Updates from DigitalNZ
Connecting collections and communities with the DigitalNZ API
Posted on 16 September 2022 by Tim
DigitalNZ's API (application programming interface) is an integral part of our work, acting as a key to content on DigitalNZ. We structure the metadata from content partner collections and make it available via the API. Developers can simply plug in and extract information from DigitalNZ for their own use.
A new API-driven project to look out for is Kōtuia ngā Kete, managed by National Services... Read more
Hari Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori!
Posted on 16 September 2022 by Kelly
It has been an important week here in Aotearoa New Zealand as we mark the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, and celebrate Te Wiki o te reo Māori and the 50th anniversary of the presentation of Te Petihana Reo Māori to Parliament. These events prompt us to look back at our past and consider the importance of these historic moments.
DigitalNZ is an important source for information related to these moments, and last month we saw our... Read more
New content partners and collections — September 2022
Posted on 16 September 2022 by Kelly
Nau mai, haere mai! Welcome to our latest new content partners — Driving Creek Pottery, Paekakariki Station Museum, Pahiatua Museum, Tasman District Libraries, Te Ahu Museum, The Fletcher Trust, Waipu Scottish Migration Museum, and a new collection from Hutt City Libraries, Lower Hutt MyRecollect.
Hutt City Libraries, Lower Hutt MyRecollect
Image: Mr George Gee, Mayor 1968-1980. CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 NZ.... Read more
Related items and other design changes
Posted on 01 July 2022 by Kelly
In the renewal spirit of Matariki, DigitalNZ released several design changes across digitalnz.org last week with the aim of making the collections and content even easier to use, and to increase clarity and consistency in some areas.
We have worked with designers from our vendor Boost on this and used user feedback to inform it — thanks Emma and Maryam! The tīma is very excited to present these changes and keen to... Read more
New content partners and collections — July 2022
Posted on 01 July 2022 by Kelly
New content partners
Nau mai, haere mai! Welcome to our latest new content partners — Jonesonian Institute, Aratoi Wairarapa Museum of Art and History, New Zealand Rugby Museum, Wyndham & Districts Historical Museum, LIANZA, Aotea Utanganui Museum of South Taranaki, and Mangawhai Museum.
Mangawhai Museum
Image: Flour sacks. All rights reserved. Item from Mangawhai Museum.
Aratoi Wairarapa Museum of... Read more
New content partners and collections — March 2022
Posted on 25 March 2022 by Kelly
New content partners
Nau mai, haere mai! Welcome to our latest new content partners and collections — Teviot District Museum, Canterbury Stories from Christchurch City Libraries, Central Hawke’s Bay Museum, Thames Museum, The Dowse Art Museum, Eketahuna & Districts Early Settlers Museum Society, Woodville Art and History, Cambridge Museum, and Te Hikoi Museum.
The Dowse Art Museum
Image: Framed Fibre... Read more
New content partners and collections — December 2021
Posted on 17 December 2021 by Kelly
New content partners
Nau mai, haere mai! We are pleased to welcome six new content partners — Awarua Communications Museum, FloraScales.com, Glentunnel Museum, Middlemarch Museum, PrideNZ, Te Toi Uku Crown Lynn and Clayworks Museum — and a new collection, VietnamWar.govt.nz from Manatū Taonga, the Ministry of Culture and Heritage.
We welcome you to the DigitalNZ whānau.
VietnamWar.govt.nz from Ministry of... Read more
Happy birthday DigitalNZ!
Posted on 17 December 2021 by Kelly
Earlier this month we celebrated our 13th birthday. On 3 December 2008 digitalnz.org was officially launched with an API designed to make NZ's digital content available via a single search. This picture of our homepage was archived by the National Library when we were only 3 months old.
Image: Screenshot of the DigitalNZ homepage, 2009. Archived by the National Library of New Zealand.
Accessing the DigitalNZ API
Posted on 13 December 2021 by James Robertson
We have recently made two changes to the way people authenticate with the DigitalNZ API.
Keyless entry
The first, and hopefully the most impactful change, was to remove the requirement for an API key (secret ID) to access public data. This means that anyone can query our API and retrieve structured, open data for individual records or a collection of records (search).
We hope that this change will further lower the barrier to... Read more
New content partners — September 2021
Posted on 24 September 2021 by Kelly
Nau mai, haere mai! We're thrilled to welcome four new content partners to DigitalNZ — The Coconet TV, New Zealand Outdoor Art, Tairāwhiti Museum Te Whare Taonga o Tairāwhiti , and Te Awamutu Museum.
