Terms of use
These are the General Terms of Use for the DigitalNZ website and API.
The quick read
Privacy. We only capture personal information if you create an account with us. Any cookies we collect while you browse our site will end after your session — you're safe with us.
Copyright. Any material you re-purpose from DigitalNZ may be used only in accordance with the content owner's licensing requirements.
Accessibility. We want DigitalNZ to be the most easy-to-use and accessible site it can be. Contact us if you have feedback about our accessibility.
Uploaded images and text. Any images you upload must be your own, or you must have permission of the copyright holder. Any text you contribute to the site will be licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence and will be governed by the Contributed Content terms referred to below.
Please read these in conjunction with the specific terms referenced below which will apply depending on how you use the DigitalNZ website.
Developers' API Terms (Non-Commercial and Commercial Use)
Metadata Contribution Terms (Non-Commercial and Commercial Use)
General Terms of Use
These are the general terms of use for the DigitalNZ site. These terms are between the National Library (‘we’, ‘us’, or ‘our’) and users of the DigitalNZ website (‘you’, ‘your’, or ‘user’).
We welcome you to this website and encourage you to use the DigitalNZ services. By using this website you agree to be legally bound by these terms of use which take effect immediately on your first use of the website. If you do not agree to be legally bound by all these terms, please do not access or use this website.
The DigitalNZ project is run by the National Library of New Zealand (‘National Library’). The National Library may change this website, the online services (‘Service’) provided through it and/or the terms of use at any time.
Changes to these terms of use will be posted online. You are responsible for reviewing the amended terms of use, and your continued use of this website constitutes your agreement to the amended terms of use.
Your responsibilities
Each registered user of this website (including use of the DigitalNZ API and any search tools provided by the API) has the following responsibilities:
You agree to keep your user ID and password secure. Do not disclose your password (or forgotten password phrase) to anyone else.
If you think someone knows your user ID and/or password, you must immediately change your password, cancel your online account for this website, or call us.
You must keep your registration details up-to-date.
You are responsible for providing all hardware and software required to perform your obligations under these terms of use.
Tools
You may use the search facility and other tools provided by this website for the purposes designated by this website. You may embed search tools (‘Search Tools’) you create using this website on another website, blog, or in an application (‘Other Website’) in accordance with our Developer API Terms (Non-Commercial Use Metadata) and Developer API Terms (Commercial Use Metadata).
All search queries sent to the National Library from the Other Website using Search Tools (‘Search Queries’) must comply with the technical specifications that the National Library may issue from time to time. The National Library will process Search Queries using the National Library's search engine. If you receive a Search Query from a user of the Other Website (‘User’) the Other Website must forward that Search Query to the National Library. You must not in any way modify or re-contextualise the results produced by the National Library’s search engine (‘Results’), except as otherwise agreed between you and the National Library. The National Library is not responsible for the transmission of data between you and the National Library.
The Search Tool embedded on the Other Website must clearly indicate that the Search Tool is provided by DigitalNZ.
You must not and must not allow any third party to:
modify any Results
prevent the complete display of any Results
assign or otherwise dispose of a search widget or any Service
use a Search Tool or any Service for any commercial purpose or seek any payment or other remuneration for the provision of a Search Tool or any Service
remove or modify the National Library's trademarks, copyright notice or trademark notice associated with any Search Tool or Service, or
engage in any conduct that reflects poorly on the National Library or DigitalNZ.
The Other Website must not contain any indecent, obscene or violent content or contain any other material, products or services that breach or encourage conduct that would breach any applicable laws (such as the Human Rights Act (NZ)) or third party rights, including intellectual property rights.
Acceptable use
You agree not to use search widgets and other tools, the DigitalNZ API, the DigitalNZ content, or the National Library trademarks in any way that is unlawful, or harms the National Library, its service providers, its suppliers, your end users, or any other person.
The National Library may unilaterally suspend your use of Search Tools, the DigitalNZ API, the DigitalNZ content and/or the National Library trademarks if and when the National Library determines that your use breaches these terms of use or is otherwise unacceptable.
