New San Fernando library commissioned

The National Library and Information System Authority (Nalis) has commissioned its new San Fernando West Indian Reference Library at Harris Promenade, San Fernando.

Nalis said the library is its second West Indian Reference Library, with the Heritage Library in Port of Spain being the first.

The library held a ceremony on Thursday in collaboration with the San Fernando City Corporation.

Nalis acting executive director Paula Greene said the new library represents Nalis’s commitment to expanding and preserving information about TT’s heritage, as it is mandated to do by law.

“It is very important to us to ensure that we preserve those items and decentralise across the country for access to people. They tell so much about the history of TT."

Given the new library’s size, Greene said just a fraction of the true amount of material in the West Indian Collection will be displayed at any given time. However, she said the library’s collection will be refreshed periodically.

During the ceremony, San Fernando mayor Junia Regrello gave the library a book, Calypso Fiesta at Skinner Park: The Gateway to Trinidad and Tobago Calypso Monarch.”

He also said generous burgesses have committed to making their own donations.

An elated Greene said, “We are fortunate that we got this book today from the mayor, but many of them (West Indian books) are out of print. We do accept donations, providing of course that they’re newer collections, because West Indian books are very difficult to get.

“A lot of people don’t realise the value of these type of material and the fact that many of them are out of print.”

Readers will be able to access the library's services from December 13.