BLibrarian

Through the lenses of A Librarian of the Caribbean

2011-05-02T13:11:00.009-04:00

Have you ever wanted to see libraries and library services in the Caribbean through the eyes of a visitor to the region? What if that visitor were also a librarian?

For the last few months I have been viewing Caribbean librarianship through the eyes of an expatriate librarian resident in St. Kitts. Owen, also known as A St. Kitts Librarian, blogs at A Librarian of the Caribbean. His blog is an interesting intersection of responses to cultural and societal norms as they impact both his personal and professional life. Highly recommended read.

Links

2011-02-27T05:30:00.005-04:00

I am pleased to link my readers to one of my favourite blogs, Repeating Islands, which is celebrating its second anniversary. This blog is an excellent Caribbean resource. It provides information on the culture, literature and art of the Anglophone, French, Spanish and Dutch countries. Have a look.

Anguilla Public Library

2011-02-12T06:00:00.003-04:00

I visited several libraries over the summer of 2010 and the Anguilla Public Library was my last stop.

The building, the Edison L Hughes Library and Education Complex, was constructed in 1997 and houses the public library, the Teachers' Resource Centre along with a large auditorium, an audiovisual unit and small meeting rooms. The library seems to be well integrated into the educational system.

There is a well lit and spacious circulations area.

Here is another view of that circulations area. Note the display rack with both print and electronic resources.

This is the non fiction area.

And here is the fiction area.

One of the campuses of the The Albena Lake Hodge Comprehensive school (ALHCS) is located on the other side of the street from the library. On the day I visited there were a number of students from the school using the library. A few students were using the children's section of the library.

Some others were using the computers.

In addition to a Reference section,

there are dedicated areas for the Caribbean

and the Anguillan collections.

I really enjoyed my visit at the Anguilla Public Library. The staff was really accommodating and I appreciated their willingness to help.

Nevis Public Library

2010-10-01T08:16:00.019-04:00

I cannot believe that it has been two months since I updated this blog. Wow, time flies.

The Nevis Public Library in the capital, Charlestown, was another one of my stops this last summer. Here are some photos of the building and its space. The architecture is incredible!

This is the exterior of the building which was once used to house slaves before they were taken to the square next door to be auctioned off.

The library occupies the upper level of the buiding. The clock which is still functioning has been in the tower has been there from the 1800s I am told.

Here is what you see as you enter the building.

This is basically the extent of the library. As with most libraries, there are space contraints. And yes, the staff was very helpful.

Here is another look with a bit more of the roof visible. Note those incredible beams!

Here is a closer look at those beams.

The architecture and history of this library building is fascinating. However, because in the Caribbean many libraries do no occupy purpose built facilities, library administrators are forced to adapt the space allocated to suit the requirements of the libary. Though that was obviously done in this case, the history of the building is still evident. What a remarkable teaching opportunity!

I truly enjoyed my visit to the library and to Nevis as a whole.

Web 2.0 vs Web 3.0

2010-07-23T16:08:00.009-04:00

I am very enthusiastic about Web 2.0 and all that it has come to mean. I have done several presentations on Web 2.0 and Libraries in Barbados and the wider Caribbean region. But when I saw this I could not help but laugh.

(Sorry I do not have the original source.)

Sometimes we take ourselves too seriously. This is a reminder that perspective is everything.

St. Kitts Public Library

2010-07-21T21:59:00.013-04:00

I visited the St Kitts Public Library back in April.

These school children were attending story hour while I was here.

Their enthusiasm brought a smile to my face.

Here are some other photographs of the inside of the library.

The library appeared to be quite spacious.

And here is the entrance.

I really enjoyed my visit to St. Kitts Public Library. The staff was very accommodating and resourceful. Kudos to them.

Montserrat Public Library

2010-06-20T21:05:00.009-04:00

I visited Montserrat in April. Lovely, lush country. The public library was on my to-do-list and I was not disappointed. The library is making use of technology with Alexandria for its ILS and a bank of public computers which are heavily used by patrons. Here are some photos of the library.

This is the adult lending section.

And this is the children's section.

And here is a look at the exterior.

This library is situated at Brades. Brades was anticipated to be the new town to replace the volcano ravaged Plymouth. The Government has however chosen Little Bay to be the new town centre.

It is in this area of Little Bay that a new library, museum and archives will be located.

Sounds good to me. Hopefully it will come to fruition soon.

