Henry Wright book collection : the institutionalisation of a private library

Abstract

The object of this study has been to gauge the effect that library management has on "formed collections" once they have been institutionalised, with the focus being on a particular collection - the Henry Wright Library - bequeathed to the Alexander Turnbull Library in 1936 and how this collection has faired since its hand over to a public repository. As well as compiling biographical detail on the collector seven key issues have been examined: acquisition and documentation of the hand over, the collection policy of the Turnbull both past and present, how they have maintained the original integrity, biographical control, preservation of the collection and subsequent development, as well as to determine what provenance information exists within the collection. The Henry Wright collection was donated to the Turnbull at a time when no formal acquisition policy or set funding existed. The collection has an awkward fit with the Library and its collecting policies and today such a collection would not be accepted. Not surprisingly a policy of benign neglect h as been exercised over it.