DOCUMENT RESUME ED 139 405 [TR 004 776 AUTHOR Vaughn, Robert V., Ed. TITLE Library Programs for St. Croix, U.S. Virgin [slands. Proceedings of the Annial Meeting of the St. Croix Library Association (3rd, Sunny Isles, Octobe2r 25, +973}. TNSTITUTION Saint Croix Library Association, Christiansted, Virgin Islands. PUB DATE 74 NOTE 44p.3; Not available in hard copy du2 to print quality of the original documeit; Some parts may be illejyible on microfiche EDRS PRICF MF-$0.83 Plus Postage. HC Not Available fron EDPRS. DESCRIPTORS *Conference Reports; L2jgal Responsibility; *Library Associations; *Library Programs; *Public Librarie2s TDOENTIFIFRS *Virgin Islands (Saint Croix) ABSTRACT The complete text from the 1973 St. Croix Library Association's third annual meeting is presented. Following the op2ningy address are presentations on St. Croix pres2ant and futur> public library programs, and the legislative role in these programs. Th2 entir2= transcript of a question ani answer periosoi follows. A list of St. Croix Library Association publications is attarthed. (KP) HR ROK KK RR RK KR RK RK RK RR RARE RARE KARR KERR RAKE Documents acguired by ERIC incluie many informal unpupiisn24 * materials not available from other sources. ERIC makes every effort * to obtain the best copy available. Nevertheless, items of narginal * reprolucibility are oft2n encounterel ani this aff2cts the quality * of the microfiche and hardcopy reproijiuctions ERIC makes available * via the ERIC Document Reproduction S2rvice (EDRS). EDRS is not aa * ~ +t responsible for the quality of the original docum2at. Reproductions suppliei by EDRS are the best that can be made froa the original. RR KR REE ERR ER RRA RRR RRR RRR EE RRR RR KR EERE RRA RE RRR RRR ORE * ‘o A feet 776 US DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH EDUCATION & WELFARE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATIUN "HIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRO- DUCED EXACTLY as RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGIN ATING IT. POINTS OF VIEWOR OPINIONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRE. SENT OFFICIAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY ae ety ea as’, GE Sees vy Eo Pee oe ° Let Te pha Dnoat A + 4218 PDUDLITCATLON LriectudEes Che Fresi agent ~ 7 + 7 ° , , 1 J 4 4 - + / ~ ~ ar - pa Of the St. Crore Lrdorary Vaugnn, and the - : Y +14 1184 Hh TAWA AAD Lh; Pas ar ww } Pel +r) + Ag Two principal addresses Dy Mree En VLPECTOP OF tre ‘J 7 y > ¢ e. 5 a ies abe ~” 20 Pal Asya + - yYweere 7 7 Bureau c utLoyvartes and Mus for istands and the J sr 1,7 Daad dyes ya. Tt a > ee ae vy “ho HONOTAILE OYULLALM ii. BYYANT, FSg., « Cnaltrman of UfMe r Ak ee ~ 2 ° ALL wa , LeEOTS Lat? é : Conservati A7Tawtrse ING ‘ - -s ow s . a 7 ur guest2io? eid Y that TT}, oy . . ; / > ges . . . a a A 1790 BCs CPO: 1 rar ssoctation expresses 21t8 ratituae to : ¢ . * r ~~ - . 7 ° 7 - / ¥ 4 > . . , —_- + ~* . “ v i - ‘ -~ a ~ . ‘4,es Baa and Senater Bruant for havina taken the time to tre Assoctatton, ana more wmortant lu Ir permittinac tne g ; sa + ,4 > sa Sealer 7 17 Arey? 7 F, ? Lmd OF rice r re N1QPrKS. Ai f MLM t fy é One QSEKe > Spear Oo 2 ’ ow = ~ ve a” a . + + ~~ . + . recerd, andi these are tie entire proceedings of tnat meettir +ymery enw hee? sm, ne ton eopnr Vanvap ‘nogkere ane leets ~r’ar.Sc1 t CAS th ELL Lt aA mOee = ¥Qquaqnr.. IPO AKRE I CALE SLeé: . + , . : , "7 4 ia 2 val 4 te yr «y+ oa ee > tm tne f 2 949) OF. e. s > 4 + 4 . . vy ~ . . Pes: Of vribs ee I LECGTELA i ean ae . ; (rnes ? * ’ s9> Mc ane , 4 > yer ’) -- amd té currer tl Eve ve LY z reconrrren g : - ‘4 tom, Law YY a ee . , . 4 + . 3 7 7 Was tnstrwnenta: m esta sntme Qa evoser boric - : c ee ‘ ~ dhe Is es a T 4 hye “ 4 soe Lon ana be ane PR reau of Libraries and - ms . } . a aor A oe 7 . 7 hee 5 Gm | F i» atso permive eloser ace2ess ft LEGt~slavive cnammece, ‘ ¢ 4 . 4 ‘44 ’ . . --* . nzen nopefucty wW result tw etter rar. YULCE. Pe, : \ vy rv ee a , a ae eer Ie Ltorar Ag LATCLON s Urine es : + MA r Table of Contents Preface Opening Address Introduction of (Mrs. Athalie ind Future Remarks Concerning ate Introduction of Guest Speake (Rebert V. Vaugian) "> 2 1e Present f + (oenacor LIBRARY PROGRAMS FOR ST. CROIX, U. S. VIRGIN ISLANDS Opening Address Robert V. Vaughn President, St. Croix Library Association Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the third annual fall meeting of the St. Croix Library Association. I want to personally welcome our special guest speakers, Miss Enid Baa, Director of Libraries and “useums for tie Department of Conservation and Cultural Affairs, and Senator Bryant. If you'll excuse me, I have put this in the order of speaking. I am not going to get involved with the protocol of who is to be firstand besides, I know that Senator Bryant is really a gentleman. So, Senator Bryant, we are pleased to have you with us. Senator Bryant has admitted that he is not a librarian. Now, that ia not a great admission, however, he is certainly involved with libraries, since he is the Chairman of the legislative committee for Conservation and Cultural Affairs, and therefore he certainly has some- thing to do with this group here today. I was honored to have been on the same program with Senator Bryant once before, and of course that was at the 'opening" or the open house of the Christiansted Public Library. I wish it had been the opening dedication, but it wasn't. At that time, I said I was “eating crow" because in April of 1971, in an address before the Rotary Club ~ East, I stated that I didn't expect the Christiansted Public Library to open before 1974. i missed it by a little vit. They opened it in October 1973, however with- out furniture and furnishings. It has been opened with temporary shelv- ing. Now this was by no accident, because I know that the Governor's Library Advisory Council informed the Governor and the people who are involved tiat the furniture must be ordered before the building was com- pleted because of the long delay in obtaining custom furniture---and this must be custom furniture---and this was brought to the "powers that be." Everyone here knows that ine effective use of that library depends upon the proper installation of tie furniiure and furnishings. It is also even more unfortunate---at this time when the government is certainly short of funds, and as we are hearing, they are liable to get shorter and shorter--~ that we had the unnecessary expense of building temporary shelving at a cost of---and I ar not sure of this, and I might be called a liar, and it wouldn't be the first time---of approximately seven thousand dollars. SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS wasted, plus the cost of iustallation. Including infla- tion you can figure what it's going to cost us for the actual custom furni- ture. St. Croix Library Association members are fully aware that I don't "soft pedal my remarks. I usually put my foot in my mouth, and as some people say, Il have hoof and mouth disease. The question of the furniture appears to be---and I am sorry to say this---someone "wanting a piece of the action.” Now, I don’t propose to go into "who shot John." Obviously we don't need any local "Watergates," and I don't intend to start an investigation of one. At any rate, let us hope that the eventual supplier of this furni- ture will not adhere to the usual delays of at least six to eight months for custom furniture; then you throw in a closedown of a plant for a vacation, and you figure out what we've got. Then, one or two months for maritime shipment---that give us almost another year! Now, let's all hope and pray that nowhere along the line are there any strikes. If there are, you know what's going to happen At any rate, the Christiansted Public Library is a "fact of life.” It's there It cost us over one and one-half million dollars to build it, pi the furniture, plus books and equipmen . Let us hope that somewhere some one will do something about future planning to prevent this type of un- necessary delay. For exampie, let us ask what is the status of the bock- mobile service. Obviously we do need it, because areas other than Chris- tiansted town must be served by this great new building---and it is a great new building. I've gotten that off my chest, and I somethimes get tired of talking about furniture, because I can remember every Library Advisory Council meeting that I've been to in recent vears, has