Antigua Public Library

2010-06-13T21:15:00.007-04:00

I recently had the opportunity to visit Antigua (and Barbuda). Here are some photos I took of the Public Library building and inner space.

The library occupies the top floor of this building and is in the heart of the city. While I was there patrons were coming and going constantly. The bank of computers was a big hit with patrons of all ages.

As is the case with most libraries in the Caribbean, there were severe space challenges.

Professional Training

2010-06-05T05:19:00.013-04:00

In an earlier post about the re-opening of the Public/National Library I mentioned that the Minister with responsibility for the Public/National Library spoke of the dearth of trained library professionals island-wide. Well the government is looking to remedy that situation a evident in the offerings in the 2010 round of National Development Scholarships. This year's scholarship offerings include Library and Information Science, Conservation Studies and Archives.

National Development Scholarships are directed to candidates pursuing courses considered to be of critical importance to national development. Winners are provided with state funds for the duration of their academic studies.

Good news indeed.

Heartache

2010-04-30T04:30:00.006-04:00

I recently visited Barbuda, the sister island of Antigua. Small, beautiful island with interesting historic sites and beautiful wetlands.

Learning that there is no public library and not one bookshop, knocked me for six, squared.

I was consoled somewhat when I was told that both the primary and secondary school each have a small library.

But, I am still trying to come to terms with there being no public library and no bookshop on the island.

Drive Through

2009-05-04T10:34:00.006-04:00

Just stopping by to say hi. Will be back shortly.

In the interim have a look over at The CARLIN blog. Mark-Shane has some interesting articles there including some news from Barbados. Jennifer at The Caribbean Librarian also has some interesting posts as well. Enjoy.

More on the Re-opening of the Public Library

2009-02-01T19:19:00.016-04:00

The official re-opening of the Main Branch of the Public/National Library was held Friday January 30th. Speaking at the associated ceremony Minister of Community Development and Culture Steve Blackett noted that the re-opening was considered one of the highlights to date of his ministry. The Library had been closed since August 2005 and as Minister Blackett once stated the incident was a national shame for a country which boasts of a 98% literacy rate. So it is understandable that he was proud to have the library up and running in just over a year of his DLP government coming to office.

At this ceremony the minister spoke of plans to invest in electronic resources to improve the availability and quality of services to the users. Mention was made of the acute shortage (island wide) of professional librarians and conservators. I look forward to seeing a few National Development Scholarships being awarded in these areas. I know of two persons who want to be trained but are unable to get funding to do so.

The Main Branch of the Public/National Library was formerly housed in a Carnegie Building; one of the few in the Caribbean and dating back to 1905. There are plans according to the minister to refurbish this building before the end of the first term in office. A national treasure such of this should never have been allowed to fall into such a state of disrepair. The Barbados National Trust I am sure will take an interest in this project.

Much was said and promised at that re-opening ceremony. I look forward to the follow through.

More on the re-opening is available here.

Public Library Re-opens

2008-12-06T15:06:00.011-04:00

After approximately two (2) years, that's right, two years the main branch of the Public Library / National Library Service has re-opened. It has been a period of promises and rumours of re-opening but until now no evidence to support these. This re-opening however is restricted to the lending services sections. The opening of the Reference Dept, the section which houses materials used by students to prepare for school based assessments, to do research for projects and to study for CXC and CAPE (O and A) level exams is yet to be opened.

This section is also the one where access to Barbadian and Caribbean material is facilitated. There is no other library in the country which provides this service to the public, and to the best of my knowledge, except minimally through the larger branches,which are in themselves very small spaces, no arrangements to accommodate this were made during the period of closure.

At least this present government seems to be aware of the importance of the Public Library / National Library Service and its value to the citizens. An early Christmas present or an Independence honour? Whatever it may be termed this re-opening is a good thing.

Jamaica Library Service 60th Anniversary Conference

2008-10-30T21:47:00.009-04:00

The Jamaica Library Service is hosting for its 60th anniversary International Conference from February 16 -29 2009. The theme of the conference is Public and School Libraries: Your Partners in National Development.

Guidelines for presentations and workshops are available on their website. This is an excellent opportunity for presenting a paper.

Barbados discusses Freedom of Information Bill

2008-10-15T20:23:00.017-04:00

The Barbados Government recently circulated the long awaited Freedom of Information bill. This piece of legislation seeks to provide access to documents or records of government agencies. The legislation seeks to make government information more freely available to the public.

