No. 34, March 1999
 |
 |
 |
 |
(News from the National Library of Maldives)
News from the National Library of Maldives
![]](http://www.ndl.go.jp/images/en/publication/cdnlao/barowar.gif){kind=small}
| 1998 was a quiet year as we remained in temporary
accommodation while the National Library building was extended. With hopes
of moving back in the next couple of months we have been busy planning
the best ways to use the extra space. With three floors at our disposal
we plan to separate the National and public aspects of the library to enable
us to better serve the different needs of our user groups. Priority goes
to increasing the study area in the public library with the introduction
of group discussion rooms and individual carrels. This will go hand-in-hand
with an increased academic stock to cater for the needs of 'O' and 'A'
level examination students who make up our biggest user group. Plans have
also been drawn up to include a meeting room, prayer room and refreshment
facilities.
The Maldives Library Association in conjunction with the National Library ran a Basic Librarianship Course for Library staff in the capital, Male'. This was attended by staff from schools, higher education institutes and government ministries and proved very popular. The Advanced Distance Education Programme in Library and Information Science (ADEPLIS), a three-year diploma course run by the Sri Lanka Library Association continued into its second year. The course is attended by ten students from libraries in Male' and is coordinated by Melanie Weeks a Teacher-Librarian recruited through the British-based organization Voluntary Service Overseas. A very successful Library Day was held on July
12th, the anniversary of the founding of the National Library. The library
was beautifully decorated and a number of events held throughout the day,
including a rare book display, story-telling and a children's parade. Schools
throughout the capital also joined in with a variety of activities and
the whole day received a lot of positive media coverage.
Melanie Weeks
|
All Rights Reserved. Copyright (c) National Library of Maldives, 1999.