Blog post prepared by  Katherine Milburn, Liaison Librarian (Ephemera)

In 1966 Hocken Library staff wrote to all the candidates in the general election requesting examples of their electioneering pamphlets, brochures, and the like. Hocken staff have continued to contact all political candidates in every general election since then, and there are currently ca. 40 boxes of printed election ephemera in the library; including some ephemera from pre-1966 campaigns. This material is a rich resource for researchers of New Zealand’s election and political history that supplements the wide range of political publications and papers held at the Hocken.

The response rate of candidates to our request is quite variable, despite the careful efforts of library staff to contact every candidate and political party. It is important to ensure that all views are represented and that material for the full political spectrum is available for current and future researchers.

In 2014 several hundred candidates will be contacted by e-mail and asked for donations of their electioneering material. We will also be asking our fellow librarians throughout New Zealand to assist with the acquisition of this material.

If you would like to help us by donating pamphlets, brochures, posters, stickers, etc for any of the candidates throughout New Zealand, please send material to Katherine Milburn, Liaison Librarian (Ephemera), Hocken Collections, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054. All donations will be gratefully received.