The Freedom of Information Bill can be access on the government
website and in pdf here.

Discussion on the Bill and its provisions are encouraged through a series of town hall meetings and via electronic means.

To have an idea of the response thus far to the legislation check out the following blogs:
Barbados Underground, The Bajan Reporter and Barbados Free Press.

For more information on access to information in the Caribbean region have a look at Fay Durrant's article in the open access journal First Monday.

CLR James Manuscript Acquired

2008-04-06T20:21:00.006-04:00

College & Research Library News (Feb. 2008) reports that Columbia University's Rare Book and Manuscript Library has acquired "the complete original work in its entirety" of Notes on Dialectic. The latter was written whilst CLR James lived on a ranch in Nevada between late September and early November 1948. This manuscript joins the extensive collection of other papers of James acquired by the library in 2007.

James, a Trinidadian, is widely recognised for his work Beyond a Boundary.

My Jamaican Family - Blog

2008-02-18T22:22:00.003-04:00

I recently came across My Jamaican Family an interesting, illustrated blog by Jamaican-Canadian librarian Dorothy Kew. It explores the history of her family in Jamaica. At the same time it provides an account of Jamaica's social history.

ACURIL 2008 Blog

2008-02-07T12:15:00.000-04:00

The ACURIL 2008 Conference has its blog up and running. Available there is information on the call for papers, posters and workshops presentations. Have a look!

Links - Blogs, Website

2008-02-06T14:08:00.001-04:00

Before I even started my blog I would read a number of them and think to myself, we really need to have a resource like this for and about Caribbean libraries and library workers. While mine has not reached the stage to which these have, they have certainly been an inspiration and motivation for me to begin and then improve on Blibrarian.

Today, I thought I would share a few blogs and a website to which I subscribe and or read. In random order:

Beyond the Job
A good resource for keeping up to date with conferences, publication opportunities, scholarships/grants announcements and educational opportunities.

Library Writer’s Blog
Another good resource for writers it follows in the same vein as BtJ but chiefly identifies conferences, publishing and presentation opportunities.

Kimbooktu
For the lovers of books and book related gadgets, paraphernalia and accessories, this is the blog for you.

Library Stuff
For want of a better term, this blog is similar to a newswire service. It provides usually short announcements about happenings all over librarydom.

This next resource is actually a website.

Library Related Conferences
It provides the dates, names, locations for and links to conferences and continuing education opportunities internationally. I find it invaluable.

Have a look at these web spaces and see why I find them so interesting.

Greetings & Introductions

2008-01-30T18:08:00.000-04:00

It has been a while! Happy New Year! Best Wishes for 2008.

While on break I came across a few interesting sites and I will be sharing them shortly.

First I want to introduce a new Caribbean blogger, from Jamaica. Say hello to Mark-Shane Scale who is blogging at Caribbean Library & Information News (CARIB LIN)

Mark-Shane Scale works at the Department of Library and Information Studies (DLIS), University of the West Indies, Mona Campus.

Many librarians in the Caribbean were educated at the DLIS.

Welcome on board Mark-Shane!

Free Zotero demonstration online

2007-12-16T20:40:00.000-04:00

About a week ago Jennifer the Caribbean Librarian wrote a post about Zotero, the free (YEP, I said free) information resource which allows you to collect, manage and cite your resouces as you navigate the internet, and then produce that information into a citation style later. As a librarian, student and researcher I am very excited about this.

Well, here is further good news! OPAL is offering a FREE demonstration of the program and a discussion of its merits as a possible replacement for products like Procite and Refworks. The Mark of Zotero: Two-Clicks to Citation Management takes place Wednesday, January 23, 2008. Mark your calenders!!

Until then, check out Karin Dalziel's Musing of an LIS Student, where she discusses Zotero here and here.

IFLA 2008 Grant for Librarians from Developing Countries

2007-12-09T13:46:00.000-04:00

Here is an excellent opportunity for Caribbean librarians and others from developing countries. For full information on the Bibliomondialis grant see the IFLA website. Below is a very brief description of the requirements.

Grant

Financial support program for International Library Science and Information Sciences Activities, including a Busary for Program for Delegates from Developing Countries to allow them to attenf the annual confernces of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)

Context and objectives

In the Spring of 2007, ASTED and the Canadian Library Association ("CLA") worked together to establish a charitable organization, called Bibliomondialis : Partenaires canadiens pour des échanges en milieu documentaire / Bibliomondialis: Canadian Partners for Library Bridge-Building, referred to below as Bibliomondialis which will launch its activities during the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA's) 2008 World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) in Quebec City.

