Thursday 24 November 2011

Construction delay for the National Public Library of Antigua & Barbuda

Author: Rory Butler 
Title: No Public Library by year-end

Date published: Thursday, November 24th, 2011.
Source: Antigua Observer.com
URL: http://www.antiguaobserver.com/?p=67741


Abstract:

The article reports on the inability of the governing administration to honour a commitment to complete the new library building site for the National Public Library of Antigua and Barbuda for 2011.The delay is reportedly caused by a lack of funding. Executive Secretary of the Board of Education (BOE) D Gisele Isaac provides further detail of the source of funding and the reasons for the delay. The article also reports that construction materials to be manufactured overseas are required. The cost of the construction project is also mentioned. In addition what the building will house and some of its amenities and facilities are also mentioned.

Excerpt:

St. John’s Antigua- Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer is not going to be able to keep his commitment to Antigua & Barbuda to have the National Public Library completed in 2011.

Executive Secretary of the Board of Education (BOE) D Gisele Isaac confirmed yesterday that a 2011 completion date is out of the question.

“Oh absolutely not. Today is the (23rd November). No, of course it can’t be completed this year. The first thing we need to get is overseas materials, so even if I were to place the order today there is no way they are going to get here for us to complete anything before year-end. So, no it’s not going to happen in 2011,” Isaac said yesterday.

In January this year Spencer categorically stated, “The public library must be completed and operationalised by 2011, whatever the situation.”

Spencer at the time said his administration was taking full responsibility for the inordinate delay in the completion of the facility, “but it must be done.”
Upon completion, the 20,000 square foot multi-level complex building will be fully air-conditioned and host between 70 and 80 computers.

It will offer several rooms, including a children’s library and reading room, adult reading rooms, a modern conference room, a research and reference library, newspaper and periodicals section, staff and lobby areas, a cafeteria and a gift shop

Tuesday 8 November 2011

UWI libraries gets BBC Caribbean archives

Photographer: Garfield Robinson
Title: UWI gets BBC Caribbean archives
Source: Jamaican Observer
Date Published: Sunday, November 06, 2011
URL: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/magazines/career/UWI-gets-BBC-Caribbean-archives_10097323

Abstract:
The article is actually just a caption to a photograph, that captures or documents the official handing over ceremony for the BBC Caribbean Service 1988 to 2011 archives .

Excerpt:
University of the West Indies (UWI) librarian Jennifer Josephs and UWI vice chancellor E Nigel Harris show off the BBC Caribbean 1988 to 2011...The occasion was the official handover ceremony for the archives, held Friday at the universities multifunction room.

Monday 7 November 2011

UWI acquires and provides access to BBC Caribbean Archive 1988-2011

Title: BBC Caribbean Archive 1988-2011

Source: DSpace development team at the The Alma Jordan Library of The University of the West Indies at St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
tel. 1 (868) 662 2002
URL: http://uwispace.sta.uwi.edu/dspace/handle/2139/11134

Abstract:
The University of West Indies has acquired the holdings of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Caribbean Service archives of recordings for the period 1988-2011. The context behind the acquisition is provided. Information is also provided about the scope of the collection and the types of subjects and content it covers. Information is also provided about how to access the archived recordings.

Excerpt:
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Caribbean Service donated its archive of recordings to The University of the West Indies (UWI) after it ceased broadcasting on March 25, 2011. This archive of audio recordings covers the period 1988-2011, when the BBC Caribbean Service operated mainly as a news and current affairs department. During this period, the flagship programmes of the department were the BBC Caribbean Report (morning and evening drivetime editions) and Caribbean Magazine, a programme that reflected the human face of the news agenda as well as reporting on the Caribbean region's music, literature, and other cultural issues. The BBC Caribbean Archive at The UWI provides a unique contemporary record of the political, social cultural and economic issues pertaining to the Caribbean, and will therefore serve an a very important facility for research regionally and extra-regionally.


Friday 4 November 2011

A Proposal for libraries in some Jamaican police stations

Title: Libraries for Manchester police stations
Author: ALICIA SUTHERLAND Observer Staff Reporter sutherlanda@jamaicaobserver.com
Date published: Friday, November 04, 2011
URL: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/latestnews/Libraries-for-Manchester-police-stations

Abstract:

Article reports on a proposal by Resident Magistrate of Manchester and former police officer Oswald Burcheson for libraries to be established at every police station in this Jamaican parish. the idea behind this is that such a library could assist with continuing education and professional of police officers.


Excerpt:
MANDEVILLE, Manchester- Resident Magistrate of Manchester and former police officer Oswald Burcheson is proposing to assist in setting up a small library at every police station in the parish for the continued educational development of police officers.

Burcheson made the commitment at the closing exercise of a development course for police corporals at the Ingleside Wellness and Recreation Centre in Mandeville recently.

“I would like to see at every police station a small library. When you are doing station guard duty you can take a book and read or you can tell the young policeman who come under your command…take a book and read. A lot of persons who have changed their whole course in life have been persons who have just read a book,” the Resident Magistrate said.

Thursday 3 November 2011

Students from Belize to benefit from e-library service

Title: Students to benefit from e-library service
Date published: Saturday, 29 October 2011
Source: The [Belize] Reporter
URL: http://www.reporter.bz/index.php?mod=article&cat=General&article=5330

Abstract:

Article reports on an announcement made by Belize's Minister of Education Hon. Patrick Faber and Chief Librarian for the Belize National Library Service, Joy Ysaguirre, about the national access for students at all levels of education to over 20, 000 e-resources accessible from their home. Access will be provided through the National Library of Belize, who will supply the password to those patrons interested. The proprietary e-library vendor behind the provision of these electronic resources is named, as well a brief profile on the company and its services.

Excerpt:

Students all across Belize now have free access to more than  20,000 online publications, because  the Government of Belize has added EBSCO Publishing’s extensive e-library program to the list of  educational resources available to students.

The program will grant students of all academic levels access to a database comprised of thousands of full text publications including journals, magazines, newspapers and more.