National Trust, NALIS, San Fernando corporation working to save Carnegie Library

In light of the continued deterioration of the iconic Carnegie Free Library in San Fernando, officials from the National Trust met with the mayor and other officials on the importance of safeguarding the historically significant building.

A release from the National Trust said several people raised concerns about the library’s progressive deterioration. For that reason, National Trust representatives met with stakeholders, including the director of the library Hazel Hazzard Samuda.

The release said the trust had completed the research and documentation necessary to recommend the building's legal protection through the "listing" process.

"This and other recommendations for the restoration and future plans for the building will be on the agenda for a follow-up meeting with NALIS (the National Libraries and Information System Authority) and the San Fernando City Corporation (SFCC)," the release said. This second meeting took place on Friday.

The building, at Harris Promenade (Library Corner), is under the control of NALIS. In 2015, the library, now on the corner of Coffee and Prince of Wales Streets, was closed for extensive restoration.

On April 12, San Fernando mayor Junia Regrello said on social media that part of the roof "on our iconic library continues to fall."

Several galvanise sheets came crashing down. The sheets fell outside the galvanise fence around the building. Regrello said NALIS put up the galvanise fence to obscure the sorry state of the building. The awning on the opposite side protects the vendors as well as passers-by, he said.

The crash happened on the southern side of the building, narrowly missing the Princes Town taxi stand.

The mayor said a similar incident occurred a week earlier. Newsday learnt that corporation workers later removed the fallen galvanise sheets.

On Wednesday, the mayor updated the public about Tuesday's meeting, saying on Facebook that stakeholders felt very optimistic afterwards about the future of the building.

The National Trust said it was encouraged by the outpouring of concern from citizens. It looks forward to working with NALIS, SFCC, and any other interest groups that share their commitment to safeguarding this important landmark.

The release quoted the trust’s library dossier, saying the institution's beginnings date to May 1909, when San Fernando mayor JD Hobson approached Andrew Carnegie, a Scottish-born American philanthropist, for aid in establishing a library.

Two years later, on July 15, 1911, Carnegie gave the borough council (now city council) £2,500 to build the free public library.

"The Carnegie free library is iconic for the role it played at its inception in 1919, in granting access to books and information to low-income sectors of the society, who prior to that were excluded from such resources," the release said.

NALIS's website says the original library was built in 1918 and opened to the public in March 1919. It says the building, a landmark in San Fernando, has been home to many educational and cultural activities for people of all ages and abilities over the years.

The National Trust was set up in 1991 with several objectives, including identifying built and natural properties and sites of interest. It also aims to formally list important heritage properties and sites to prevent their destruction or to ensure discussion before agreed modification.

The trust also runs education and awareness campaigns to ensure the general acceptance of TT's heritage.