The goals of Bibliomondialis are to promote and encourage the participation of delegates from developing countries in IFLA conferences, to increase participation in national and international library science seminars and to encourage and support research focusing on international library science issues.

To this end, Bibliomondialis is implementing bursary programs for research development and participation in events relating to IFLA.

The mission of Bibliomondialis is therefore to raise and manage funds to financially support international library development. For 2008, the goal is to set up a bursary program to assist delegates from developing countries to participate for the first time in the 2008 WLIC Conference in Quebec City, and thereafter in subsequent IFLA-sponsored conferences.

After 2008, the goal of Bibliomondialis is not only to encourage Canadian colleagues and colleagues in developing countries to participate in international activities such as World Congresses, but also to provide financial support for research, study or development projects that focus on international issues.

The Bibliomondialis bursary program is not intended to duplicate but to complement other similar bursary programs that may be offered by IFLA, its French committee, other IFLA national groups or any other organizations associated with IFLA. The program will not offset or provide a substitute for these programs and a candidate that is receiving complete financial support from IFLA or one of its committees or, for example, the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie ("OIF"), will not be eligible for the Bibliomondialis program, or receive support from the program.

Bibliomondialis may however provide additional financial support required by a candidate receiving only partial support through one of the above-mentioned programs.

The program is promoted and supported by IFLA. It will be managed exclusively by Bibliomondialis.

General Information
Each year, depending on budgetary availability, Bibliomondialis will select a certain number of eligible candidates and provide them with financial support. The number of bursaries awarded will be fixed on an annual basis and announced by the Bibliomondialis Board of Directors.

A candidate that receives support one year from Bibliomondialis may receive it for a second year only, and to the extent that there is a budgetary availability and in accordance with the quality of the candidature submitted, including the submission of a complete report on the recipient's professional activities in the period following the previous IFLA conference.

The program is open to individuals from countries recognized by IFLA as developing countries in accordance with the following procedures:

The maximum bursary to be given to a candidate chosen by Bibliomondialis shall be five thousand dollars Canadian (CDN $ 5,000).

One (1) bursary shall be reserved for an application from an eligible candidate from a library or university resource centre from a Francophone country. (In relation to the granting of this bursary, the selection committee must include two (2) members of the former Association des bibliothèques universitaires de la Francophonie).
One or more bursaries may be reserved in 2008 for one or more eligible candidates from the Caribbean or South America.

The bursary will include the following:

Bibliomondialis will pay for the reservation and cost of up to a maximum of eight hundred Canadian dollars ($ 800) for the recipient's accommodation for eight (8) nights (before, during and one (1) day after the conference).

The bursary should be used to pay the conference registration fees (a maximum of six hundred and forty dollars Canadian ($ 640 for the 2008 conference) and the cost of meals and local transportation (at the conference location) for eight (8) days for a maximum of seven hundred dollars Canadian ($7 00), at a per diem rate of one hundred dollars Canadian ($100) delivered in person by Bibliomondialis.

The bursary will pay for airfare transportation from Europe or Asia, the Caribbean or Latin or South America, in economy class.

Bibliomondialis encourages each candidate to obtain additional financing from other programs or institutions and this will be taken into consideration amongst the selection criterion for candidates and awarding bursaries.

LITA grant for Caribbean Librarian

2007-11-13T12:43:00.000-04:00

Information obtained via Beyond the Job. Caribbean librarians are encouraged to apply. Last year's winner was Ms. Annette Smith, Director of the National Library Service in Barbados.

......................

Grant Available to Attend Library Information Technology Association
National Forum October 2008 USA

Sponsor: Mrs. Grace Hope Hill in Memory of Professor Errol Gaston Hill

Conference Theme:
Technology and Community: Building the Techno Community Library

October 16-19, 2008, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

The Library and Information Technology Association, a division of the American Library Association, announces a grant to support and promote international participation at the 2008 LITA National Forum.

The grant provides up to $2,500.00 US for a librarian currently living and working in the Caribbean, with preference given to a librarian from the Windward Islands (especially Martinique, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, the Grenadines and Grenada) to attend the 2008 LITA National Forum in Cincinnati, Ohio, October 16-19, 2008. The grant covers only airfare, hotel, registration, and currency conversion fees up to the grant total. The grantee is responsible for meals and other expenses not covered by the $2,500 grant. He or she will have opportunities to meet with the LITA leadership and members as well as attend the full forum.