discussed the very same thing! It‘s a broken record! But, I had to say it. If I didn't say it, this wouldn't have beer me. I must say something else, and I am going to leave the public libraries at this time. I'm persoanlly, and professionally, terribly concerned about the status of public school libraries in St. Croix. “t appears that we have not kept up with St. Thomas We do not have librarians and audio- visual specialists at five of ou r thirteen schools, this year in St. Croix! These schools represent one thou: ive hundred seventy four students--- OVE®. FOURTEEN PERCENT of our public school students! They are without library service of any typ Thi in spite of the Union contract! Are we purposely developing a genera:cion of illiterates? It certainly would appear so. ‘Any student without a library is going to have great difficulty in learning to read, and anyone---please excuse the simplis- tics---who doesn't read is an illitexate! By the way, the statistics for school population do not give us in St. Croix any "pause for refreshment.'' ‘hey indicate that our average school population is much higher than St. Thomas---890 per school vs 635 for St. Thomas. Seventy five percent of our students are in overpopulated schools. As an example, in schools of eight iundered students and over, seventy five percent of ovr students are there--~-St. Thomas, the figure is thirty percent! Like it or not, the insular problem of St. Thomas and St. Croix is very real in education in St. Croix, especially when our population, especially our younger population, which will shape our future, is being so treated. We can't afford to’ sho --chanre our children much longer. They've been short-changed tong enough, and if we don't really begin to change, they will learn---on their cwn---to change it, and through revolu- tion! It is not enough to give our young people the placebo of a gigantic 6 Page 3 recreatic» program, without offering at the same time the alternatives of intellectual activity. Young people wnt, and deserve, a preparation for the world they will inherit. A recreation vrogram, while good, will not offer them the future that they must prepare for---Yes sterday's athlete is today's senior citizen. Everyone here is involved in providing information. To deprive people of information is to cripple them mentally. It's your choice to release the information buried in the bosom of bureaucratic vaults. Somehow, we have to pry this stuff loose. How often de our poor studnets---mind you, I an. helping out at the College, temper: Lily---how often they core to me for information that we do not have, that I know is available somewhere; statistics and they can't get them. Woy not? It hasn't been released. This information belongs to the people---and they're going to get it, one way or another--~and we might just as well make it available. We all know information is power. I am sorry if 1 tend to get 2 little bit emotional, but these things do bother me very much, and I am certain that they bother a lot of other people here toda I cannot review the recent history of St. Croix and not know that something is wrong. That something must change, and I know, also, that something will change, one way or another. Let's help make it an orderly chanze. iet'’s not give placebos. Let's not overdirect the actions and fugure of our young peorle. After all, a few of them really do happen to know what they're doing. Ladies and gentlemen, thank y for letting me sz hese words. I had to say them, and 1 hope they wi lo something towards c..anging the direc- tion of some of our library rvice .a the Islands. We sre approaching a nart of the prorram for which you all came. I know you didn’t come here to hear 2 but I have made it a point that I get in my digs where I can. Before we introduce our speakers, would you please hold-off your questions, and I know you'll have questions. Please hold them off until both speakers have completed their addresses. Be use, obviously some of the questions might be answere as we go along. If you are afraid you "ll forget it, write it down on a slip of Paper — had it to me. If it's a valuable piece of paper which you can "t part with, I' i give it back, but include your name, The same goes if later on when you address questions to our speakers, please include your name. As you may be aware, we are recording this right now, and we are fortunate that we have a couple of speakers who are willing to be recorded---and I thank them for this. Before introducing our first speaker, I would like our members to share a 1i bit of my geese in one of our members. I am happy to advise that one our Association members, our Secretary as a matter of fact, has been se d and honored by the Business and Professional Women's Associatio® < teal of Achievement for 1973," namely, Mrs. Petersen. Congratulations, Mrs. Petersen! I am going ¢t urn the introductio: ul 1in speaker over to Mrs, Petersen, Mrs. troduction of meee r Mis SS. Athalie Petersa, M5 Se x: P a st. Croix 1.7} a ae Net Danial Mastek T ae a - ) . an} you, r. rresid ent. rT wou 4 wv Page 5 The Present and Future Public Library Program for St. Croix Miss Enid M. Baa Director of V. I. Libraries and Museums Good afternoon, and thank you very much, Mrs. Petersen, for that elaborate introduction. I haven't read the information that was distributed, unfor- tunately, so I really don't know what tie addition is to. Thank you, any- how. It is true that I have been around a long time on the library scene, of the Virgin Islands and perhaps in the Caribbean. However, I, like many others in my own age g.oup who are employed in whatever field of activity, whatever that mey be, must look eagerly towards a diminishing of action. We~all of this age group must encourage and support programs which are proposed by our successors, the younger ones who are coming up, both professionally and morally. But we must nevertheless keep abreast of the changes, developments and innovations even though our role will be lessen- ed. It is for this reason that 1 am deeply grateful that you have asked me to speak to you today. Reflections on the past make the present more meaning- ful. There was a time when, in the Victorian era and earlier, librarians were "rare birds,'’ They were even called, for instance, “keeper of the books," and that was literally what they were, keeping the books. That title stiil is kept in the Boston Public Library ane ‘n the British Museum, In my own time, for instance, we talked about librarians and libraries. Todey we are speaking of libraries and information centers. It is this thewe that J want to pursue with you today. A theme which I believe is implicit in the title of my topic, which is "The Future of Public Library Programs for St. Croix." In order to illustrate my theory, with your permission, I will draw upon my experiences in the libraries of St. Croix and other countries. In 1921, just four years after the territory was purchased from Denmark, the Virgin Islands public libraries in two islands (two in St. Croix and one in St. Thomas) were inaugurated, but they simply existed and were pushed around as appendages for the iext ten years from one department to another, without either use or meaning, and certainly without both organi- zation, plan or adequate support. This concept of public libraries was as American as universal public education and as new to the Virgin Islands as the other new interests such as public health and sanitation and all other United States benefits of government which were almost unkown to the Danish West Indies. About the same time the existing public schools were renamed and endowed with teachers brought here by the new parent government. Sad to say, it is still necessary to r-cruit teachers and librarians today, after almost sixty years of Unite’ States education, which is generally about two generations. This problems is still with us. Are two generation. not enough? 9 rvices throughout braci fic svectali C4 i373. t ot »- —— 2 when, in cTirinal tot i | sees, OF niave?: i t nd Ot i that is Ww Senuictries oas its £ to e 10 issociati schiool 13 Libraris each ¢ i ans fur 2re cnrar re « t 2rd , > ‘+ et , ** Ys lt LO t im th l - Ore vou) act. ue t er ‘ ~~? or ai 3 YP ? Se ain at é Sat 2 ‘a ate ha )) " ‘
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Page 7
a
ed
of the profession,
but wust always be in the "firing line"
and involved
with the profession.
