National Library — a place to lime

THE EDITOR: I had my first opportunity to visit the brand new library downtown Port-of-Spain, and what an experience it was; the day in question — Friday May 9, 2003. First, let me say what a beautiful and majestic building it is. On entering the compound, scores of school children greeted me, not in a friendly and welcoming manner; all along my entry into the library, I was swarmed by school children. Not a pleasant sight, but the majority of them were seen liming outside, indulging in chit chat and conversation. My reason for going to the library was to renew my old library card. At the front entrance I was directed to the second floor, on the first floor was the Children’s Library quite empty.

When I got to the Adult Library, a hub of activity was taking place, two library attendants were attending to about ten to fifteen persons at one time, how sad!  As I looked around I saw more children in school uniform than adults, although it was the adult section. A security guard was at the entrance of the adult library, but how did secondary school students enter this section, because there is a section for young adults, how strange! I spent approximately twenty minutes waiting before I was attended to. I did not feel encouraged to stay any longer because I was already frustrated with the wait, and to see such a beautiful building not put to proper use. What is the purpose of a library?

A library is a place where one seeks information, reads, gathers knowledge, and is usually silent, but my observations were different. This brand new national library is a hang-out spot, a pick-up joint, a place to recreate, to lime, to meet and greet, to look for anything else except books. Most of the school children who were on the compound did not go to the library to read, but had other thoughts on their minds. On TV6’s evening news Friday May 16, a group of secondary school students were asked their reason for coming to the library; one boy said, “We come here to look for girls, and girls come here to look for boys” was the response/reply, how sad.

As I am writing this letter, a newspaper headline of May 17 reads, “Condoms distribution at library.” Mr Mikki-Grant is at it again, and from the photograph eager and curious students are seen accepting condoms, a condom is even being demonstrated with the use of a banana, how sad!

I say no more, and that come September 2003, the new school term, sexual education will be introduced to high school students, but isn’t this idea a bit too late? Secondary school students are already engaging in sexual activity. Anyway, getting back to the topic at hand, the National Library; can we do something please to save the library? I am saddened by the fact that the library is not being used for its sole purpose of educating. These school children have a different agenda. Please help save the library!

KEN SMITH
Woodbrook