This year, NZMS proudly celebrates 36 years of preserving, protecting and connecting Aotearoa New Zealand stories.
Our journey began in 1990 in a modest former suntanning clinic in Wellington. From those humble beginnings, NZMS specialised in microfilming newspapers, archives and business records, helping institutions safeguard important information for future generations. We quickly developed a reputation for quality, standards and an unwavering commitment to doing the job properly, becoming trusted custodians of some of Aotearoa’s most significant documentary heritage. NZMS has had the privilege of contributing to nationally significant projects, including producing colour-matched facsimiles of the Treaty of Waitangi, later digitising the original documents, and creating digital assets for use in the Hei Tohu exhibition.
As technology evolved, so did we.
In the late 1990s, NZMS expanded into digitisation, scanning microfilm, manuscripts, books, photographs, plans, maps and artworks. We embraced OCR, indexing and text conversion, enabling collections to become more searchable and accessible. Along the way, we developed specialist expertise in imaging fragile, oversized, and complex heritage materials, including the 8m long and 2 m wide ‘Black Maps’ used in the Ngāi Tahu Cultural Mapping Project – and established dedicated facilities and regional teams to better support clients throughout New Zealand.
As the internet transformed the way people discover and engage with information, we recognised the need to do more than simply digitise collections. We wanted to help communities connect with them. This vision led to the development of Recollect – a platform designed to bring heritage collections to life online, enabling organisations and communities to share stories, collaborate, crowdsource knowledge and make collections more discoverable and engaging.
Today, NZMS is a nationwide team of passionate specialists working alongside Libraries, Archives, Museums, Galleries, Government agencies, Iwi, community groups and private organisations. From preserving newspapers and digitising taonga to hosting online collections and supporting digital engagement, our purpose remains unchanged: to help preserve Aotearoa New Zealand’s history and ensure it can be discovered, understood and valued by generations to come.
As we look ahead, we remain committed to embracing technologies that help to not only preserve collections, but ensure they become more discoverable, meaningful and accessible. Just as NZMS evolved from microfilming to digitisation, OCR and community engagement through Recollect, we see artificial intelligence as the next opportunity to support the heritage sector. Like all new technologies, we will proceed with caution to apply AI. However, it has the potential to assist with transcription, metadata enrichment, image analysis and discovery, helping unlock stories and connections that may otherwise remain hidden. Yet while technology will continue to evolve, our purpose remains unchanged: empowering archivists, librarians, curators, researchers and communities to preserve, interpret and share New Zealand’s stories, while ensuring people, trust and authenticity remain at the heart of what we do.
“Over the past 36 years, we’ve continually adapted the way we preserve and share New Zealand’s stories, but one thing hasn’t changed – our belief that we’re here to work alongside the sector, not simply provide services to it. People, partnerships and preserving our collective history remain at the heart of everything we do.” – Andy Fenton
He aha te mea nui? He tangata. He tangata. He tangata.
What is the most important thing? It is people. It is people. It is people.
Thank you to our staff, clients, partners and communities who have been part of the journey so far. We look forward to continuing to preserve, share and discover Aotearoa stories together for many years to come.