‘ence the #ritis!: Library
Ass sociation,
knwn as
The Library Association,
is a highly professtenal
organization which
secures
tne rizhts, establishes
the standards,
revulates the library
profession.
The American
rary Association,
sad
to say,
is not
so
orofessional,
and one would
hope
that
it could even tually recognize the
.
necessity for professionalism.
om
4 rs
ional Federation
of Library Associations,
known as
IFLA,
is
fessional organization.
The Puerto
Rican Library
maican Library Association,
The Trini
3
i
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oo
+
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}
aa
ona
_ 7
Woez
a
al
4
ot.
Croix Library
Association,
these
are
a
examples,
,
i
wiil
continue
to see
the library association
of St.
Croix
as one section
of a Virgin Islands
library association,
particularly
because how can
ve
,
aave
one pals of a territory represented?
But
these countries which
1
mentioned
--Puerto
Lico,
Jamaica,
Trinidad,
Yircin Islands---are
develov-~
in;
countries
or are
in the process
of develepment
and these countries
-
ra!
"+
.*
“7
aa
~matr
foe
_
=~sa er by
.*
«“
rf
.¢
~e
,
ae
must
somenow
resulrate
their
i. Bae &
sucCR
OTrvanizaticns
that
:
¢
aie
e
.
eee,
‘
NS
if
tine
future
of
a country's
t rests
just
the
sritur
6)
~
we
a
pHismme
hele
°
:
ee
ee
ore
!
a country
GcucatLlona@s
svs
ind
the
vur
r
[sland:
Lociuc-
?
roere
iw
¢
+
Paap
tT
t
1c)
va!
inina
oe KFT
esate
Al
Ciik
"Git!
or
tne
e2cniers
unzon,
cor
°
-
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-
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vm
at,
~
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r
7
IP LE o
If
this
t.
Lon
1tsS
ck
and allows
poli-
+
o
to fraymentaticn
and
failure.
4
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ac
Pistarwm
fin
C
Cwnts
ie
dame
ries
LULUTe
in.
st.
rolx
LS
don
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library:
association
reflects
the
quality
of
its oroefessional nersonnel,
3
anc the library association,
therefore,
sets
and maintains
its
tandards,
its desires
for
its
Library
services.
In order
to do thi:
well,
it must
(1)
informed
of
tne changes
and requiresents
of the pre-
fession;
(2)
it
iat
is meant
by
library
and
all
tyves
of
libraries
and
it
;
(3)
it
must provide means of acihievine
tiv
Sstancards
and
qualifications
set by the
profession,
by which
I mean
prov
trainin,
end
the availability of this trainin:
te
its nersonnel:
(4)
it
mst
be actively
involved
in economic
alenning,
national
zlanm ing, educa-
tional
rlarnin;.,
anid
even
c
ty
p
i.
f
its
particular
country;
(5)
it
ust
insist
on
the recogniztion
cf
vovernment
and
administrative
cf iciais,
lesislative,
ete.
of
the profession
so
that
infrincemerts,
beth volitical
ana
otherwise,
may
b«
inisized;
anc
(6)
it
nust
set down
the laws and
endeavor
fo see
them
translated
into
statutes.
»
Library
orgainzations
everywhere
are
taking
the
initiative
to insure
that
Standarcs
are
established
and maintained.
he $t. Croix Library
Associa
tion should also
be
responsible
and committed.
Tn fact,
I came back from
the
Fifth Annual
Meeting
of the Association
of Caribbean Universities
and
j
niy
known
a
CURIL),
which
is mectiny
day,
to deliver
this address because
f
organization
to
not stand
by
ls
and non-professtonals
to usury
thé
the
semblance
of authority
in
the
field.
t
is a presumpticn
that
should
be sbherred.
It is a truism
t
d all remember
that
the educated
person
each individual
for his worth
and his expertise,
t e
the excellence
of
the expert's
trainine
iiministrator.
This
$ not mean that
means only that
that
the
pe rsonal
r
and
the
in
britian---:
ie gape ee
"1
SRE
weli ottvanizec---the
sromor
re
my
“+
au
Ey
OUCSTAmiLn:
i
et
ee
ne ee ee
ee
ee
he filled with credit, having under
ree
traineo staff.
te was educated enough,
however,
to know that he d
have to imitate
their specialties,
menagerial vost by nature,
i
because an administrative post
is a
gut these are
a fev exceptions.
o-oo ae
——-
—
him,
in every section,
a well-
d not
The
Sc.
Croix Library Association
and
the St.
Thomas Library Association
6nould
Land together to pretect the
“ings.
“hey should
profession from infringements of all
jointly set standards of librarianship and uphold
these standards.
They should review
i
f
the existing legislation and share
mn taely
preparation or revision when
needed.
Among other things, they
shousc
itirst unite
to zain strengt!
and
£o have comnon purpose,
and, west
importantiy,
they should assist
in the socio-economic and city planning
as
regserds
the expansion of library
notice,
I do not
speak of St. Croix
even
of
St. Jolin.
I am speak
EF
sees
¢
7
?
‘
~
,
me
fragmentation of a particul
ing of
ba
| = ~ ns
vility
that must
be shared wich
the
ar unit that we become
ire of Llthrary
service programs of St. Croix,
then,
it
is a responsi-
services
to the territory.
And
and
I dco
not speak of St. Thomas,
or
the
Territory.
Decause
it is in
Vulnerable.
As to the
Nirecter cf Libraries, whomever
that
official
nappens
te be.
It
is not just St. Croix which
ie iavolved.
“we,
35
Vixglu Islanders,
aust
see
the whole precram,
not
Simply one side
af
it.
because any
area
af
progress
or regression becomes
a total budgetar
mattec.
The
service
is dependent
ca
the Virgin
‘tslands
budget.
That
is
to Say,
ax
in a Fanily,
one member may
nee’
a pair of
is. crucial.
This wuct
be met
rather
member
of the
family who alreedy has
j
than provide the frills
for another
(gain,
the bucgert
is our common fund
for all Virgin Telands,
and until
aad untess
the
territory
is
divided,
in which case we wees gar grenes Save
two fudzets,
one
for St. Creis
anc the other
for a8
hon
and
St. Jon.
