for example 'SEXUAL LAW REFORM - PERIODICALS' rather than 'HOMOSEXUAL LAW REFORM - PERIODICALS' or 'COLORADO - LESBIAN PRESS' rather than 'LESBIAN NEWSPAPERS - DENVER, CO.'.
The serials (a general term encompasing all of the formats mentioned above) are not classified but are shelved according to their size in LAGANZ Serials Stacks 1, 2 and 3.
LAGANZ Serials Stack 1
Consists of the octavo and quarto serials.
LAGANZ Serials Stack 2
Consists of the folio and tabloid papers including community newspapers like Express.
LAGANZ Serials Stack 3
A locked collection for material deposited under restrictions of access. Some materials in it may not be available to all readers e.g. some lesbian periodicals which are deposited on the condition that they be available to lesbian readers only. It also contains the collection of porno magazines and other materials which have been restricted in accordance with rulings of the censor's office. To see this material you must see the curator who has the key (Phil Parkinson).
The stack location given at the top left hand of the card should be copied exactly when request slips are being filled out.
A copy of the latest (1983, printed but unpublished) version of the LAGANZ Serials Holdings List is in the 'LAGANZ Tool Box' on top of the catalogue. This will be superseded when the holdings list is put online via the website.
In making out a request slip (use the orange type) copy the Stack number, the title as given on the catalogue card or in the printed holdings list, and the dates and/or numbers of the issues you want. Sign and date the slip and hand it to the staff on duty at the Manuscripts Reading Room desk. They will call one of the curators to retrieve the material for you. While you are waiting for it, take the time to familiarise yourself with the reading room rules (e.g. pencils only, no pens) and the photocopying system, if you are likely to want some photocopying done.
Serials you have finished with should be returned to the Manuscripts and Archives Reference Desk. If you have not finished with the material ask the staff to hold it aside for you. The curators will reshelve the material you have finished with. If you need help in interpreting the catalogue, thesaurus and classification, or advice on the subject you are investigating ask the staff to call up one of the curators.
Please handle all materials with care so that they will last for future generations.
3: Books and Pamphlets Collection
The published books and pamphlets (i.e. small booklets) form part of the library of the Lesbian and Gay Archives of New Zealand. The Library is named 'The Jack Goodwin Collection' after Jack W. Goodwin (1916?1983), a journalist and editor who worked in the interests of the gay community for many years. It is based on books from his library.
All the books and pamphlets in the collection are fully catalogued. The catalogue provides author, title and subject access. The subject terms are taken from a subject thesaurus developed especially for the collection. A copy of the thesaurus, which is cross referenced, is in the 'LAGANZ Tool Box' on top of the catalogue. Use this to help yourself in finding the appropriate subject headings for the topic you are investigating, for example 'SEXUAL LAW REFORM' rather than 'HOMOSEXUAL LAW REFORM' or 'GAY YOUTH' rather than 'YOUNG GAYS'.
The classification scheme used is unique to this collection and is called 'GDC: Gay Decimal Classification'. It is structurally like the Dewey Decimal Classification, with which most people are familiar but the numbers have been changed to 'better reflect a lesbian and gay classification of knowledge' (if you want to look at it that way) or just to be perverse (if you don't). The classification given at the top left hand of the card should be copied exactly when request slips are being filled out. Note particularly the distinction between the ordinary octavo sequence (classifications starting with a G or L or a GDC number e.g. L379.21) and the larger quarto and folio sequences respectively (e.g. q379.21 and f379.21). There is a further sequence of pamphlet items with classifications starting e.g. Pam 739.75. A copy of the classification scheme, with its index is kept in the 'LAGANZ Tool Box' next to the catalogue. Use this to find the classification number for the subject you are investigating, if you can't find anything using the subject headings in the thesaurus. You can then use the classification number to locate material of interest in the Shelf Lists which are records of the holdings in classified order: these are in the bottom drawers of the catalogue.
In making out a request slip (use the BLUE type), copy the classification, author (if applicable) and the title you want, sign and date the slip and hand it to the staff on duty at the Manuscripts Reading Room desk. They will call one of the curators to retrieve the material for you. While you are waiting for it, take the time to familiarise yourself with the reading room rules (e.g. pencils only, no pens) and the photocopying system, if you are likely to want some photocopying done.
Books and pamphlets you have finished with should be returned to the Manuscripts and Archives Reference Desk. If you have not finished with the material it can be put aside for later use; ask the person on the desk to have it set aside. The curators will reshelve the material which is no longer required. If you need help in interpreting the catalogue, thesaurus and classification, or advice on the subject you are investigating ask the staff to call up one of the curators.
Please handle all materials with care so that they will last for future generations.
4: Poster Collection
Items in the LAGANZ Poster collection are all fully catalogued in much the same way as books except that there are again several sequences according to format.
Posters nos 001 to 499
These are posters of about A2 size, about 60 by 42 cm. To order any of these fill out a separate form each citing the number. The catalogue description indicates the text and whether the poster is in Black and White or in colour.
Posters nos 500 to 999
These are posters of A3 size about 42 by 30 cm. To order any of these fill out a separate form each citing the number. The catalogue description indicates the text and whether the poster is in Black and White or in colour.
Posters nos A1/1/001 to A1/1/030
These are larger size posters (A1 size) of about 85 by 60 cm. To order any of these fill out a separate form each citing the number. The catalogue description indicates the text and whether the poster is in Black and White or in colour.
Some of these have been melinexed for preservation. Most of them are printed posters but there are also some manuscript posters and screen prints included.
5: Audiotape Collection
This collection was started in the 1970s by Graham Underhill as the 'NGRC Tape Library' (National Gay Rights Coalition Tape Library) and contains cassette recordings of radio programmes from the 1970s to the 1990s. Most of the collection is largely unprocessed and the materials are not recorded in the LAGANZ card catalogue. To this material has been added a collection of recordings of various gay community radio programmes made by Underhill at Radio GALA (Auckland) and many recordings of the US programme 'This way out'. Other 'This way out' programmes are in the GAY BC collection, compiled by GAY BC in Wellington.
Because this collection is largely unprocessed you will need to discuss access to materials in it with a curator.
Last updated: 5 Sep 2020
Kawe Mahara Queer Archives Aotearoa formerly Lesbian and Gay Archives of New Zealand Te Pūranga Takatāpui o Aotearoa (LAGANZ)
Alexander Turnbull Library, 70 Molesworth St, Wellington 6011
NEW ZEALAND
Curator Tel: +64 4 462 3972 |
Trust Secretary Mob: +64 27 444 3961
curators@laganz.org.nz | facebook.com/kawemahara | instagram.com/kawemahara