As pieces of the TB community consciously fall into place, does anyone feel the need for there to be a Lending Library, either stand-alone or mobile van or attached to some other SOURCE such as Breds or the Treasure Beach Womens Group Benevolent Society Computer Lab?
Or does that sound like an antiquated, precious idea in the era of the Kindle and Internet Google searches?

The great teaching astronomer and popular science writer, Carl Sagan, had this to say:

Books permit us to voyage through time, to tap the wisdom of our ancestors. The Library connects us with the insights and knowledge, painfully extracted from Nature, of the greatest minds that ever were, with the best teachers, drawn from the entire planet and from all of our history, to instruct us without tiring, and to inspire us to make our own contribution to the collective knowledge of the human species.
Public libraries depend on voluntary contributions. I think the health of our civilization, the depth of our awareness about the underpinnings of our culture and our concern for the future can all be tested by how well we support our libraries.

"Other things being equal, it is better to be smart than to be stupid."

TBWG has had a lending library for at least 4 years now. Come on by and check it out!

Rebecca::
Thanks for the info.
The TBWG Lending Library was a bit of a blind spot as regards availability of books during past 2 to 3 week stays in the village.

We probably filed that info away, as something someone mentioned, without giving it much thought as to the their "full range" of library services...normally, if the need arose, picking up materials at the Black River Branch (with Reading Room) & even the Southfield library (complete with copying services when other local photo-copiers were on the fritz).

So, WHO set up the TBWG lending library (someone with library science background or strong teaching capability)... is it organized according to contemporary subject matter systems...how extensive is the collection & where did the materials come from (can anyone donate & what criteria)...is there a strength in their collection (Anthropology, Science, History, Geography...); is the Sandy Branch School in the co-ordination loop for what is needed to help with course lesson plans & testing... & if there is a regular librarian, who is s/he & what is on her "wish list" to augment her listings)...how much physical space is alloted for books & magazines & how much spatial area & shelving for growth (1000/2000 /3000 tomes?)...is there a "books on wheels program" to get a requested book, for example, to a kid out at Great Bay or Ft Charles?

We would appreciate info about the contact "librarian" at the TBWG and an e-mail address.

Could you, for example find older Jamaica Journals, the Jamaican (in which a whole issue was dedicated to the parish of St Bess -- other parishes) & magazines for reading/loan at the TBWG...are "visitors" issued temporary cards for borrowing privileges & typically how long can you take out materials (fines for late returns or losses?)...Are there music CD's & movies on DVD available for borrowing?

Ta!

Well, if I have any books I've read I drop them off. If I need books to read I go and get a few. Sorry Stu, this volunteer organization isn't quite up to the speed you are looking for.

That's pretty much it for this library which is housed in the TBWG building and available to anyone. If you want a book to read just ask Susan to open up the room filled with books and take a look around. If you have books you don't want anymore, just drop them off at the Group House.

'Becca:
Oh...the TBWG LIBRARY is some "room filled with books" (un-categorized?), with folks dropping off their latest completed romance or whodunit police procedurals!

I guess, in the back of my mind, what I was thinking is that in the case of LITERATURE, what a wonderful opportunity it would be for the Greater Treasure Beach Memorial Library to be known for strong local interest, like the inspirational volumes of poetry/novels and gems from the "open mike" sessions flowing out of the Calabash Literary Festival.

I would think that a campaign to enlist Justine H., Colin C., Kwame D....and additional organizers of the Calabash (including publishing houses, like Peepal Tree Press, with its Caribbean/Black British/Asian literary collection) to donate works from past participants to the event, might pick up some steam.
In Memoriam, and to add clout to the effort, "local" author of Power Game, Perry Henzell's name could be attached to the project.

How wonderful it would be to arrive in TB and head to OUR Library to pick up a "beach" copy of Diane McCaulay's Dog Heart or the latest poetry by Millicent Graham (The Damp In Things) and get them back into circulation for others to enjoy, on the "weigh" out.

Great idea Mr.Ward. I highly reccommend you go about organizing it and seeing it to fruition as soon as possible.

A proper Library will be built where the Calabash Bay P.A. now stands. An additional piece of land was given by the James family to the Parish Counsel for such a purpose. Ground breaking might in the near future.

To Reader:
Are you living in Jamaica & willing to volunteer "X" number of hours
from committee to lobbying for donations/aid, co-ordinating with other local librarians in Black River and Southfield for administrative guidelines, procuring staffing subsidies and perhaps, if so inclined, to work with Susan & others at the TBWG in computer/card cataloging, shelving, space planning, furnishing...