This tendency
of dividing
is a characteristic
of
ela oT
nz countries,
end we
tind
that
highly
developee countries
tend “a consolidate
rather
I could
casily have >een promoting
a
of $t.
Croix,
due to its ov«rcrouded
situation
vas comparable
¢
‘
t
therefore had
to Le pro <9
,
a
a
L'DOMTAS «
Let us,
therefore, tr to understand
ed countries
they Lave seen
the béne
ate from sharing.
The United
States
Mf ‘arG
nas provided separately
for alli types of library
servic
new
library for
St. Thomas, ahead
situation, buc instead
the St. Croi
to
that member
of the fanily without shoes sad
ided
for ahead
of the overcrowded situation
ta
the
st
fits
to
he derived
from
coo
ftment of lNealth,
Fdne
atecy of sharing.
In dawels
eratior
Neoar
ay | r
ams,
=)
‘
a ‘
Dp
‘
Aa
es
> ,
‘ee
cama tine funds are
in the Office
of fducdtion.
The state government:
provide library services and funds ! ut mostly under
Sducation, nvevertie
Jess there
1s much cooperating between states
and within states
anc now
between state and
feleral
vovernment
¢
This coopereting and sharin: way bring many vortimehile benefits.
Ilnst?
tutions
of higher
learning ‘ave seen
and also between groups
of states.
that
it
nécessary
to
serve
the
t
public cifentele
as well as their matriculated
student body.
Public
Inet
13
Page 10
tutions are also sharing with private institutions.
All of this is done
to make the dollar go further.
In Africa,
at a conference on the development of higher education in 1962,
they decided that the role of higher education must be directed
to the
social, cultural and economic developm:.it.
Im Asia the role of these
institutions was also directed
to social expansion.
The British Library Act
of 1972 provided for the incorptration into a
single organization called the British Library and the units that were
incorporated are the British Museum Li! -ary, including the National Refe-
rence Library of Science and Invention,
the National Lending Library for
Science and Technology,
the National Central Library and the British
National Bibliography.
A consortium
«
-h as this under the authorization
of the Library Association, with its responsibilities clearly spelled out,
is not difficult to manage.
Indeed it »ecomes an easier task because
the organization
is not only mandated
; law, but the areas of activities
and specializtion are dear-cut.
Developing countries
(as well as highly developed contries) recogniz? a
governmental responsibility for supporting a national information systen,
and they have been found to be less e
»onsive when all services are combined
under one head.
Surprisingly enough,
in the period
1°
3 to 1947, all “irgin Islands libraries
were under one agency.
In Brazil, their library association is also the
authoritative agency controlling all types of library services, spelling
out standards for personnel qualifica:ions, conducting training, establish-
ing patterns of service and expansion in every area of the profession.
Lastly,
in the new Caribbean nation of the Bahamas,
I am pleased to say,
planning is already well under way towards the building of a new national
library for the Bahamas, and its cdér~esponding island-wide library services
System under one agency.
The group constitutes more than a hundred islands,
of which a little over twenty are inhabited.
And this new nation is in the
process of providing national librar’
services to all of its constituents.
A bill for a Library Service Act which was adopted in 1972, or at least
proposed in 1972, and still to be adopted, has just been reviewed by me and
I have submitted recommendations for all aspects of library service in my
report dated October 5, 1973.
This report is not for distribution, un-
fortunately, because it was made specifically for the Government of the
Bahamas.
I have been asked
to work
ith the National Library Committee as
their consultant in their planning.
But,
I think you can see that in a
small nation, a new nation such as the Bahamas, guided by the British
Library Association and their British orientation
in education and so on,
they are going about
it in a most methodical manner.
First, with their
legislation and then with their pla
of service-which encompasses all the
economic and the social aspects and with consideration for ethnic groups
which are involved and which must be served.
I have only one message to leave with you today, and that is that the
Library Associaton of the Virgin Islands must be formed.
I said this at
least two years ago, and the two isiands must cooperate and together you
must set the pace for future library service,
both in St. Thomas and in
14
Page 11
St. Croix, and in so doing, take it out of the hands of the politicians
who are at best seasonal laymen in the library service, even though they
may be specialists in their respective brands of politics.
I have great
respect for politicians, believe me.
Thank you
Remarks Concerning Miss Baa's Address
Robert V. Vaughn
President,
St. Croix Library Association
Thank you, Miss Baa.
I thought that was a very great case of diplomatic
exit.
Before we go on, and since Miss Baa has brought up the question of quali-
fications and so forth, it would appear as though we should make mention
to our group here of a very special person in our midst.
Now, if I have
anything wrong,
I hope someone will correct me, for if I could stumble
over one of our local organizational names, think what I'm going to do
with this one.
We have with us coday, Professor and Doctor Tiiomas Burford---I hope I'm
pronouncing it correctly---he's from Wayne State University an’ Chairman
of their Department of Instructional Technology.
He was also, as I
understand, the keynote speaker at the recent---I'm going to call it
audio-visual program over in Puerto Rico.
Welcome Dr. Burford.
I certainly appreciate Miss Baa's direction here, as far as a Virgin
Islands library association is concerned.
It becomes terribly obvious
that we need one.
When the St. Croix Library Association issued its own
standards for school library programs in 1971, and they are still not
adopted by the Virgin Islands Department of Education,
it becomes obvious
that somewhere there is something wrong.
So there is a necessity for a
Virgin Islands library association.
I have done some background work on
organizing a Virgin Islands library associat:ion.
I'v been doing it for
a number of years, collecting things here ard there, writing suggestions,
but there they are in my files.
At any rate it is something that is
necessary, and we should work towards it.
Introduction of Senator Bryant
Robert V. Vaughn
Before I get carried away any further,
1 am particularly pleased to
introduce our next guest---a young, talented man who has acted with
conviction, who is concerned about the future of our young people,
and who must then necessarily be concerned about libraries.
I cannot
separate the two.
Senator Bryant is a man who is distinctly qualified
to be in the halls
of our legislature,
an attorney with the law firm of Bryant, Costello
and Burke, and especially of concern
to us, Chairman on the legislative
committee on Conservation and Cultural Affairs.
For those who may not
be aware of it, the public libraries are under the Department of
Conservation and Cultural Affairs.
Our next speaker is a gentleman with a doctorate in law, a gentleman who
has been in our midst a long time, and a gentleman who was admitted to
the bar in 1965.
It is with great pleasure that I introduce a "friend
of the library,” a gentleman who, at the Christiansted Public Library
open house,
spoke of the library as being, “something more than a build-
ing in which
to merely house books.”
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our distinguished guest speaker,
Senator Britain Bryant.
Pagel4
The Legislative Role
in the Present and Future Public Library Program
in St. Croix
The Hon. Britain
N. Bryant
Senator, V.I.
Legislature
Chairman, Legislative Committee on Conservation
& Cultural Affairs
Mr.
Vaughn, Miss Baa, Ladies and Gentleman.
My remarks will
be brief.
Because,
aS Mr. Vaughn pointed out,
I'm a little bit out of my field.
I'm not a librarian.
As a matter of fact
I am,
as Miss Baa referred to
it, one of those unmentionable
"seasonable laymen in library service,"
when in the Senate.
