Editorial | Power to libraries

E-Learning Jamaica has donated 200 laptops to the Jamaica Library Service (JLS) and during the official hand-over ceremony earlier this week, it was announced that another 200 laptops would be delivered during the current fiscal year in the continuing quest to improve digital literacy of Jamaicans.

Public institutions like the library service usually operate at a severely diminished capacity due to lack of resources and have to consistently look for partnerships to fill resource gaps. E-learning is an agency of the Ministry of Education and Youth with a mandate to enhance teaching through the use of information and communication technologies.

Many successful Jamaicans who grew up in the pre-digital age will readily admit that they were saved by the library which gave them access to a world beyond the shores of their small island home. It was a safe refuge where they were reliably informed and entertained. Indeed, public libraries bridged the yawning gap between those who had resources and could buy books and those who did not. Today the divide is between those who can afford devices and broadband width and those who cannot.

Established in 1948, the JLS reports that there are 124 public libraries and 926 school libraries and 411 library stops which provide free and unlimited access to recorded information. An estimated two million users access the services of the JLS in recent years.

In one annual report, we observed that the JLS had vehicular challenges and could not travel to supervise branches as they were meant to do.

RESTRICTION OF USERS

Insufficient devices in the libraries have led to restriction of users to an initial 30 minutes which can be extended depending on the demand. So there is clearly a resource gap that is hampering the JLS from delivering on its mission to transform lives and empower communities..

The library is not just a place where books and periodicals are catalogued and shelved. It is much more than that. It is that public place where a person - man, woman or child, is welcome to exploit its educational, cultural and social resources. So a well-funded, well-resourced library is a valuable asset in any community and can contribute to society’s collective growth and overall development.

In this age of digital dominance the library is obliged to be nimble in order to stay relevant. From its website the JLS offers a number of services: such as parents reading with babies and toddlers, job readiness seminars; free computer training; story hour sessions and help to navigate the Internet especially for seniors.

If indeed, the JLS is currently providing these programmes as stated on its website then the library service is proving its relevance in this digital age. Is it time for the JLS to get more innovative for its very survival?

What is also missing from our libraries though is the vibrancy and buzz of yesteryear. The energy say at summertime with scores of youngsters converging on the libraries is not as prevalent as it used to be.

There is no indication that the budget for libraries will be significantly increased or that it will be given priority so the management is obliged to become even more innovative. Be bold, we say create a technology centre, create movie days or nights, host book signing events, establish forums on hit topics and bring back the spotlight on our libraries.

Let’s not simply count the cost and ignore the value. Libraries should be front and centre of Jamaica’s brighter future.