Collections

Find details about our collections by using The Catalogue. This will tell you what we hold, where, and in what format and will enable you to reserve/recall books from other University of Auckland Library locations. You will also be able to check your borrowing record.

You can limit your search to Epsom holdings:
From your results list go to the column on the right 'Refine My Results'. Find 'Location' and select Epsom Library to view items held at the Sylvia Ashton-Warner Library,Epsom.

Note: the print collections are supplemented by electronic resources, particularly for periodicals (‘e-journals’), books (‘e-books’) and for databases.

For details about accessing items in the collections,  Lending.

Sylvia Ashton-Warner Library, Epsom, has strong collections in areas supporting Faculty of Education programmes and Faculty research. The collections are strong in historical and contemporary works and encompass international and national publishing.

Junior collections:

• comprise junior picture books; sophisticated picture books; junior fiction; young adult fiction; junior non-fiction.
• a collection of national significance as its coverage, from the 1980s, is extensive.
• are strong in New Zealand, English and American publications.
• there is a comprehensive collection of the School Journal from 1980.
• there are extensive multi-media formats, including posters and picture sets.
• the collection is developed to assist students planning classroom activities as part of their study, as well as teaching during practicum.

Main collections

Education, includes:

370.1 - educational philosophy and theory and educational psychology
371 - special education
371 - schools and their activities, eg. discipline, 371.5.
372 - primary education
373 - secondary education
374 - adult education
378 - higher education
379 - public policy issues in education

Note: Books on curricula and the teaching of subjects are with the subjects (eg. Mathematics teaching will be at 510), except the teaching of reading (372.4).

Health & Physical Education, includes:

612 - human physiology
613 - personal health and safety, e.g. physical fitness, 613.7
616 - diseases

793-794 - indoor games
796 - athletic and outdoor sports and games
797 - aquatic sports

Maori
This collection parallels collections in the main sequences, from junior picture books to general non-fiction, in which Maori language and/ or themes predominate. The collection includes works in English as well as Te Reo.

Pasifika
This collection parallels collections in the main sequences, from junior picture books to general non-fiction, in which Pasifika languages and/ or themes predominate. The collection includes works in English as well as the Pasifika languages.

Social sciences, includes:

302 - social interactions
303 - social processes
304 - social behaviour
305 - social groups
306 - social institutions
307 - communities

Social work, includes:

361-363 - social work and services

Multi-media print formats
These formats comprise kit sets, posters, picture sets and ‘blown-up’ books and are marked in The Catalogue. Kit sets are interfiled on the shelves with books; the other formats each have their own sequences.

Periodicals collection
The periodicals collection is a reference-only collection and is shelved in its own sequence on floor 1. An essential complement to this printed collection are the electronic journals, or ‘e-journals’. These are marked in The Catalogue r as “e-resource“ and this provides links to the e-journals.

Reference collection
A small collection of up-to-date works with a focus on education ( including special and higher education); language, literature (including children’s literature) and the arts; and New Zealand biography, history and geography. Items in this collection cannot be borrowed.

See also electronic reference resources.

Short Loan collection
The Short Loan Collection contains items such as prescribed texts which are in high demand and are required by a large number of students, usually within a limited period of time. Some Course Readings Books are available on Short Loan.

Hard-copy Short Loan items at Epsom are issued for use in the library for 2 hours.

Stack collection
The stack collection is a closed collection (in that it is shelved in the basement), chiefly of books and periodicals of research interest. It is strong in New Zealand materials. Items in stack are marked “Epsom Library stack (ask at Desk)” in The Catalogue and can be issued from the Lending Desk on 2-hour loan.

The Library’s special collections comprise original materials and published collections which are deemed worthy of special treatment because of their uniqueness, rarity, value or other qualities, and which support the teaching, research, scholarship and creative work of the faculty.

Archives
The archives date from the 1880s and comprise approximately 160m of records of the Auckland College of Education and its predecessor organisations, chiefly Auckland Teachers’ College, Primary Teachers’ College, Secondary Teachers College, North Shore Teachers’ College and Ardmore Teachers’ College. There are also the records of allied organisations, such as ‘The Old A’s’, an association of graduates of the College. The records comprise archives, multimedia (chiefly photographs, videotapes, audiotapes, trophies and presentation items) and personal papers of former College staff and students.

There are conditions on access to these materials. The collection excludes student records of attendance and attainment. These are accessed via the Faculty’s Contact Centre.

Sylvia Ashton-Warner collection
The Library holds a small collection of manuscripts and multimedia by, and about Sylvia Ashton-Warner. There are conditions on access to these materials.

As well there is a strong collection of her published books, including annotated proof copies.
View a bibliography of her published works (214 KB PDF).

Special Collections in the University’s General Library contains two research collections relating to children’s literature and publishing. These are the Gilderdale Collection and the Hugh Price Collection.