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service to include library branches and other library services anywhere else in the colony. From this moment, therefore, the
Georgetown Free Public Library became the headquarters of a national public library service, and was renamed the Free Public Library. In August 1950, the deputy director of the Eastern Caribbean Regional Library, Mr J. Smeaton, came to British Guiana to advise the librarian, Ruby Franker, on the reorganisation of the Public Free Library and the development of a Rural Library Service to provide library services to areas outside of Guyana's major cities, towns and settlements.
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296:. Savage's report resulted in a $ 10,000 grant towards a centralized library system in the Eastern Caribbean and British Guiana region, into which the Georgetown Public Free Library was integrated. In 1940, the library introduced an open access system, allowing members to browse the shelves to select books, which increased membership dramatically.
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In 1969 the
National Library launched a Building Fund Appeal to raise money to add a third story to the Georgetown library building. The British Government were approached for assistance, and in 1973 they donated steel frames for the extension. In 1997 the Government of Guyana approved the extension
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As a public library, the
National Library of Guyana provides a nationwide library service. In addition to its Reference and Lending Departments, the central library in Georgetown runs a Juvenile Department, a phonograph records service (established in 1969) and a toy library service (established in
430:
Since 1972, the
National Library of Guyana has served as the legal copyright library for the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. As such, it is entitled to a copy of every publication that is printed in Guyana, and is responsible for storing and conserving this national collection. Since that time, the
360:
In 1972, the Public Free
Library Ordinance was amended and a new piece of legislation was passed – the Publication and Newspapers Act (Act 4 of 1972) – in order to establish the Public Free Library as a National library, with the additional responsibility of serving as a depository of books printed
267:
In 1907, the
Governor of the Colony, F. M. Hodson, appointed a Provisional Committee to implement a proposal for the establishment of a Public Free Library using the funding provided by Carnegie. In July 1908, Ordinance No. 12 of 1908, known as the "Public Free Library Ordinance", was passed, which
497:
Introduced in 1970, the Mobile
Service caters for areas that are not covered by the National Library, its branches, or the rural centres. The National Library of Guyana operates two Mobile Services, the first introduced in 1970 (and serving areas such as Tucville, Peter's Hall, Houston, Providence
271:
In
September 1909 the library, which was initially called the Carnegie Free Library, and later the Georgetown Public Free Library, was opened to the public. Initially it ran on a closed access system by which the public were separated from the books by an iron grille, and requests were written and
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In 1950, the
Government of British Guiana passed a major amendment to legislation relating to the Georgetown Public Free Library, which was titled Ordinance 13 of 1950 or the "Public Free Library Ordinance". This amendment extended the scope of the government's obligation to the public library
361:
in Guyana. To reflect its new responsibilities as both a public library and a national library, the library was renamed the
National Library of Guyana. These legislative changes also endowed the National Library of Guyana with the responsibility of producing a Guyanese National Bibliography.
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Following the Ordinance of 1950, the Public Free Library began to extend its reach throughout Guyana with the establishment of branches in major settlement areas and the introduction of a number of additional services. The first branch of the Public Free Library was opened in
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The Rural Library Service was inaugurated in 1950 with the establishment of a Rural Library Centres in Hague Village in August of that year. In 2012 the number of rural library centres throughout the country was listed at twenty-one. There are rural library centres in
280:, and which were purchased on a budget of £900. 1,500 members had enrolled by the time of opening. The first librarian was Emily Murray, who served at the library from 1909 to 1940. On April 4, 1910, the library opened its lending service with a stock of 5,700 books.
515:
In 2007, the National Library of Guyana listed a collection of 397,893 books. The collection includes rare historical documents and manuscripts, a special collection of materials pertaining to Guyana, and the papers of two important Guyanese writers:
431:
National Library has also been responsible for compiling and storing the Guyanese National Bibliography, a comprehensive list of every publication that is printed in Guyana. The Guyanese National Bibliography has been in publication since 1973.
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on 27 August 1950. This was followed by the establishment of Rural Library Centres in Stanleytown (January 1951), Agricola (May 1951), Bagotsville (June 1952), the Essequibo Boys School (February 1953) and Enmore Government School (May 1954).
506:
Inaugurated in 1966, the Prison service provides library services to the prisons in Georgetown, New Amsterdam, Mazaruni and Sibley Hall. Prison Service collections are managed by prison officers, who are provided with relevant training.
440:
1981). Since 2002, it has also provided a free internet service. Areas of Guyana that are not served by the central library, or its five branches, are catered for by the Rural Library Service, the Mobile Service and the Prison Service.
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on 23 April 1953. Its initial collection included 2,000 books, and the library was guaranteed a $ 1,000 annual grant from the New Amsterdam Town Council. In February 1955 a branch was opened in the township of MacKenzie (now part of
219:
and the headquarters of Guyana's public library service, with branches extending throughout the country. Founded in 1909, the National Library of Guyana is situated on the corner of Church Street and Main Street in central
268:
entrusted the maintenance of the library to the Mayor and the Town Council of Georgetown, and to the Combined Court. Construction of the library building began on April 28, 1908, when the foundation stone was laid.
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In 2013, the National Library of Guyana celebrated its centenary. It marked the event with a series of public readings and discussions that focused on oral and folkloric narrative traditions in Guyana.
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489:. Rural library centres are managed by volunteer librarians and assistants. In 1955 a training-program was introduced for all voluntary assistants in the rural library centres.
