Regional Seminar IFLA/UNESCO Manifestos and Guidelines For Public and School Libraries
Country Report: Antigua Public Library
by Dorothea Nelson, Chief Librarian
Historical Background
The library was founded in 1830 as a private venture –subscription library. According to a 1932 report the aim was the "gradual formation of a permanent library of general literature, and the establishment in connection with the library, of a reading room." Before 1843, the establishment of the Antigua Library Society by an act of parliament transformed the library's status to that of a corporation. However, in 1843 its proprietors were ruined when an earthquake partially destroyed the library. This led to the property becoming government owned in 1854 and to it being established as a public library. Initially, trusties managed the library, and their powers were increased in 1871. In 1900, according to the same report, the city board, "superseded the trustees and undertook its maintenance and control." In 1907 the City Board was abolished and Ordinance 4 was enacted empowering the Governor to appoint "trustees of the real and personal property of the library, and to make rules for its management.” The trustees then regarded the building and contents as trust property. In 1974 a major earthquake again damaged the building and it was judged unsound. Subsequently, in 1975 the library was temporarily moved to a new location upstairs the Silston's library, and its services scaled back to one offered mainly to children. It was again moved to Lolita's building on Market Street in 1978. Here the adult library opened its doors, but there was not enough space to accommodate a Children's Library. This was added one year later, when in 1979 additional space was rented in the same building to house the Children's Department.
Organization
Currently, the organizational structure of the Antigua Public Library
mirrors that of the civil service:
Antigua Barbuda’s government has approved a proposal for a new staffing structure that is more reflective of the functions of library staff, but questions regarding remuneration still have to be worked out.
Proposed Organizational Structure
Administrative
Services
Director
Executive Secretary
Librarian
Library Aide
Janitor/Cleaner
Building and Grounds Custodian
Security Guard
Adult Services Department
Librarian
Library Technician
Library Assistant
Library Aide
Technical Services Department
Librarian
Library Technician
Library Assistant
Library Aide
Youth Services Department
Librarian
Library Technician
Library Assistant
Library Aide
Reference Department
Librarian
Library Technician
Library Assistant
Library Aide
Automation Department
Automation Coordinator
Web Master
Computer technician
Proposed Staffing Structure and Qualifications
Director
Masters degree in Library Management or Library Science
Librarian
Bachelor’s degree in Library Science or any equivalent combination
of experience and training which provides the required knowledge, skills
and abilities.
Library Technician
LibraryTechnicians
certificate from an accredited institution, or the satisfactory completion
of the library’s in-house training programme (which ever becomes
available).
Library Assistant
At least four
(4) CXC subjects including English, or Secondary School graduate with
up to two years of related experience and training which provides the
required knowledge, skills and abilities.
Library Aide
Graduation from Secondary School preferred, and one year related experience
and training which provides the required knowledge, skills and Abilities.
Executive Secretary
Experience and training necessary to become an Executive Officer in the
Civil Service, or training in Accounting, and/or any combination of training
and experience necessary to perform the duties outlined in the job description.
Automation Coordinator
A Bachelor’s degree or equivalent education/experience in computer
science, training in Electronics and computer repair, and three to five
years of increasingly responsible experience preferably in a public library
setting.
Computer Technician
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent Education/experience in computer
science. Training in electronics and computer repair.
Web Master
Bachelor’s degree or appropriate computer Education and experience.
Familiarity with Windows XP and other operating systems.
Staffing Levels
The Antigua Public Library now has ten full time employees. This means
that there is a ratio of one staff member to every 7,500 in the general
population. Of course this number declines when it is a ratio of actual
membership. Most staff members have worked at the library for more than
ten years and have received minimal training both on the job and from
City and Guilds. There is a need for fully trained librarians.
Staff Development Policy
The delivery of effective efficient service is dependent on the quality and performance of library staff. If the library is to be a leading information service provider, then the development of highly motivated well-trained staff should be a priority. The library staff development programme provides the support needed for staff members to acquire the knowledge and skills critical for the efficient effective performance of library duties.
Staff development includes three components:
- Orientation: New employees are introduced to the library staff, and the working environment.
- Training: Employees are taught the knowledge and skills essential to the effective performance of specific tasks.
- Development: Opportunities are provided for further training of employees so that they can assume higher levels of responsibility and respond positively to change.
Activities
Make available
- Structured in-house training programmes,
- Opportunities for participation in seminars and workshops,
- Opportunities for formal training in library services
Encourage an appropriate and meaningful learning environment.
Encourage staff to become members of professional bodies and to maintain that membership once it is established.