To be eligible, an applicant must: (1) be living and working in the Caribbean; (2) hold citizenship other than U.S.; (3) have between five and fifteen years of work experience in a library or information setting; (4) have an interest in or experience with using, managing, or leading technology in a library or information setting; (5) understand English; (6) and not be a regular LITA Forum attendee.

Applications should be sent by e-mail to tsie@loc.gov with subject line: LITA Grant. The application must contain the following, submitted in English:
name, work address and e-mail addresses, current job title, brief resume, a brief summary of experience working with technology in a library or information setting, and a 200 or fewer word statement about why you would like to attend the LITA Forum including an indication as to whether this is the first time you would be attending a LITA Forum.

Application deadline is 5:00 pm (EST) May 1, 2008.

For more information about the Forum, visit
http://www.ala.org/ala/lita/litaevents/litaeventsprograms.cfm

Questions to tsie@loc.gov or lita@ala.org

ACURIL 2008

2007-10-24T17:39:00.000-04:00

ACURIL 2008 will be in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The theme is E-Librarian: Ideas, Innovation and Inspiration . The registration form and further information are available on the ACURIL 2008 website .

Updated Jan. 4, 2008

Caribbean Library Journal

2007-09-23T19:26:00.000-04:00

The Campus Libraries at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus launched first online Caribbean library journal - Caribbean library Journal.

Here are the guidelines for this peer-reviewed journal.

This is a great initiative and I am looking forward to the first issue.

Another Trini librarian blogger

2007-09-14T17:38:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Jennifer the Caribbean Librarian.

Good to have you on board.

Same ole story

2007-09-12T15:26:00.000-04:00

On hearing the news that the headquarters/main branch of the National/Public Library was soon to be relocated the Nation Newspaper of September 6, 2007 carried this cartoon:

Out of the mouth of babes?

Caribbean Connector - A Trini Librarian blogger

2007-09-10T18:20:00.000-04:00

Hi

Welcome Cheryl at Caribbean Connector.

Good to have another Caribbean librarian on board! I was begining to feel kinda lonesome!!!

Blogger survey results

2007-09-05T13:39:00.000-04:00

Meredith Farkas over at Information Wants to be Free conducted a survey of people in the library and information science profession who blog. She conducted a similar survey in 2005.

Some results for the 2007 survey are now available on her website. I find it quite interesting. I note however that only 2 respondents were from the Bahamas/Caribbean. And I believe I am one of the two since I took the survey :-).

I am sending out a call to the Bahamian blogger. There seems to be so few Caribbean/West Indian library bloggers on line. I would be happy if you would make yourself known to me.

Caribbean Digital Libraries

2007-08-28T15:28:00.000-04:00

The National Library and Information System Authority (NALIS) of Trinidad teamed up with UNESCO to sponsor the Caribbean Digital Libraries Workshop.

Participant from the Caribbean, North and South America attended. Presentations are available here.

Caribbean Library Blogger

2007-08-17T16:26:00.000-04:00

Discovered the blog for a librarian at the American University of Antigua. See LIBINFOSPACE .
Good to know there is atleast one other out there. So, let me know if you come across any Caribbean/ West Indian Library/librarian bloggers.

ACURIL Conference

2007-08-17T15:54:00.000-04:00

The ACURIL Conference "Equal Access to Information and Knowledge: An Inalienable Right for All" was held this past June in Puerto Rico. According to reports it was very well attended. The session were interesting and informative.

Among the presenters were Dr. Barbara Tillett from the library of Congress and Jessamyn West from Librarian.net. Here is short review of Jessamyn's talk. Regretfully I couldn't be there. Hopefully I will be in Jamaica 2008.

Under Construction

2007-08-09T13:18:00.000-04:00

I have decided to make some long needed changes to this blog. I will be adding some links to Caribbean sources/resources of interest and add some links to other blogs I enjoy and or inspire.

So for the next week or so look out for the changes.

New Publication - Caribbean Libraries

2007-08-07T21:12:00.000-04:00

One of the more important happening in the last six months has been the publication of
Caribbean Libraries in the 21st Century: Changes, Challenges, and Choices.

