The United Nations at Auckland Libraries
A rich selection of 20th-century pamphlets, books and serials published by the United Nations (UN) has been transferred to our rare books collection. This sample, produced from the late 1940s onwards, shows how the UN marketed and communicated its policies and work on globally significant issues to the public. Aside from documenting the core operations of the UN and other agencies, these publications also provide insight into the UN as a prolific publishing house, as well as trends in publication design, visual language, prose style and printing methods from the mid-20th century through to the decades before the internet. Image: Poster from the former UN Documents collection: The Freedom Charter of South Africa The United Nations: origins and purpose The UN was established in the final months of World War II as an intergovernmental organisation to maintain peace and security through collective action, following the failure of its predecessor, the League of Nations, to achieve this. Its...