The National Library and Information System Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (NALIS) will join libraries across the world in observing the UNESCO Day for Audio Visual Heritage on October 27th 2013. This year’s theme is “Saving Our Heritage for the Next Generation” which highlights the significance of all our AV materials and the need to preserve them.

Since its inception, NALIS has prioritized projects to capture important aspects of our history and culture on both film and audio through its Heritage Library Division. Valuable pieces of our past have been scanned and converted into digital format by the Heritage Content Management Unit, in order to preserve them for generations to come and make them accessible to the public via the NALIS website.

On the 27th NALIS also celebrates our annual Celebrity Tale-A-Thon- when we invite local celebrities to read and perform indigenous works to the young patrons.

Through our Digital Library page on the website, the public can view the works of famous Trinidadians, see different sides of our island, and also delve into our rich storytelling legacy by visiting our Storytelling collection.

This Storytelling collection is comprised of a series of riveting narrations that were recorded during a Mother's Day programme entitled "Breaking Barriers with Books". All of these wonderful performances are made available here in the mp3 format and preserves the “Griot” tradition inherited from our African ancestors.

In honour of the UNESCO Day for Audio Visual Heritage 2013, NALIS is pleased to present “A glimpse of downtown Port-of-Spain”. This rare and unique collection takes a look at the historical and important buildings of yesteryear in the Capital, as well as the modern and present day buildings that now exist.

For more information on the UNESCO Day for Audio Visual Heritage 2013 please visit: http://www.iasa-web.org/world-day-audiovisual-heritage