This publication provides a multicultural, multiethnic perspective on the state of and development of libraries, library services and librarianship in the Caribbean region. It is only the 3rd such publication and this is by far the most comprehensive and inclusive. It incorporates twenty-five articles by forty contributers. I co-author a chapter in this work. Its an imporatant contribution to the literature of librarianship of and in the Caribbean region. Have a look at the TOC.

The editors Cheryl Peltier-Davis and Shamin Renwick received an Acurialean Award for the publication.

I'm back

2007-08-03T13:57:00.000-04:00

It has been six months since I last posted. I had intended to take a break to review the purpose and by extension the content of this blog but I never intended for it to be so long. Truth be told I am no closer to deciding what type of blog - strictly professional or quasi-professional this is to be. I do know that I want to continue working on this blog, to promote and provide a forum for Caribbean librarians and librarianship. More on that in due course.

As can be expected so much has happened since January 30th. And I will in due course be a posting on these developments.

Continuing Education - how far?

2007-01-30T21:30:00.000-04:00

I have been thinking for some time now about CE for librarians in this region. How important is CE to professional development? And whose responsibility is it anyway to ensure that the adequate and needed training is had?

Late last year I got sponsored to attend a conference which featured several workshops in areas which MPOW had been looking into for some time. My attending these workshops meant leaving the region, travelling all day (from morning to evening), changing flights three times, crossing several time zones and encountering varying climatic conditions. No, this not an exaggeration. How far does one go in order to get the right training?

At that conference I spoke with one of the presenters and in later communications discussed the possibilities of offering a similar workshop in the region and at the regional association's annual conference. I contacted the President of that association with questions about sponsorship of this and / or similar training workshops.

Recently the Head of the regional Library School came to chat with local librarians about the same issue. Are we interested in CE? What are some of the areas we would want covered/offered? How should these be delivered -face to face, online? And when (what time of year) should they be offered?

More and more I am seeing North American universities and other organisations offer online CE courses and generally distance education programmes for the profession. Some of these are free, others are fee based.

The local library association to the best of my knowledge has not offered any CE programmes in the past five years. The local community college does offer a library assistant's certificate and members of the association teach components of the programme.

In a conversation with a 'young' librarian recently the issue of whether or not one should have one's own personal professional collection/library arose. Is it necessary? Who pays for the resources, you or the employer? How much and what should be acquired?

Several departments here at MPOW have from time to time offered courses in areas which though not particular library and information science oriented, appeared to be quite interesting otherwise.

During my most recent review process I was asked to list my duties. I thought long and hard about it but eventually decided, much to my later regret, not to include, keeping update with the latest issues and trends in this list. What role do listservs, blogs, wikis, and other online media, play in CE?

When I consider all the foregoing, I ask myself to what extent, how far, should one go for desired training? What are the individual's responsibilities and what are the organisation's (POW, Association, LS etc.) responsibilities? What are the roles of the regional library school, the regional and local library associations?

How far should you/I be willing to go to ensure one's professional development?

Beginnings = Hope

2007-01-06T18:06:00.000-04:00

Happy New Year to all!!

At the beginning of the year we tend to consider what lies ahead and have grand hopes and plans to see it/them through. Well I wish that for all of you out there it happens.

The year began promisingly enough. There was an article in the local papers about the relocation and re-opening of the main branch of the public/national library. Good news.

A major project that has been in the works at MPOW is about to be launched. Better news.

I managed to complete some of the assignments I had outstanding. Great news.

So, here is to fantastic news in the coming year. Cheers!!

The day after

2006-12-22T16:33:00.000-04:00

... and not a soul is stirring. The final exam was held yesterday. It is so quiet!! It is hard to believe this is the same place as about this time last week. Goodness gracious! Can we have this for a little longer please?

We break for about 5 days for the holidays then we reopen first work day of the new year. This is going to be a working period for me. Still have to prepare for my several deadlines early 2007. But I will be certain to make time for fun, frolic and family.

To all of you in blogland - Happy Holidays and a Wonderful 2007!!

Reflections

2006-12-18T22:47:00.000-04:00

Tonight was my last Reference Duty for a while. I honestly am relieved. I ordinarily like working Ref. but wish I could avoid it around exam time. Nuff said!

I submitted my paper to the international journal and am awaiting the response. I have sent out a couple of expressions of interest for short articles as well. I look forward to positive responses. I like writing and I think that I am getting better at it. I believe that I would write with or without the PorP thing hanging over my head.

