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In a land where public institutions are symbols of frustration, two stand out by dint of their commitment to service and innovation. I am referring to Nalis, our National Library and Information Service Authority, and our National Archives.
In the course of my various episodes of research, I became convinced that librarians and archivists are a special breed, dedicated to their craft with the kind of passion that comes from doing something you love.
I feel this is why they maintain such a high standard of performance despite being as under-resourced as any other public entity.
Nalis has a website, an attractive one, that says T&T has 25 public libraries, plus three in correctional institutions and a mobile service. I don’t know if this figure includes the recently opened one in Diego Martin, which is what made me want to write about them.
Photos showing the facility lifted my spirits. What a thoughtful environment! It features “Children, Adults, Young Adults and Senior Library book sections, computer stations and a meeting room. Also an auditorium with 117 seating capacity, and an amphitheatre with 75 seating capacity”, said the site.
Photo: Nalis
Our libraries offer digital literacy sessions, and book clubs for children and adults.
And yet, in the typically cantankerous Trini way, most online comments dismissed the new space, on the premise that libraries are outdated, useless and irrelevant to our culture.
I try very hard to be respectful of people’s views, especially when they are different from mine, but in this regard, I have to say that these opinions are so obviously uninformed that they make two cases.
Photo: Nalis
One is that these commentators did not really look at what the libraries provide before rushing to post their foolishness—the sign of the online addict—and this is one of the unfortunate consequences of the freedom to spew what seems to be mostly political toxins.
The other case in point is that some people are generally functionally illiterate. They may be able to recognise words, but they do not appear to be able to absorb their meanings, and so they interpret things in ways so wildly removed from their actual sense that one has to wonder.
I have observed this from years of writing columns in the public domain and often being bewildered by the conclusions that people form.
So, I want to join the chorus of voices that have been raised in defence of libraries and their value to a civilisation.
Nalis has been promoting the various activities at our libraries; most of them are targeted towards children.
Go to the Facebook page and you will see how diligently the libraries are working towards engaging their communities. Can we say this about most of our institutions?
To celebrate International Day of Forests, next week the Couva Public Library is joining the public awareness programme by Rennie’s Orphanage and Animal Rescue (ROAR). They’re calling it The Library Goes Wild.
The St James Library hosts weekly sign language classes. The Sangre Grande Library is holding an Easter camp. The Barataria Library held a painting session. The Debe Library entertains school visits, as do others.
They’re not outdated. They’re resourceful. They’re engaging the public. They’re providing safe spaces for people to come and do a host of things, including reading. Much is taking place, and thankfully, Nalis is using social media to keep us informed. We only have to be willing to learn before opening our mouths to castigate.
Even in the beleaguered world of Pakistan, the former president, Arif Alvi, inaugurated the Karachi Festival of Books and Libraries earlier this month.
“Libraries need to be preserved, protected, promoted, developed, redeveloped and reshaped,” he said.
Our libraries are already far more than a collection of books. They need to be supported. We cannot pretend that the disintegration within our societies is unrelated to the rampant functional illiteracy.
When people unfairly sneer at the roles of libraries, they are turning off the very ones who need such outlets to spend their time—and such inlets into the world of ideas and thoughts.
All around the planet, the role of libraries is being redefined, rendering them as living spaces that interact with the users. Perhaps it is a result of the backlash that has come from the over-reliance on social media—not as a tool of information, but as a platform for piffling issues.
Telling the world what you had for breakfast is so banal. I don’t wish to digress into speculating about the reasons for the resurgence in libraries. I think it is marvellous.
I also wanted to say why I feel we should be so proud of the work being done by the National Archives as well. Years ago, I saw first-hand how much of our material has been reduced to irreparable damage because of state neglect.
How many times have we heard about plans to physically relocate it to a custom-designed building? Yet, despite that shabby treatment, the archivists have always been steadfast in accommodating research.
Not only that, but I have observed too that they have been posting well-written, interesting short articles about events and people who have contributed to our country. Every time I read one, I get a chirpy feeling that all is not lost, that people still respect who we are and our past.
I am going to have to continue talking about these things because there is much to discuss.
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I’m a senior female. Libraries are magical places. I still lovingly gaze upon the old Public Library on Knox Street .
O Vaneisa Vaneisa, thanks for coming to our defence but then, you read.
…and, you should not forget, write.