My profession
is law.
My current status
is that of a politician.
As
related to your field,
yo.r expertise and your profession,
I can only
say
I enjoy reading.
So
I really am somewhat at a loss for words as
to what to say, other than to follow up with something taat
Loth Mr.
Vaughn and Miss Baa mentioned,
and that
is the fact that the Virgin
Islands has practically ignored
its cultural
past,
its cultural present
or planned its future culturally.
>
We have
a rather rediculous situation
in the Virgin Islands where,
unlike
in the Executive Branch?
in tie Senate someone with foresight many years
ago separated Conservation ani Cultural Affairs from the standing committee
On recreation.
We have two Separate committees.
One committee --and
generally
they are not tre
same members,
although you may have some over-
lapping
--
is solely Recr ation,
and
it handles
all
of the problems
that
come
to the attention of the Senate
involving sports activities,
physical
recreational
structures,
and the maintennance
of athletic grounds. and
equipment.
The other
one
is the Committee
I am Chairman of,
the Committee
On Conservation and Cultural Affairs
--
and we're not sure what that handles
yet.
We get into everything
from environmental
health
to pollution,
to
libraries,
to artbfacts and
just about anything else that the other Com-
mittees
can't
fit into a pidgeon hole.
Now,
the Executive branch of the government,
for some reason,
has never
seen fit to divide these
two areas.
So that you have
a Commissioner of
Conservation and Cultural Affairs that is,
in fact,
in charge of Recrea-
tion as well.
During the decade that
I have been
in St. Croix
-- and a
resident of the Virgin Islands
---
I have noticed that the entire Depart-
ment's stress
has been on recreational
and sports activities.
As
a matter
of fact,
I question whether there
is anyone qualified
in that Department
to head a truly Conservation and Cultural Affairs Department.
It
is
indicative of what Miss Baa implied---that politics do permeate and
penetrate every segment of Virgin
Islands
life.
If that Department
is
ignoring the cultural
aspect of life
in the Virgin Islands,
and particular-
ly that involving libraries,
then
I urge you to speak up and to make sure
you are heard by those
in Government who are
in a position to rectify
the
wrongs yOu are complaining of or about.
I think that,
if you look back,
yeu will
find that what librarians need
is
as
a body
is not just
a Virgin
Islands
library
Association,
but
r'd
Like
to see
a militant
librarian,
as
wall.
J think this would
he an unheard
of creature.
ly baaye,
I have
to be
honest
with
you,
of
a librarian
dates back from when
I was
a very
young
person,
and went
to the librar
and the librarians were always people who hid behind books,
great dcsks
pilec with books, who said, "Card!"
And uttering not
a peep,
they stamped
]
it and gave
it back to me.
For one
of these people
to creep out fron
behind their great stacks of books and loudly proclaim their needs vould
be a frightening experience.
As
I! look around today,
I realize obviously
my image is not
a correct
one.
You are
a very enthusiastic proup,
but
the problem
is that you're not heard from.
You're still
a very silent
body.
And perhaps
if you formed
a Virgin Islands librarians
assoctfation
and
did not
divide yourselves,
you would have more voice
in the area
of
Conservation and Cultural Affairs, where
at least, withia the Lxecutive
Lepartment,
the public libraries
come uncer
that domain.
In the Depart-
ment of VYducation you have many of the same problems~--~-your
demands
are
being
i,nered.
1]
would imagine that most
of the librarians
here
today,
as
a matter
of
fact were
or
are assuciated with education
in some way or another.
You
have your own particular problems.
Your problems may not be that
identi-
cal
to those
of other teachers,
and administrators
in your various schools,
and
the only way you're going to be heard
is (1) to speak’out, but
(2)
perhaps
to form an Association
to have
a hig enough stick
to get what
you
need
for your Libraries.
This
is how Unions were
first formed
in the United
Stetes and
I very frankly think Unions ere one of the greatest things that
ever happened, although
I, surprisingly,
represented primarily management
in my peactice before
| got
into
the Senate.
The, Unions,
have their place
in society and an exceilent
place.
A few people can do a very littie but
those
few people can band together,
regardless
of whether
it's spread over
three
islands
or more,
they can achieve wuch mor
Now,
I would
like
to
just
digress
for
a second
and point
out
to you what
I wean by the fact
that Conservation and Cultural
Affairs
has primarily,
in our Executive Sranch
of Governuent,
fostered
a sports-type image or
recreation-tyze
imaye andnot
one associated with arts, arcifacts,
libraries,
and cultural affairs.
I's.
not sure many of
you are aware
of the
current situation
in the St.
Croix Library,
which
is ridiculous,
at vest.
I have been looking
into
this situation.
I bave
talked
to
the architect
of that building and
lhe
nas Informed me that
a year ayzo---exactly
a year ago this week,
as
a
matter of fact-~~he turned over
the specifications for all of the library
fixtures,
furniture
and equipment
to the Commissioner
of Conservation anc
Cultural
iffairs and
to the Commissioner of Property and Procurement
so
that they could inmediately
be bid, submittaifor bid, knowing full well
that there would have
to be a 120
to 150 day delivery date.
I'm sure many of you are
aware
that
the bids were net
even put out until
April of this year,
for reasons
that are totally beyond me and with
no
19
Page 17
on a few buildings stating that one artist or one writer or someone lived
here or slept here, but there's very little appreciation.
Frankly, within Conservation and Cultural Affairs there are tremendous
amovnts of cultural items that are stored in the Virgin Islards, some of
which is West Indian culture, other which is international, but you can't
find it!
There are other instances of neglect that have come to my atten-
tion in the brief period I have been in the Legislature which I have looked
into, with dismay.
For instance, many of the historical and very beautiful
documents,
the original documents affecting the Virgin Islands,
the trans-
fer from Danish
to American,
and prior to that time, as a matter of fact,
when St. Croix was under some seven flags---five flags before the Danish---
many of these beautiful
and historical documents are sitting, floating in
Charlotte Amalie harbor in the Miss Opportunity barge.
As you know, every
year we go through the scare of a hurricane.
I'm sure many of you have
sera Miss Opportunity barge---if you haven't seen it, you haven't missed
anything.
If you've ever seen a barge floating down a river, you could
glorify it a little bit---and that's the Miss Opportunity barge.
It does
have some offices
in it, but the hold is filled with most of the historical
documents of the Virgin Islands.
This governor has been notified of it.
The past Governor,
I’~ not picking any party lines, it's between Democrats
and Republicans alike, and I'm sure if the I.C.M.'s got in they would care
less too.
But it’s just a lack of recognition and appreciation for what
we have in real cultural affairs.
I really believe that it’s associations, groups, and persons like yourselves,
whether born here or w'.o come nere, that can make people aware of these
things that are happen ng.
And many of these instances
that happened, by
the way, came
to my attention from people like yourselves.
People that
had served
in government,
in schools, or in other branches,
or as private
individuals and knew about these things, some of which happened before I
got here---like the missing paintings and sculptures, and things like that.
What I have told you can be verified, going back through the Comptroller's
reports.
Yes, it was verified they are missing.
Those that were found
have no value placed on them for income purposes or to identify the art
work.
Things like that.
llistorical documents are in the Miss Opportunity
barge which could at any time sink, obviously.