I am beginning to recap my year and plan for next year. I like this time of year for that reason. I am encouraged because I know that even though I am not yet where I want to be, I am not as far as I was before.

Mixed bag

2006-12-11T21:54:00.000-04:00

It was a good mini-holiday. I say mini because just as I was to return I started feeling as if I needed a holiday. Does that ever happen to you?

I did get to finish one project and did an outline for another. The latter is due on Friday. Would you believe it? My home PC has gone bum. It couldn't have happened at a worse time.

I came back to work on a weekend shift and in the midst of exam period. Somebody say mad house! The library gets noisier and busiest at this time. Students who did not bother to locate the library all term suddenly want the tour, the tutorial and you on a platter all in 5 minutes or less. It never ceases to amaze me. I often wonder if I were like that as a student. I sincerely hope not!! Two more weeks of this madness before the Christmas break. And yes I am counting.

I recently read a news article about the closure of the Antigua Public Library because of vandalism and theft. Interesting I thought. This case and that of our local public library (no there has been no further action) show me that people don't value libraries and the benefits to be derived from them. What does that say about us and our values?

On another note I read two articles in the weekend paper that encouraged me. In the first, an elementary school principal dared his students to read a set number of books within a given period and allowed them to set the 'punishment' if he lost. He lost, and spent a night on the roof of the school on a winter night. Good for those students. I hope they keep it up.

In the other article the columnist spoke of his hatred for books. They have brought him "nothing but trouble and strife" all his life. Having his nose stuck in a book all the time has caused him to loose out on fame, fun gifts, girls, a good marriage and money.

The thing is I am always with my nose in a book. (In fact I just did a quiz I linked to from the Other Librarian's blog which shows that I am a dedicated reader if you please.) Could that be the reason I am a Miss and not a Mrs? Makes me wonder...

Can you ever catch up?

2006-11-27T16:31:00.000-04:00

That has been my question in recent times. Can you ever catch up with all the things that you should have done, needed to do and wanted to do? I am not even going to bother with all the things that others wish you had done, wanted you to do and hoped that you would do? All of this to say that it has been a while.

I did go to the conference in the USA. It was all I hoped it would be and more. I was the only librarian outside of North America there. That made it even more interesting on different levels. It was great stuff, lots of workshops and informative sessions. I look forward to the next conference. I wondered whether we could consider sponsoring it here in 2008.

The situation with the main branch of the Public/National library has not changed. I would even go so far as to say it has worsened. Those staff members who can not be accommodated at a branch have been laid off. Some have worked there for years. It distresses me. There was a cartoon in the weekend papers about the situation. I hope it draws enough attention to stimulate change in the management of the facility, the responsible ministry and those persons - users and employees- who are disadvantaged by the situation.

In other news I am on leave. It is supposed to be a writing holiday. I have had a proposal for a paper accepted by an international journal so I want to complete the first draft by weekend. In addition I have a 30 page paper to write for my studies and there is another project that I have been working on for some time now. My plan is to write for 15-30 mins a day on each item. That way I should make progress on them all by the end of the week. Help!!!

That being said I have to go hibernate for a couple of hours.

Going ons

2006-10-20T19:23:00.000-04:00

Next week I am to attend my first extra-regional conference. I am looking forward to it. Hopefully it will be as interesting and informative as it is billed to be. Lots of workshop that I am interested in.

It will also be the first time I am travelling to the continental USA. I have delayed this for many reasons. I wanted to visit all the Caribbean islands first, you know the start at home and end abroad story. Secondly, I never had the desire to go do the usual thing(s?) that others went there for - shopping!. I wanted to visit the museums, the theatre, art galeries and so on. I have been checking the city's website where the conference is taking place to find similar activities. Would you believe that Michael Bolton is in concert in that city just a few days before I arrive!!! Can you beleive it? Still I hope to get in atleast 2 cultural activities during my stay there.

There is this personal blog I read several times a week. It is a dramatic, amusing, inspired and at times sad account of a young woman's life. I had been reading it consistently for more than a year until this month. Earlier this week I checked the blog and realised that I had missed 3 weeks of her life! That showed me to what extent I had become involved in library blogs. Good thing!

Woe is we

2006-10-09T18:38:00.000-04:00

Well today the headquarters and main branch of the Public Library/National Library Service was to have been closed. I am unable to say currently if it has closed. But this state of affairs I consider retroactive and shameful.

