William John Macnaught CBE (born 1951) was New Zealand's National Librarian from 2011 to 2020.
Before becoming National Librarian he was manager of Puke Ariki in New Plymouth, New Zealand, and Head of Cultural Development at Gateshead Council in England.
[1][2] Macnaught spent 14 years from 1991 to 2005 at the Gateshead Council as the Director, Libraries and Arts and later Head of Cultural Development where he was instrumental in promoting the cultural life of Gateshead and the installation of Antony Gormley's statue the Angel of the North.
[3][6] During his tenure the National Library installed the He Tohu exhibition which displays Te Tiriti o Waitangi (The Treaty of Waitangi), He Whakaputanga (the Declaration of the Independence of the United Tribes of New Zealand) and the Women's Suffrage Petition (Te Petihana Whakamana Pōti Wahine).
[7][8] Macnaught received the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2005 Birthday Honours for his services to public libraries and cultural life in north east England.