Before taking any action to reduce or remove rights granted by these terms of use (excluding making changes to the terms of use themselves) we aim to kōrero with you to determine what action to take.
Trademarks
The National Library grants you a non-transferable, non-exclusive licence while you remain a registered user of this website to display the National Library's trademarks, including DIGITAL NEW ZEALAND, in relation to your use of the Service and Search Tools as permitted by this website.
All use of the National Library's trademarks is subject to the DigitalNZ brand guidelines as issued from time to time. All use of the National Library's trademarks (including any goodwill associated with it) shall inure to the benefit of the National Library.
If the National Library determines at any time that you are using or displaying any of the National Library's trademarks in a manner that is or may be detrimental to the National Library's interests, the National Library may issue reasonable instructions to you concerning the manner, if any, in which you may continue the use of such the National Library's trademarks or any of them. You must promptly comply with such instructions or cease the use or display of the relevant National Library trademark.
Content disclaimer
This website contains content that was not produced by the National Library. For example, text contributed to stories and uploaded images. The National Library is not responsible for such third-party content, and does not necessarily endorse the views expressed in it. The National Library accepts no liability or responsibility for the manner in which the information on this website is interpreted or used, or the results of such use.
Contributed Content
As a DigitalNZ user you may submit information to DigitalNZ for others to view and use (‘Contributed Content’). The National Library has the right to modify or remove Contributed Content at its sole discretion and without notification. Further details can be found in our Contributed Content Terms of Use.
Website links
This website may include hypertext links to the websites of other people and organisations.
Linking should not be taken as endorsement of any kind by the National Library of those other people and organisations. The National Library is not responsible for the content of external websites and does not necessarily endorse the views expressed within them. Contact the external site owner for answers to questions regarding their content.
You are welcome to link to pages on this website. Links should not state or imply that the material is the copyright of anyone other than the National Library or the relevant copyright owner.
Security and damage
You are responsible for any damage you cause to this website or to any of the National Library's other websites, electronic facilities or data. We provide security to protect this website and our Services. You are responsible for ensuring that your own computer is secure, including taking all reasonable steps to:
prevent someone misusing or getting unauthorised access to your computer system or to this website or our online services, and
ensure your computer system and data are free of computer viruses and all other forms of corruption.
Disclaimer
The National Library makes no warranty, express or implied, nor assumes any legal liability or responsibility:
that this website or the National Library's servers are free of computer viruses or any other harmful components, defects or errors
that any defects in this website will be corrected
that your access to this website will be reliable, uninterrupted or error-free (including access to any linked applications, search widgets and other tools)
for any delays, inaccuracies, failures, errors, omissions, interruptions, deletions, defects, computer viruses or communication line failures, or
for any theft, destruction, damage or unauthorised access to your computer system or network.
Users of this website assume all risks associated with any transfer of data or information to the National Library, and with any other use of this website. We are not liable for any damage arising from interception, loss, theft, other action or difficulty in transmitting information to us.
Users of this website assume all risks associated with any transfer of data or information to the National Library, and with any other use of this website. We are not liable for any damage arising from interception, loss, theft, other action or difficulty in transmitting information to us.
You agree that the National Library shall not under any circumstances be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or exemplary loss or damages whatsoever resulting from or arising in relation to the content, this website or the Services or the use of them.
Suspension of access
The National Library may, at its discretion, suspend or restrict your access to this website and delete content that you have contributed to it, for any reason, including a breach of these terms of use.
Governing law
This website and these terms of use are governed by the laws of New Zealand and the courts of New Zealand have non-exclusive jurisdiction in relation to them.
These terms of use are without prejudice to the powers, rights and duties of the National Library under the National Library of New Zealand (Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa) Act 2003.
Register of updates to these terms
On 26 May 2022 we updated these terms of use, removing references to “search widgets” and other minor edits. We also updated the privacy quick read to make the distinction clearer between users who are browsing the site casually and users who have signed up for a log in.
On 12 June 2025 we retired the Shared Repository service and removed the related Shared Repository Terms of Use.