The irony of it all is that the Public Library/National Library Service falls under the Ministry of Culture, and that ministry is under the Prime Minister's portfolio. The Prime Minister is the most influential ministerial figure, some may say the most powerful man, in the island. The Public Library/National Library Service has come to this state under his watch.

Woe is we!

Time flies

2006-10-04T22:40:00.000-04:00

I have been meaning to post at least once a week, but some how I never seem to have the time. Again I do find time to read other blogs but the writing part is a bit more difficult to get into. Maybe I need to set aside a particular day / time to get it done. Any suggestions?

Blogging et al

2006-09-18T21:09:00.000-04:00

I must say that I enjoy reading blogs more than I have enjoyed writing. Hopefully as time progresses I will enjoy both equally.

I have been mostly reading the more popular library blogs - Library Stuff, Beyond the Job ( a great resource), Shifted Librarian etc. I have stumbled across some others e.g Librarian-in-excellence, Library journey... that have been pretty interesting too. I have to learn how to do this RSS feed thing so that I wont have to google everytime to see if there has been a new post on these sites.

In other news I have found a great cataloguing conference. The Online Audiovisual Catalogers Conference http://www.asu.edu/lib/olac/ The planned workshops are in areas that we have been wanting for some time now. Needless to say I am making a request for funding/support to attend.

I just finished reading Tenure and Promotion for Academic Librarians: A Guidebook With Advice and... / by Carol W. Cubberley. I wish I had read this book 3 years no 5 years ago. It is very informative. I plan to go through it again and put into practice many of the recommendations she has made.

New library in the region

2006-09-12T16:06:00.000-04:00

Good news for librarians in the region. Can an increase in the number of jobs available be expected?

................................

College of Bahamas closer to university status

The College of The Bahamas is just a few steps away from its goal of being an internationally respected University, it was revealed on Wednesday after officials collaborated at a retreat.
COB council members, chairmen of task forces and senior administration members met at the Hilton in a relaxed atmosphere for a revision of the university's strategic plan of taking the COB to university status."It's a multi-faceted process," said the secretary of COB's council, Patricia Meicholas. "We can't say exactly when the name will be changed, but it should be in the short term."

The name change must come after the government creates a University of The Bahamas Act first, among other things that need to be done before university status is appointed, added Meicholas.At the retreat, the nine task forces chosen last year to put the plan together, presented the information to the group of 30, including newly appointed president Janyne Hodder, for one of the plan's final revisions before being presented to the public again for validation.

There have been many drafts of this plan, according to Meicholas, and there will probably be more in the future after fine-tuning"Anyone can throw up a sign outside with university on it, but that's not what we want for our national university," said Meicholas. " We want to make sure everything is done properly."This retreat fits into COB's overall goals as it is one of the final revision processes of many, in getting the vision of the college implemented.S

Some of the agenda in the strategic plan involve adding a master's degree programme, a new library, as well as more dorms. So far, COB has added three new courses of study, is engaged with US institutions concerning the master's course, and is currently in the process of building a new library among other advancements.The group will gather again for another retreat later on in the year, before going to the external stakeholders in November, for the public's responses.

Extracted from The Nassau Guardian (24/07/2006) Bahamas

First night

2006-09-11T17:27:00.000-04:00

Tonight I begin my first Reference duty for the new semester. Back to the night shift. I was involved in orientation last week and was rather shock, yet again, by the youthfulness of the new students. I am beginning to feel old! This batch struck me as being even more 'don'tcarish' than those of previous years. I hope to be proven wrong on that score.

A lot is happening at this time in the island. We are preparing for one of the biggest cricket tournaments, plus there is the usual building frenzy. So there are delays and detours and as a result the traffic is horrendous throughout the day. The good thing about working late shift is there is no traffic jam when I am leaving work. Whoopeee!!

I still have to narrow down my objectives for this year. I have been working in the general direction of where I want to go. But I have to meet with my head so that I will be able to focus on particulars. Hopefully that will be this week as there is the matter of my assessment next week.

All in all it is looking like an active semester and hopefully a truly productive one.

Beginnings

2006-09-09T16:30:00.000-04:00

Okay, so after lurking for sometime now, I have decided to set up my own blog. I have been checking to see whether there are others with whom I share certain characteristics out there, but I am yet to locate one such person. So, I hope that this space will allow me to find such persons and perhaps add our voice to the sphere.

We will see how it goes.