Perhaps, there are some very special skills which you have developed, like having worked with book publishers, to tap into their overstock and remainder inventories.

Are you willing to add your name to a Vol-un-Tear::Sign-UP List? (Details to follow)

In the meanwhile, get a whiff of some of the organizational aims of the Jamaica Library Service to whet your appetite of how you could fit into such an endeavor, from the ground up, besides simply borrowing books.

LINK to Jamaica Library Service Site:
Programs Offered:
www.jls.gov.jm/Prog_Serv.htm

Sample of Exhibitions:
www.jls.gov.jm/exhibitions.htm

As it happens, I do live in Jamaica and I would gladly volunteer "x" number of hours for this worthy cause if I was not already volunteering hundreds of hours towards other worthy causes in the community, including the Treasure Beach Women's Group. It's true that their library may be just a "room filled with books" but it serves it's intended purpose quite nicely. I was merely suggesting you put your money where your mouth is.

Oh, no; not another quarrel!
Let's appreciate what the TBWG has initiated and accept it for what it is.

I am aware of the plan to establish a branch library of the Jamaica Library Service, in keeping with what Bowl has already indicated.There is nothing wrong with having two such facilities in the community, perhaps with one being more formal and having a greater range of titles and services.

Thank you Bowl. We give you props for ferreting out the "scoop" about plans for the TB multi-use library.

We should be grateful for stalwart families, like the James', who perceive real needs to advance the future prestige/advancement, leisure and education of the community and are willing to carve out a bit of their estate for the common good.

As far as the progress of the "formal" Library, along the standards of the JLS is concerned, Secret Santas won't be absolutely necessary, since it will be all our taxes which will deliver the goodies.
But what a chance, while the Design is on the drawing boards, for those with worthy programming lists to truly influence the outcome, perhaps by means of a loose committee.

The fact that the Library's location will be in the proximity to the Sandy Bank School speaks to priorities for education, testing and imagination.

Just a quick perusal of the Jamaica Library Service site gives an indication of some of the wonderful possibilities around the corner: National Reading Competition; Exhibitions (promoting national development & healthy reading habits);Youth Summer Programmes; Story Hour; Class Visits; Library Talk; Lectures & Panel Discussions; Hobby Groups & Special Interest Clubs.

Again, like the camel, who sticks its nose under the tent to get attention, where special corners of the New Library were being considered, a suggestion for a Calabash Lit Fest book section would be a strong request.

It will be a real kick, when the new library is in full swing, to have thoughtful displays and programs in January, such as those honouring the birthday of Cudjoe of the Maroons, as displayed on the official JLS calendar.

Bowl do you know where the P.A. will be relocated?

Anancy's "Library" of the Common-Sense

In the voice of Miss Lou:

Once upon a time, Anancy tink to himself seh dat if him coulda collect up all de common-sense ina de worl an keep it fi himself, den him boun to get plenty money an plenty powah, for everybody woulda haffi come to him wid dem worries an him woulda charge dem very dear wen him advise them.

Anancy start fi collect up and collect up all de common-sense him could a fine an put dem inna one big-bag calabash (him liberry). When him search an search an couldn't fine no more common-sense Anacy decide fi hide him calabash full a common-sense pon de top of a high-high tree which part nobody coulda reach it.

So Anancy tie a rope round de neck a de calabash an tie de two end a de rope togedda, an tie de rope roun him neck so dat de calabash wasa res pon him belly. Anancy start fi climb up de high-high tree, which part him was gwine hide de calabash, but him couldn't climb too good nor too fas for de calabash wasa get in him way everytime him try fi climb.

Anancy try an try so till all of a sudden him hear a voice buss out a laugh backa him, an wen him look him see a lickle bwoy a stan up a de tree root an a laugh an halla seh, "What a fool-fool man! If yuh want to climb a tree front ways, why yuh don't put de calabash behine yuh?"

Well sah, Anancy soh bext fi hear dat big piece a common-sense come outa de mout a such a lickle bit a bwoy afta him did tink dat him collect all de common-sense in de worl, dat Anancy grab off de calabash from roun him neck an fling it dung a tree root, an de calabash bruck up in minces an de common-sense dem scatter out ina de breeze all ovah de worl an everybody get a lickle bit a common-sense.

Is Anancy mek it.
Jack Mandora, me nuh choose none.

The Novel: William Faulkner on Writing:

"...the problems of the human heart in conflict with itself which alone can make good writing because only that is worth writing about, worth the agony and the sweat."

Caribbean Bookshelf (2010): Knight's Recommendations

www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Recommendations-for-a-Caribbean-bookshelf_824673 0