FAQs

We encourage potential content partners to ask us questions about contributing to DigitalNZ. Here are answers to some questions we often get asked.

What content will you include in DigitalNZ?

We are interested in content that has a connection and relevance to New Zealand Aotearoa. Please review our content scope which includes the supporting principles we use to prioritise how we choose content.

Are there any contractual obligations in joining up with DigitalNZ, if so what are they?

We have terms of use for content contributors you should review. We ask content contributors for permission such as:

Contributors of content to this website must ensure that they have the requisite authority to grant a licence to the National Library to harvest, copy, host and store all or part of their metadata on the National Library’s computer systems and provide access to their images through this website.

This agreement means that we can require other users of your material to meet obligations, such as in the terms of use for developers.

If we need to remove access to content can we do that at our discretion, and quickly?

Sure thing!

While you cannot directly access the database to remove your content, we can do this for you quickly and immediately - either at an item level or your entire contribution. Your agreement with DigitalNZ is reversible, and we can remove all your listings at your request.

Please send an email request to info@digitalnz.org. We will action your request within one business day of receiving the request.

We can also block access to developers who breach our API terms of use, denying them access to your content results through the data sharing API. If you find any example of use that you are not happy with please contact us immediately so we can assist.

What is the time frame for getting new material into DigitalNZ?

We aim to complete the process (end-to-end) within 2-3 weeks of you getting in touch. It depends a bit on how many other partners we are working with at the time, and how fast you move!

Can we share material via the DigitalNZ website, but opt out of the data sharing API?

Yes, no problem.

We would suggest that you do it the other way round though, that is, make content available through the DigitalNZ API first and opt out if there's an issue. That's the approach other content partners take, and there is no one who is currently opting out of the API.

What do you need from us?

That depends a bit on the technical method we are using to gather information about your content and/or what services you are contributing to.

When you’re a bit further down the track, it helps us to know:

your preferred ‘content provider’ name form (i.e. organisation name)
your preferred ‘website’ name form (e.g. The Phoenix Project, or TheProw.org.nz)

Who else is participating?

The current contributors page lists who has content available through DigitalNZ Search.

If you open up the search filter, you will also find a drop-down list of all the content partners and websites

And last but not least, from memory you mentioned this was a free service. Free right?

Yes, free! You just need to cover your time and effort. We don't charge for our own time.

We'll be pleased to have you onboard.