A new “Community Library,” designed to provide library and information services and additional recreational resources to residents of Mt Hope/Mt. Lambert, San Juan, Malick, Petit Bourg and environs, was commissioned by the National Library and Information System Authority (NALIS) in collaboration with the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts on January 25 at the Mt. Hope/Mt. Lambert Community Centre.

The commissioning of the Mt. Hope/Mt. Lambert Community Library is the first of NALIS’ Co-location Project initiative. This project, which represents a new paradigm in the delivery of library services, was approved by the Cabinet of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It sets out to establish libraries at Community Centres across the country, thereby expanding services to persons in underserved communities, and according to NALIS’ Executive Director (Ag), Paula Greene, puts libraries at the heart of the community.

At the Community Library’s opening, the Honourable Stuart Young, Minister of Communications delivered the Feature Address. Delivering remarks were the Honourable Terrence Deyalsingh, MP for St. Joseph and Minister of Health; Dr the Honourable Nyan Gadsby Dolly, Minister of Community Development, Culture and the Arts; Neil Parsanlal, Chairman of the Board of NALIS; and Christopher Alexander, Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Mt. Hope/Mt. Lambert Community Centre. Also in attendance were officials of the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts, NALIS, teachers, parents, students and members of the community.

NALIS envisages that through Community Libraries, persons will have access to community-centred library and information resources, a reading space, literacy skills sessions, computer facilities and dynamic library and information related programmes to support homework completion, study, research and other programmes offered by the community centres. The collections and programmes will support the efforts of the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts in general and the activities of the community centres in particular.

The NALIS Mt. Hope/Mt. Lambert Community Library will open Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Community Centre is located at 27 Community Drive, Mt. Hope.

Mt. Hope residents register for library membership