Ensure the commitment of appropriate resources (time, financial, human etc.) to staff development and training.
Provide the support and guidance needed for staff’s personal development.
Keep staff informed about relevant courses being offered by other agencies and of opportunities being offered for scholarships.
Mission and Vision
OUR VISION
The Antigua Public Library recognizes that as part of the democratic process people must have free, open and equal access to information. We will therefore strive to be a critical part of the community's intellectual, educational, leisure, business and cultural life.
The Antigua Public Library envisions a future in which all the community's interests are well represented in the library's collection, and in which all residents can make use of the library's resources to enrich their lives and enhance their personal growth.
The Antigua Public Library will be recognized as a leader in connecting people to the communicated resources of the world through offering access to a wide range and depth of materials.
OUR MISSION
The mission of the Antigua Public Library is to provide and promote open access to reading, cultural, recreational, intellectual, and informational resources that will enable the community's diverse population to promote personal and professional growth and lifelong learning. The library will emphasize efficient, convenient access and courteous, professional service.
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
- Dedicated, hard
working, service oriented staff
- Strong relationship
between staff and clients
- Staff’s ability
to work as a team
- Access to educational
programmes via the Internet
- Foundation of an
automated system
- Beginnings of a
Web site
- Good collections
in certain areas
- Word processing
and related software made available to users
- Users have access
to the Internet
- Children’s
Library Annual Summer Programme –provides positive library/community
interaction
Weaknesses
- Inadequate funding
–the Library’s budget is insufficient to meet the needs for
materials, services, facilities, equipment especially technological,
and human resources.
- Pay inequities
and lack of incentives
- Inadequate staffing
structure
- Not enough trained
staff
- Lack of a well
developed technological infrastructure –to include both equipment
and expertise
- Library’s
facilities are inadequate and substandard for both collections and users
- Building is poorly
maintained
- There are risks
to the facility, the collections, users and staff from environmental
hazards such as fire or hurricane.
- In a recent survey
users indicated a need for longer opening hours
- Inadequate space
for computer use
- Insufficient number
of computers to meet demand
- Lack of access for the disabled and the aged
Opportunities
- Non-traditional
funding sources
- Donors
- New library being
constructed
- Opportunities for
training
- Addition of skilled
staff
- Increase in programmes
and services offered
- Strengthen the
range and depth of the library’s material collections
- The Antigua community
is extremely conscious of the modern technological developments. Opportunity
for library to increase clientele through offering access to those unable
to afford these systems.
- Development of
a digital/virtual library
- Library can take
a leadership role in the use of new information technology that would
provide new learning opportunities for staff and the community.
- Providing access
to on-line databases –e-books, e-journals, thus further supporting
continuing education especially distance learning.
- Providing access
to the library’s catalogue from both within and outside the library.
- The opportunity
is there for the Library to build and strengthen partnerships at the
national, regional, and international levels.
Threats
- Inadequate funds
- Prohibitive cost
of access to electronic databases
- Changing information
technology
- Other information
providers
- Vendors of electronic
material offer their services directly to the consumer
- Many users and
non-users find information elsewhere, and are willing to go to alternative
suppliers.
- The failure or
inability to keep up with new developments in information technology
could also lead to the loss of Library users.
- Negative user attitudes
and public apathy towards the Antigua Public Library
PEST Analysis
The Political Environment
- The Library functions
within, and is ultimately controlled by the Ministry of Education as
an arm of the government.
- Politicians set
limits on the service provided. This is visible in the amount of money
they are willing to allocate, the facilities they offer, and the types
of programmes they endorse.
- For this year there
has been a notable shift in political attitudes. The government has
pledged to ensure the completion of a new state of the art library.
Concurrent with this is the provision of opportunities for the training
of staff through the Board of Education.
The Economic Environment
If the library is to efficiently, effectively, and equitably perform its
role then it must acquire the necessary financial resources. It is clear
that if Antigua and Barbuda government’s financial difficulties continue,
there could be continuing budget cutbacks, and less funding for the Library.
Moreover, the Library may have less control over some of the funding,
which may be designated for specific purposes. For instance, funds for
the purchase of technological equipment will no longer be allocated under
the library’s head for development estimates, but will now fall to
the Ministry of Finance, which will be responsible for the purchase and
disbursement of computer hardware.
As our economy contracts the library is being squeezed in the economic crunch. Expenditure rises and budgets do not remain static, they decline. For instance, the funds budgeted for books and periodicals were $250,000 in 1995, $145,890 in 1996, $200,000 in 1997 and 1998, and $160,000 in the succeeding years. There has been no adjustment for inflation. The level of government spending for the acquisition of material will at any time affect collection development both in terms of purchasing material and staffing resources.