But, I think that you can help do something to stop this neglect of cultural
affairs and I would urge you to certainly, individually and collectively,
write letters
to your Senators,
to your Governor,
to your Commissioners,
whether you're in Education or Conservation or whatever,
to your elected
officials.
Because, believe it or not sometimes something gets through to
us, and we do do something about if, as much as we can.
Now,
1'll grant
you that there are many times we just get overburdened and you may not
get a reply back, or you may not get a reply back as fast as you should.
I know it’s just common courtesy, but I am sorry, sometimes we're just
unintentionally rude, if you will because there aren't enough hours in
the day.
But most of us try to keep up, and it’s only through help from
individual citizens and groups that we can try to put things back on an
Page 18
plane and,
in your case, bring library science up to a professional
level which
it should
be and is in many places.
Once again,
if at anytime
help you in anyway, please don't hesitate
to call on me.
you again for having me as your guest
today.
22
Page 19
Persons
asking
questicns,
waking
replies
r
comments
uill
be
full;
identified
wien
first
listed.
Subsequent
listings
by
the same person
will
be identifed only by the
last
name
(except
for
Jj.
Oliver
and
©. Oliver
Robert V. Vaugan, President, S.C.L.A.
‘iank
you Senator Bryant.
Azain
we've got some more
things
to think
about,
T'm
sure
that
there must
be
Some
questions
fre
the group here
to direct
at different
individuals,
either
in the audience
or at
the head table here,
or anywhere,
If you do have questions,
would
you please
identify yourself,
since
we
arc
on
tape,
and since somewhere
along
the
line,
sore
poor
soul
is going
to
have
to
try
to transcribe
this
thing.
T don’t
know
who yet.
I don't
know
who's
goiny
to
be
lucky.
Alright,
at
anv
rate
we
are going
to
try
‘rophone
at
you when you ask
your
questions,
so that we
r recorded response
than
we
did at
the
last meeting.
The
}
} iy
a tough one---1
did
that one.
'
\icisht,
could we have
some questions?
I'm
certain there aust
Se some.
»
College
of the Virgin Islands
-
Miss Baa,
could
the current
status
of
the
£t.
Thomas
Library
Asso
you tel!
ciation?
ttiss Enid
NM. taa,
Director
V1. 1 ihraries
and tiuseums
-
The
President
of
the St.
Thomas
Librar: Assoctation
Ls Sam
Douglas,
the Assistant
Director
of Libraries,
and
he
has
reported
to
we
that
it has been impossible
for
him
te bring
the group together,
the membership
together.
te has called
Several meetings
and with
very
Little response.
He's now
in Miami attend-
ing,
the ACURI. Conference
as
my Deputy,
and
the ACURTL
Conference
will
he
finished
on Saturday,
tomorrow.
Does that answer
your question?
asters
-
Yes.
Daniel fugelter, Guest
-
I'm not
a
disinterested
narty,
tut
it was
«abvi
to
me
in
the conversations
of Ur. Vaughn,
“Miss
Baa and Senator
Bryant,
frustration
thet
has
taken place over
this
library
furniture
and fixtures.
Actually,
{ understand
that
the current
contracts
that
have
been
avard
call
for a delivery
in
129 days,
and
as Senator
Bryant
spoke,
T understano
also that
the
mupany
had been on
strike
and has
just now gone
off
stri
l have been
told by
other
people
in the
industry
they
have
a huge
back!
]
-
or
.
Ss
apenetes
rs}
:
err
sae
»
19f
’
or
orders
and
{tt
is
very
improbable
that
deliver:
an
he
ade
ny
rT
tvo
or
three
tines
¢t
t
lenzwth
of
time.
es
+r?
7
‘
|
.
.
i
'
ike
to
dic
‘
léestion
<
senator
|
ne
e
ra
i
t
.
.
librarians"
was used,
and
I was wondering
if the group here
ts
interested,
of
1f lenally
anythiag
can
be
done
at
the
end
of the
1
*)
days
towards
making
a chan
in
¢
€
pment.
i
Ci
AV
»
the
other
|!
ler
that
i
referred
¢t
@
eS,
SO
wm
not
a
disinterested
arty.
owever,
as
Ou
é
librarian
t
:
me,
and
seen
delay
after delay
and
witt
s11
prospects
of
a
c
al
more
delay.
>,
1
would
Lie
to
ask
Senator
rvant
that
a
ca
‘.
arm
nator,
if
at
t
ff
the
129
d
ke
ae
til
wthin
‘
is
there
wthin
ie Association
could or
s!
io?
Senatcr
“ritaiz
ryant,
:irma
slative
Comnrittee
on
Conservati
and Cultural
Atfair
-
ll,
yes,
it's
that
d free
legal
ice again.
you
said
you're
net
1
disinterested
party.
Let
me
Say
this.
In the
irst
placs
t!
it
ilth
t
~
4
as
ei
ter
: nicail
at arded,
the
so-
alied
winnin
icger
s
to
put
u
performanc
ond.
That performance
nd,
to
my
knowledge,
is
to
be
posted
Dy
tover
29th.
If
the
bond
is
not
posted
that
person
should
not
get
the vic,
so
that
it may end right
there.
And
I
don't
know,
frankly,.‘ir.
Zugelter,
what
your
status
would
be
after
that.
I
don’t
know where you
rank,
as
far as what
the second
:
choite
would
be.
I don't
think
a
second
choice
was
made,
as
a matter
of
fact.
o,
1 can't
answer
your
question.
bviously
if
the
law
is not
followed,
and
since
thie
is
1
2o0vernment
bia,
you,
any taxpayer,
has
the
rieht
to
bring
the
appropriate
action.
‘onsult
your
lawyer
for
the
‘
propriats
actik
de
ra
I
ant
to
ti
the
gortunity
to
tell
u
what
kind
of library
fur-
ilture
>
are
alkin
t
}
ar
tect.
as
Senator
Bryant mentionec,
ubmitted
ecificat
:
r
the
total
librar
urniture
for
that
building.
ad
the
first
51
ic
as
rejected
on
the
grounds
that
it was
mot
<«
etiti
Li
ww.
3.8
irector
of
the
Library,
selected with
the
assistance
the
architect,
and
other
speciealiste,
the type of library
furnitur
it
>
mer
|
for
¢t
t
ibrary.
e American
Library
Associa-
tion
sets
stanaat
for
library
furniture.
e
type
of
library furniture
that
was
requested
in
the
first
specifications
was
supposed
to be equal
t
x
similar
to
the
rtle
Te
company
furniture.
In this case
we
are
not
selecting
necessarily
that
turniture,
but
that
is the
standard
of
the
.
urniture.
e
al
>
t
have
walnut
furniture
as
the
type of wood,
rh
id that
not
in
nsicere
uckstafr
library
furniture.
nother
was
rden.
iS
reject
as
the
low bid---Worden
library
.
furniture---and
neithe
r
wl
+
listed,
as
far
as
I know,
by American
Library
Standards
uckstafi
rems
to
be
the
kind
of furniture
that
is
required
for
motel:
restaurants,
lodges,
arf
so
on.
