THE NATIONAL LIBRARY NEEDS A BREATH OF FRESH AIR

Jan 17, 2011 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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One of the things I always look for whenever I enter into someone’s home for the first time is the presence of books. A bookshelf or better yet a study that has books is a good indicator that reading is a habit that is encouraged in the home.
I have found however much to my dismay that one should never trust one basic instincts. For over time, I have been to many homes that have shelves of books, including some of the immortal classics, some of which have never been touched. So beware the home with well adorned bookshelves sporting books that seem as if they have just been purchased.
Having a great many books in the home can also be deceiving. A home can have many books of exceptionally poor quality. Yet one should never dismiss the benefits that can be had from any form of reading.
This is worth remembering as the National Library establishes a number of reading clubs throughout the country, a project being undertaken in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. While this is theoretically a commendable initiative, it needs to be asked just what sort of books are going to be available to the persons who are members of these reading clubs.
The central National Library is depressing. Most of the books on loan are dated. While there are a few recent editions, these are so few that they stand out amidst the many other books which are so outdated that they ought to be taken off the shelves and disposed.
Most of the books on the shelves should have long been dusted and thrown into the incinerator. They are so old and outdated that even not the best of book collectors would be interested in having them.
The die-hard members are also at pains to find a good book. Today most of the borrowing in the National Library is focused on romance and action novels. The non-fiction sections of the library are the most depressing comprising mostly of books that have been around for years.
Years ago, the National Library boasted the best collection of Caribbean works, both fictional and non-fictional. Not anymore. Most of the newer works are hard to find on the shelves. And even some of the excellent works of the past have disappeared.
In the past also, the National Library boasted an excellent collection of books on sport. It was the first stop of many a member. You could find biographies and other material on almost any sport and there was a great demand for these books.
Today that section is one of the most denuded sections of library, much in need of recent publications.
The National Library needs an injection of quality books.
Instead of the National Library seeking to expand, it should instead be doing the very opposite by first ensuring that its present collections are much improved.
While books are not at all cheap, there are many sources form which good books can be had. There are many citizens in our society who would be willing to make donations to the National Library once an appeal is made.
This would allow for most of the old material on the shelves to be discarded and for the library to be refreshed with new books that would see more persons willing to once again become members.
The National Library is also behind the times when it comes to how its records of borrowings and returns. For decades now, most community libraries have graduated to electronic systems that can give you a precise and accurate record of when a book was borrowed. The use of electronic record- keeping systems is also extremely helpful in allowing libraries to track books that are outstanding.
Yet in this the second decade of the 21st century, the National Library still uses manual records. This is as outdated and obsolete as some of the books on the shelves at the library.
As much therefore the initiative to establish literary clubs is welcome, unless the members of these clubs have quality books to read, the purpose of these clubs can end up being self defeating.
It is therefore suggested to the National Library that they should at least engage is some housekeeping, including clearing out most of their shelves and graduating towards electronic systems which would allow for a better system of managing a smaller but much better stock of books.
It makes no sense for the library to have shelves upon shelves of books that will never be borrowed especially in the context of a declining membership.
The National Library needs a breath of fresh air in the form of new additions. This would allow it to restock its collections and encourage greater membership which would in turn justify the expenditure involved in electronic record- keeping.

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