The economic problem is both the nominal budget and the actual purchasing power. Almost all of our information resources are imported and with the rising costs of material such as journals, the library now gets less for every dollar it spends. If the library is to continue its thrust towards the automation of its services and the provision of computers for use by the general public, then there are additional budgetary concerns for this involves initial and ongoing costs. These include not only equipment costs for discs, personal computers, and servers, but also the cost for software and maintenance. If the library is to be the place where a range of communication resources converges, it will take a new monetary policy both from within the library and from the government, to develop, maintain and sustain it.
The Socio-cultural
Environment
In the context of the library the socio-cultural environment includes
factors that relate to the values, attitudes, and demographic characteristics
of its patrons. Constantly changing social forces influence the demand
for the services offered by the library.
The society is presently in flux as we experience an upsurge in immigrants from the Caribbean and as far away as China, and Africa. In our most recent census tentative assessments show that more than twenty-five percent of our population are immigrants. A huge number of these are of Spanish origin. The library is a market oriented organization and stays in business because of customer satisfaction. It is a service based on clients’ needs. The library therefore needs to be responsive to those needs. There should be an awareness of the differing beliefs, values, customs and culture within the community the library serves.
Another demographic factor that impacts on the library is the birth and death rates. Antigua’s birth rate has been steadily rising. These statistics can be used to make projections about trends, future areas of service and budgetary demands.
Circulation statistics are an obvious barometer of the continuing demands being made on the library. The impact of this increase in demand is being felt in various areas of the library, especially in acquisitions and at the circulation counter.
The Technological
Environment
Modern technological developments have initiated a proliferation of information
paralleled by an exponential rise in costs. This can be observed in the
growing lists of new magazine titles and books.
The library’s position as an intermediary between information suppliers and users is gradually being undermined as the electronic industry shifts from products with a Librarian orientation to those targeted at the end user. Its focus has shifted from a concentration on books to the inclusion of other “published” information on video tape, videos, multimedia, and electronic format on CD ROM or online.
With the advent of the personal computer and access to the World Wide Web (WWW) via the Internet the library in Antigua can be marginalized as a source of information. While the technology is available on island, the library is not yet fully computerized. We now witness the fragmentation of the computer industry as each personal computer (pc) or workstation is a mini-information center. Many private citizens now have their own personal computers and access to the WWW. The library is thus being bypassed in the search for information. The Antigua Public Library is at the crossroads and is in danger of being left behind.
Functions
Library Roles
Primary roles
- Popular materials library
- Independent Learning Center
- Formal Education Support Center
Secondary Roles
- Reference Library
Services Offered
- Lending services
- Photocopying services
- Computer
- Internet
REACH
Target Group
Since this is the only government owned public library on the island,
Antigua and Barbuda’s approximately 75,000 people are our target
group.
Number of Registered
Users
The library began a re-registration process last year. So far approximately
3,000 people have re-registered.
Funding
Traditionally, the government has funded the library. Recently however,
the Board of Education has indicated an interest in the assisting in the
development of the library through committing funds for training and technological
development.
Stated and desired vision for the country’s information needs
According to the Ministry of information these are:
- To operate a free press; to encourage the populace ‘s participation in that freedom of expression on subjects that affect their daily lives, their environment and social well being.
- To disseminate information in the form of news, views, current affairs, documentaries and features so as to inform the general public.
- To educate the public on their history, economics, cultural and social affairs, health and sports.
- To provide entertainment through the arts –music, songs, calypso, theatre, movies screen plays etcetera
- To accommodate new media establishment –radio stations, television stations etcetera
- To communicate information to the general public so that they understand government’s plans, programmes and objectives, to heighten their awareness so that they can support the government’s efforts.
- To communicate information for the protection of the populace against natural disasters.
RECOMMENDATIONS
- Increase the number
of computers in the library.
- Become fully automated.
- Offer access to
online databases.
- Increase the amount
of money allocated to the public library.
- Develop a marketing
plan to sensitize the general public to the services offered b the library
and to the value of the library as performing a public good.
- Develop in-house
training programmes for library staff.
- Provide opportunities
for advanced training.
- Encourage the University
of the West Indies to develop a two-year Library Technician’s programme
that can be offered through distance learning.
- Develop programmes
to meet the information needs of our multicultural society.
- Develop a network
of public libraries.
- Collaborate with
other libraries both nationally and regionally to develop a scheme to
facilitate the exchange of information.
- Organize a regional consortium of school and public libraries to facilitate speedy technological development.