Libraries
are
entioned
incicentaily.
rd
irniture
is
contractors
materials
for
bumpers
and
piasti
ind
different
inds
of
metal
furniture.
Cia
Ver,
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24
Page 21
Baa - By materials, you mean reading materials?
P. Olive:
- Reading, listening and looking.
Baa - Well, we have provided for all that, but you know we have to hold
off this kind of material until we have furniture in the building because
all of this is piling up.
It has already been on order, and we have
hundreds of books in St. Thomas, waiting to be shipped to St. Croix.
Audio-visual material
is also on order.
A lot of the copying materials,
for instance, we don't want to have our Xerox machine,
or whatever brand
we happen to order, sitting around and waiting to be picked up by whom-
ever happens to break into the library.
We have a lot of electronic
equipment that's coming in.
We have microfilm readers and all the micro-
film rolls are
in St. Thomas waiting to be sent to St. Croix, just as
socn as you have the furniture in which we can do the storing.
We can't
send books over here and have them sit on the floor.
If you notice,
if
you" ve been in the library, you'll see there is temporary furniture and
you've heard it mentioned here at the cost of $7,900 which was in addition
to what we didn't expect to spend, that is sitting now in that public
library together with all that old ratty furniture we had to bring over
from the old library, and this is what we have to use.
We have to be
satisfied with it for the time being until the new furniture is received.
This
is why the open house on the 10th of June was absolute nonsense.
Because noone shows an empty building.
For what purpose?
You don't show
a building to show the four walls and the floor covering.
You show it to
demonstrate
to the community what you are providing for their use.
That
is completely furnished and we had hoped with the ecuipment in it.
Not
just furniture, but all the necessary equipment.
Now we have to ask the people who have been contracted or who are in the
line of contract
for this material,
to hold off until the furniture has
been received.
Which means that the library is not going to be function-
ing at its best until the furniture has been received.
But all this tine
we are making the orders.
The books are coming in regularly.
The addition-
al magazines and subscriptions have all been placed.
All the microfilm
is piling up and everything else.
Some electronic equipment which we can
house for the time being in St. Thomas, not used, mind you, because we
have no space.
I hav already mentioned that St. Thomas has no space in
which to do its active day-to-day work.
So, it's an inconvenience for
us and certainly its a deprivation for the community of St. Croix, that
you have four walls and two buildings standing there without being used.
Edwin Golden, Lew Muckle School
-
I would like to address the quest‘on to
Senator bryant,
as Chairman of the Committee on Conservation and Cultural
Affairs.
I would like to know if the federal funds that the Department
of Conservation gets, can any of those funds be directed
to the libraries
under education?
Bryant
- No,
I don't believe
so, Mr. Golden.
As a matter of fact
I am
29
sure, but I'll stand corrected by Miss Baa, that there are funds that are
available via education, via Health, Education and Welfare that are not
available to Conservation and Cultural Affairs, which can be used for the
school's libraries.
Again, I have to refer that to Miss Baa because I
am not a member of the Education Committee,
and it is only my guess that
this does exist.
I have found, by the way,
in connection with Conserva-
tion and Cultural Affairs,
that we have hundreds of thousands of dollars
in matching funds available to the Virgin Islands that we cannot utilize,
because we can't provide the other half,
the matching amount.
Sometimes
it's a third, sometimes it's a fourth, sometimes it's a half.
Generally
we don't ever have to provide more than half, but sometimes we cannot
come up with the matching portion.
In other instances
I have found, and
I went specifically
to Congressman de Lugo's office to verify this, that
funds that were not matching, but were outright grants were utilized by
the Division of Conservation and Cultural Affairs, although they had
been secured by the Virgin Islands.
In one instance we lost a hundred
and some odd theusand dollars,
this last fiscal year, and in another
instance we saved on the last day by reapplying,
some $35,500 in another
area,
Baa ~
I think that Mr. Golden must have heard all the discussion about
the number of dollars---I
think in the millions---that Dr. Haizlip was
able to get for the Department of Education, and if you have two differ-
ent departments,
it
is a legislative process
to transfer money from one
department
to another,
and I don't know how that works---so
far as conser-
vation
is concerned.
» atout
is you're in the library, we are also
in the libraries,
and
I thought
that
both
are
in the cultural
field.
Golden
-
What
I was
thinking
Baa ~
It happens
that
in the Virgin Islands
it doesn’t work that way.
Conservation
and Cultural Affairs are under one department and Lducation
---and
[ agree with you,
tecause we have to get into legislation.
We
have
to pet
it beginning
from the bottom.
I think the first
thing this organization ought
to do is be concerned,
and very concerned,
and
I mean militantly concerned about what
is happen-
ing to the furniture
in the new building.
And to answer to Miss Oliver's
questions,
I have
a list
of audio-visual equipment on order totaling close
to $20,000.
And this list
is here, you can examine it.
P,. Oliver -
We, in the public school area, have facilities, have personnel,
and obviously have
the needs.
Is there any way of having inter-library
loan?
You have things that you cannot use, because you can't get them
working.
Baa - The things are not as yet received.
They are ordered.
When they
26
are received, certainly we can extend inter-library loan to all libraries.
Because we feel that the public library in Christiansted
is not an entity
unto itself.
It is supposed to serve theentire community, both school and
public and riivate.
So,
I don’t beleive we have a problem there.
If we
can, whenever we get the furniture, then we could start working.
I don't
think you understood me, Miss Oliver, we have the orders but we are not
accepting the delivery until the building is furnished.
P. Oliver
- We can house it for you.
We are willing to warehouse it.
Baa
- That would be very nice.
Bryant
- Mr. Golden,
let me come back to your question again.
There is
little cooperation,
as I'm sure you know better than I, within a depart-
ment, much less cooperation between departments of the government.
I
think that ‘it is rather absurd that there can't be some coordinating body
or person that could co-mingle,
if you will, the so-called funds that
come down, that perhaps would be coming to Conservation but Conservation
couldn't utilize, would go into schools.
But there is no such person to
coordinate that.
As a matter of fact, for three years since early in the
Ninth Legislature, on the federal level, we've had the position open of
a, I think it's called just a Federal Coordinator,
a Programs Coordinator.
To attempt this on the federal level, he would have an office in Washing-
ton and one in St. Thomas, and would attempt to not only get all of the
available funds that the Virgin Islands may be entitled
to, but aren't
getting, either due to inaction or lack of knowledge about it.
But he
would also hopefully be able to shift those funds from one
department to
another, depending on the need.
That position, again, has never been filled.
I feel it is a crucial thing.
In three years, only one nominee has been sent down.
He was sent dow
several months ago and vou may recall, was rejected, primarily because
of the way he's running his present department.
I refer to Mr. Creque,
who is the Commissioner of Housing,
and the Covernor appointed him as the
Feceral Programs Coordinator, subject to Senate confirmation:
He was not
confirmed.
Golden -
Senator Bryant,
do you have
a committee on Federal programs
in
the Legislature?
Bryant - Yes, we do have a committee on Federal programs.
Golden - Are you a member of that committee?
Bryant
- No, I'm not
a member of that.
Let me also mention that committee,
27
Page 24
and I'm certainly not going to hlame the Chairman of the committee, who
has had a hard time functioning
for one reason.
