Āmiki
(verb)(-a,-hia,ngia-tia) to tell a story in detail.
The story behind our name
Mātauranga is one thing, but kōrero is vital to sharing and passing it on. Āmiki is an active, inviting word that directly references the role of the National Library in telling the stories of Aotearoa and the oral tradition of our ancestors. It reminds our customers that behind all of our offerings is a story that they can take with them and pass on.
Everything of ours has a story
Like the collections of the National Library, the objects in our store all represent a time, a place, a person.
In working with local artists, authors, designers and makers, we ensure that there's consideration and curation in our offering that brings our stories, and the feelings they inspire, closer to the surface.
Te Puna Mātauranga is a record of who we are as a nation, so we don't forget.
Our purpose as a store is to take the intangible taonga we've curated - words, images, stories - and turn them into something physical that visitors to Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa can take with them.