The Dominica Library and Information Service (DLIS) is celebrating Library Week with a special focus on dynamism of information access. The one-week event holds from May 17-22 and is tagged “The Dynamism of Information Access Today and Beyond the Pandemic”.
In attendance at the flagging-off ceremony was Education Minister Octavia Alfred who credited the DLIS for providing online library services that are accessible to everyone in Dominica. The education minister revealed that the current and futuristic roles of libraries are providing library archival services through the internet rather than the traditional shelving of books in physical stores.
She noted that instead of having readers visit physical book stores which serve as libraries, libraries now go to readers wherever they are through digital technologies. She stated that the DLIS has excelled in both areas – providing a physical space where the wider community can collaborate on book exploration and creation, and also providing online accessibility to quality books.
Honourable Alfred also credited the Chief Librarian and the staffs of the DLIS for their contributions in upgrading the library service to meet the needs of the people in a fast-changing era. She noted that donors in the diaspora donated books and other major resources when Hurricane Maria destroyed the public library, and they also priorized internet technologies to make access to quality books easier.
When Hurricane Maria damaged the Public Library and most of our books were destroyed, the library team sourced new materials from donors abroad and ensured that the library was restored with relevant material. They understood that with limited access to internet, members of the public would need a space where they could continue to gather information for studies and work. They made it a priority to provide free internet and computer usage in a quiet space. Their efforts I believe, should show us the public that public libraries in the 21st century are as important and relevant as they were at any other time.
Octavia Alfred, Minister of Education
Chief Librarian Vernanda Raymond thanked the education minister and the DLP government for their support for the library following the hurricane devastation of 2017. She said that the library has however rebounded and now has a Documentation Centre and an Archive Unit. She said the management is also working to establish a DLIS website, electronic database, online data links, upgrade to registration and membership records, and other digital resources.
Today, library services have expanded to include the Documentation Centre that serves as a research arm and depository for Government publication; the Archive Unit a national repository for the islands historical and documentary heritage and Mobile library Service for schools.
Octavia Alfred, Minister of Education
This article is copyright © 2021 DOM767