The past chairman of that
committee was Lieutenant Governor Ottley, and he had gotten started with
that committee's work,
then left, then Senator Raymond Smith was appointed,
and he is just now sorta" getting his feet wet.
And I hope this will help
in this coordination.
Frankly,
this coordination has to be done
in Washington,
and a great deal
of it.
The Senate,
the individual Senators,
have little knowledge of funds
that may be available
to the various committees of which they're chairman
and members of, unless they go to Washington.
For instance,
I had no idea
of the funds that we're not using and utilizing until I went up there,
and inet with people.
And
I think this
is probably Mr. Smith's problem.
He is new
to politics,
I shall
say newer than
I am, and I have no idea
what that committee
is doing.
Although he has had several meetings, perhaps
something
is in the mill.
[I'1I check into that and let you know personally.
Vaugin
-
I think many
of our members are aware of the reason for Mr. Colden's
remarks, because
it was exacly one year ago today, or a meeting a year ago,
the equivalent of this meeting,
that Mr. Golden informed
the Commissioner
that his library
had absolutely
no furniture
in it.
And he still has a
library with absolutely no furniture
in it.
So, I think he and Miss Baa
have
a lot
in common.
Obviously,
this
is his concern,
and it should be
the concern
of all of us
Can you imagine
a library going along for three
years without
I have
a question,
the
matter
of standards was brought up.
The matter of
requesting
the enforcement
of
standards was also brought up.
TI must
necessarily then
ask the question---and
I know in my position here
I should
not
ve asking anything,
I should
be listening---I would like
to ask Mr.
Oliver what
is the status of the school library standards adopted by the
St. Croix Library Association,
the 1973 standards,
-
-
-
-
~
James Oliver, Director, Library Services and Instructional Materials, V.I.
Departnent of Education
- As I indicated
to you earlier this week,
Bob,
as far as the standards go,
the Commissioner acknowledged the receipt of
them.
They have been reviewed by our office.
We were awaiting the final
approval of a budget by the Legislature, which
I understand came out of
finance on Friday.
Because as the standards indicate there is a definite
committment, once accepted,
that there will be a definite plan for imple-
mentation and we go back to the items mentioned before that
the budget
plays a very important part as far as books acquisitions
or staff.
I
would say that by the end of next week you will be getting a written
response,
both from our office,
as well as
the office of the Commissioner.
Golden
-
As far as professionalship,
I would like to direct
this question
to Miss Baa.
1'd like
to know if her Division or Department has tried
to
initiate anything with the College of the Virgin Islands,
since we have
such a shortage of librarians here
in the Virgin Islands.
28
Baa - The College of the Virgin Islands,
I understand,
is now giving
courses
in library organization and materials,
and so on, which is an
undergraduate course given in the evenings and one of my staff members,
Mrs. Maclean,
is teaching that course,
and she has two sections.
I
asked her how it was going and she said she had,
I think,
thirty six in
one group and quite a bit more
in another section.
So I think the
initial steps are being taken by the College of the Virgin Islands.
Never-
the
less,
this will still be an undergraduate course
for para-professi-
onals.
And
I want to take this opportunity
to say something about staff-
ing and training.
The University of Puerto Rico, which is about 20
minutes from St. Thomas and I understand a little more from St. Croix,
is a place where an accredited graduate library school has been establish-
ed for the last three years.
They have graduated three classes.
In the
second graduating class the Virgin Islands had a member who finished
with great credit and received not only the degree but honorary medals
for her achievements.
The Director of that Library School,
Fred Kidder,
Dr. Fred Kidder,
is
asking us in the Virgin Islands
to send our potential librarians
to the
school.
There is just one difficulty---
it is a Spanish speaking school.
In other words one has to be fluent
in Spanish to be able to participate
in classes.
And Miss Bough was,
and she still
is, because she received
her earlier education
in Puerto Rico, both in the elementary school as
well
as in the University, Catholic University.
So she was emminently
qualified to participate
in these courses.
I would like
to encourage
as
many people as possible to take the advantage of requesting admission
to
the school.
_in Puerto Rico as well
as to another school which
is also
in
our vicinity,
the University of the West Indies, where
a graduate library
school
has been established--- and
I say,
in this case
"graduate”™
in curves,
because the graduate situation there
is slightly different than the gradu-
ate situation
in Puerto Rico.
Unfortunately all the Universities
in
Puerto Rico are now on strike,
and there
is very little you can expect
from them until Chancellor and his staff and professors are able
to go
back
to the classrooms.
We have
in the University of Pittsburgh
a student who is a member of the
library staff in St. Thomas,
who is studying on leave.
Incidentally,
that
same student studied on our library program in the College of the Virgin
Islands
for the last two years,
and an employee on study leave with pay.
And we would like to encourafe all of our staff members
to take advantage
of it.
Right now with this financial strain we may not be able to have
the opportunity of giving leave with pay.
But we still want our members,
our staff members,
to consider studying esgecially for those who are not
as yet qualified or trained librarians.
Our staff member
is studying at
the University of Pittsburgh.
GOLDEN
- My question was asked mianly to see
if the Department was encourag-
ing our youth into library science.
Baa
- Yes.
Library school
is a graduate school under the American,
U.
S.
29
Page 26
level.
One has
to conplete-high
school and then complete his university
or college education,
have
a bachelors degree, which
is the prerequisite
for admission
into
the graduate library school
in the United States.
In the British territories,
if on finishes
what
is called
the Senior
Cambridge examination,
or some other
term
is used,
that person
is accepted
into a library school.
Sut
the library school is not just ome year,
as
in the United States.
It goes over
a period of two or three years,
to
wake up,
I suppose,
for the difference
in proad liberal education which
is necessary and which
is recommended
for a candidate
in library service
you can understand,
should have
a very broad
liberal education
to begin
with.
Because
in library schools
it's not
a question of learning
the
subject,
it is a question of using the materials
in each particular field
of knowledge and becoming acquainted with the bibliography of each field
and how to get around, how
to use
it, how
to select your material
in the
field and
so on.
So that
it has,
of necessity,
to be a graduate school,
building on a very broad liberal education,
stressing
the humanities
or
in other cases stressing certain specialization,
like
in Chemistry,
the
sciences,
the languages,
or law,
or whatever.
Because there are
law
librarians which must
have
a pretty broad bactground
of law, basic
law,
and there
are wedical
librarians who must
have good scientific backgrounds,
and so on.
So you can see why the library school training
is a graduate
school
in the United
States,
and more
than two years school
in the British
territories.
tave
1 answered
that?
No~---I
still haven't?
Well,
in a way,
I kriow where
the
lack
is because
we---
1
'
>
|
’
»
~
of
‘olden
-
I's
like
to
tnow
what
the
Department
is
coing
to encourafge--
m
.
*4
?
waa
2
are
sendi
eon!
away
to
us
on
the
library's
budgets
I
thousht
ft answered
that.
T
said we
have
on,
yes,
and
we
had
as any--~
.
wre
you
worl
ith
the Colleze
of
the Virgin
Islands?
Are
you
to
push
for
r
f
this
educati
1
the
College?
Raa
-
The College
announces
its classes,
its
courses
that
are being offered.
ig
le
ne Cee aint
oS
ee
)
: