In light of the unpresented worldwide outbreak of the Coronavirus (now renamed COVID-19), libraries across the world have been, and painfully so, forced to shut their doors to their patrons. After first deciding on March 13 to limit public facing services, on March 16, NALIS revisited its position and decided to temporarily shut libraries given that the health and wellbeing of its staff and patrons are paramount and that closing would assist in containing the spread of this dreaded virus.

However, as our physical doors were temporarily shut, we immediately ramped up our online offerings providing patrons with a wider array of online reading materials, resources and programmes via our website as well as corporate and individual public library Facebook pages. New content, such as e-storytelling, e-arts and e-craft and e-learning tools, is being created daily with you in mind and our Educational Library Services Division’s Facebook page is delivering content specifically for our primary school students, with an emphasis on those preparing for SEA. Past papers, and other resources are also available for CSEC preparation.

Persons can continue to log into their library accounts via the NALIS website to renew as well as put items on hold. Non-registered persons can pre-register for a library card via https://www.nalis.gov.tt/Services/Online-Registration and during this period, all can enjoy EBSCO e-books by simply following the login instructions. We remain available via email at nalis@nalis.gov.tt to respond to your questions and concerns. So although our doors are shut, you can still ‘visit’ us.

Understanding that there is no shortage of fake news circulating; NALIS knows that more than ever before the Authority must exercise its important role in providing persons in Trinidad and Tobago and the wider community with accurate information and so members of staff have been constantly monitoring official news sources, both internationally and locally to provide you with relevant and correct information via our Facebook and Twitter platforms.

We wish to advise this period of closure, library patrons need not worry as no fees and fines will accrue on overdue library items. Your loan period has been extended to May 1, 2020.

NALIS, as mandated through Act 18 of 1998, will continue to provide library and information services to facilitate the development of the people of Trinidad and Tobago.