It's wonderful to point to your collections from digitalnz.org and welcome you to the DigitalNZ whānau.
The Coconet TV
Image: Mango Otai. Video from The CoconetTV.
Te Awamutu Museum
Image: Te Hokioi... Read more
Updated API documentation
Posted on 10 February 2021 by Dan
One of the strongest pieces of feedback from last year’s API survey was that we needed to improve our API documentation and support. This didn’t come as a surprise and was already on our backlog of work — but it was good motivation to finally get it done.
New OpenAPI specification on SwaggerHub
This is the most comprehensive set of API docs we’ve ever had! It includes fields, tips, and tricks that never made it into the original... Read more
Upload your own images to DigitalNZ
Posted on 10 November 2020 by Admin
We're excited to let you know that you can now upload your personal whakaahua/images to stories, where they will appear alongside items available on DigitalNZ.
What whakaahua/images should I upload?
You can upload any image that helps tell your story. For example, you could upload an image of your whānau, an image of your rohe, or an image of an interesting historical event. Maybe you’d like to compare a contemporary... Read more
Findings from our API survey
Posted on 29 October 2020 by Dan
What was the API Survey?
Seeking to better understand the needs of people using DigitalNZ’s API, we sent out a brief survey on 30 June to a few hundred DigitalNZ accounts that had activity on their API keys. We were hoping to hear directly from people using the API service so that we could identify and prioritise changes to help people achieve their goals.
How did it go?
We received 20 responses, mostly positive or satisfied,... Read more
Printing stories and other site changes
Posted on 14 July 2020 by Admin
We’ve recently made a small change to DigitalNZ stories that will make it easier for teachers and other users to turn a digital resource into a physical one.
How to print a DigitalNZ story
Stories are the way in which people bring together interesting items on DigitalNZ and keep them in one useful place. Now, when you make a story you can print it out and it will keep its tidy formatting and look the same as it does... Read more
June 2020 newsletter
Posted on 09 June 2020 by Thomasin
Four times a year we send out a newsletter where we share any updates on www.digitalnz.org, research we're working on, staff comings and goings, new content partners, and other tidbits of interest.
The newsletter currently goes out to all our wonderful content partners, but if you're interested in our work, you're most welcome to have a read here:
The June 2020 edition features:
An update on DigitalNZ... Read more
DigitalNZ for our new visitors
Posted on 06 May 2020 by Thomasin
Our analytics show us that we’re receiving a lot of first-time visitors at the moment, so if you’re new to DigitalNZ, this blog post is for you, to briefly explain what DigitalNZ is and how it can be used.
Accessing online resources from home
While many people across the world are working, learning, and teaching at home, we’re hoping DigitalNZ will be a useful website to find relevant digital material — images, videos, audio,... Read more
March 2020 newsletter
Posted on 12 March 2020 by Admin
Each quarter we send out a newsletter where we share any updates on www.digitalnz.org, research projects we're working on, staff comings and goings, and other tidbits of interest.
The newsletter currently goes out to all our wonderful content partners, but if you're interested in our work, you're most welcome to have a read here:
March 2020 newsletter.
The March 2020 edition features:
Reminder about our metadata... Read more
New te ao and te reo Māori collections
Posted on 09 January 2020 by Admin
In our December Newsletterto our content partners, we announced a range of new partners and collections to DigitalNZ. In amongst these, we particularly wanted to highlight three exciting new collections full of material in te reo Māori and related to te ao Māori.
Bishop Selwyn Collection of Early Māori Documents (University of Waikato)
Written between 1842 and 1872, this collection of letters between New... Read more
December 2019 newsletter
Posted on 18 December 2019 by Admin
Each quarter we send out a newsletter where we share any updates on www.digitalnz.org, research projects we're working on, staff comings and goings, and other tidbits of interest. The newsletter currently goes out to all our content partners and we'll soon have a place where anyone who's interested can sign up.
In the meantime, you can have a read of our December 2019 newsletter.
In this edition we feature:
Seven new... Read more
September 2019 newsletter
Posted on 01 October 2019 by Admin
We send out a quarterly newsletter where we share any updates on www.digitalnz.org, research projects we're working on, staff comings and goings, and other tidbits of interest. The newsletter currently goes out to all our content partners and we'll soon have a place where anyone who's interested can sign up.
In the meantime, you can have a read of our September 2019 newsletter.
In September's edition we talk... Read more