George Grey, former governor of New Zealand, donated a remarkable collection of rare books, letters, photographs, maps and manuscripts to the Auckland Free Public Library in 1887. The collection covers both 19th-century New Zealand history and also European material, and includes medieval manuscripts. Some of the treasures of this collection have been digitised and presented in themed exhibitions, and many of the letters are also available for viewing through the Manuscripts Online database. New Zealand libraries have been leaders in making digital copies of both manuscripts and images available to researchers online.