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In 1950 the Public Free Library introduced a Rural Library Service, in accordance with the advice provided by Smeaton. The first Rural Library Centre was established in
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708:
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commissioned a report on the Carnegie libraries in British and American colonies in the Caribbean, which was undertaken by Ernest Savage, the secretary of the
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passed to the librarian through a small window. The library opened with an initial book collection of 57,000 books, which were chosen by the librarian of the
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207:(formerly known as the Carnegie Free Library, the Georgetown Free Public Library and the Free Public Library) is the legal deposit and copyright library for
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presented the library with the gift of a mobile library in that year. The first areas to be served by the mobile service were Tocville and Peter's Hall.
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5 (New Amsterdam Branch Library; Linden Branch Library; Ruimveldt Branch Library; Bagotville Branch Library and Corriverton Branch Library)
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224:. In 2007, the library recorded a collection of 397,893 books and a total of 22,058 members. Its collection includes the papers of
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In 1993, the National Library purchased and installed its first computers, and in 2002 it installed a free internet service.
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674:"Celebrating 100 years of public library service: a historical perspective on the National Library of Guyana - Part II"
260:-wide library expansion organised and sponsored by Carnegie, and the National Library of Guyana was one of a number of
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318:) with a collection of 3,021 books. The library building was provided by the Demerara Bauxite Company (DEMBA).
621:"Celebrating 100 years of public service: a historical perspective on the National Library of Guyana - Part I"
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The National Library of Guyana has five branches in different parts of the country. These are:
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252:, who donated a sum of £7,000 to enable the construction of a public library in Georgetown,
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The National Library of Guyana has its origins in an initiative by the Scottish-American
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In 1970, the Public Free Library began to operate a mobile service after the British
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879:
Yochelson, Abby (1993). "National Bibliographies". In Robert Wedgeworth (ed.).
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341:. The service was extended to the prisons in Georgetown, New Amsterdam, the
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plans and committed funds for the work, which began the following year.
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Yes, as enshrined in the Publications and Newspapers Act of 1972
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855:"The National Library Centenary: A Series of Literary Evenings"
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Books, historical documents, manuscripts, phonograph recordings
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that were built in the region in the early twentieth century.
284:
Developments: The Georgetown Free Public Library (1911–1949)
883:
World Encyclopedia of Libraries and Information Services
557:
World Encyclopedia of Libraries and Information Services
395:(formerly MacKenzie) Branch Library (established 1955)
256:(now Guyana), in 1907. The initiative was part of a
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672:George, Gwyneth; Gillian Thompson (14 May 2009).
498:and Soesdyke) and the second introduced in 1976.
619:George, Gwyneth; Gillian Thomson (7 May 2009).
1453:Buildings and structures in Georgetown, Guyana
300:Expansion: The Free Public Library (1950–1971)
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8:
1259:South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
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241:Beginnings: The Carnegie Free Public Library
829:"Redeeming the Gems of Guyanese Literature"
581:"libraries.org: National Library of Guyana"
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769:Persaud, Petamber (6 September 2009).
707:Persaud, Petamber (6 September 2009).
7:
771:"National Library Centenary, part 5"
1428:Library buildings completed in 1909
853:Persaud, Petamber (9 August 2009).
356:The National Library (1972-present)
191:http://nationallibraryofguyana.com/
827:Persaud, Petamber (7 April 2012).
559:. ALA Editions. pp. 332–333.
14:
800:"Godfrey's Adventures in Reading"
416:Branch Library (established 1993)
402:Branch Library (established 1975)
388:Branch Library (established 1953)
350:Ministry for Overseas Development
333:On December 1, 1966, the year of
174:Committee of the National Library
1392:
1135:
1102:Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
798:Chin, Godfrey (23 August 2009).
709:"The National Library 1909-2009"
290:Carnegie Corporation of New York
166:700,000 Guyanese dollars (1990)
555:. In Robert Wedgeworth (ed.).
551:Stephenson, Yvonne V. (1993).
1:
1458:Libraries established in 1909
294:Library Association of the UK
278:Crown Agents of the Colonies
274:Westminster Public Libraries
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325:in West Coast Demerara in
205:National Library of Guyana
19:National Library of Guyana
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1244:Saint Pierre and Miquelon
1133:
444:The Rural Library Service
426:National Library Services
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27:
23:
1264:Turks and Caicos Islands
733:Anon (26 January 2001).
435:Public Library Services
1179:British Virgin Islands
735:"The National Library"
276:at the request of the
217:public lending library
46:6.813805°N 58.164614°W
1092:Saint Kitts and Nevis
585:librarytechnology.org
335:Guyanese Independence
51:6.813805; -58.164614
1443:Libraries in Guyana
1269:U.S. Virgin Islands
1112:Trinidad and Tobago
957:Antigua and Barbuda
42: /
1438:National libraries
1348:Carnegie libraries
1022:Dominican Republic
935:National libraries
502:The Prison Service
493:The Mobile Service
262:Carnegie libraries
213:national libraries
1448:Deposit libraries
1433:Culture of Guyana
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473:, Hague Village,
345:and Sibley Hall.
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158:Other information
142:Population served
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1234:Saint Barthélemy
1194:Falkland Islands
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887:. ALA Editions.
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211:. Unlike many
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862:. Retrieved
859:Kaiteur News
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1151:territories
1097:Saint Lucia
1032:El Salvador
459:Anna Regina
414:Corriverton
90:Established
49: /
1422:Categories
1405:See also:
1219:Montserrat
1214:Martinique
1209:Guadeloupe
1007:Costa Rica
590:2023-09-30
528:References
511:Collection
407:Bagotville
222:Georgetown
106:Collection
66:Georgetown
37:58°09′53″W
1374:Caribbean
1346:Lists of
1292:Caribbean
1204:Greenland
1127:Venezuela
1072:Nicaragua
1042:Guatemala
962:Argentina
947:Sovereign
864:26 August
838:25 August
809:25 August
780:25 August
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718:25 August
683:25 August
630:25 August
451:Aishalton
400:Ruimveldt
339:Red Cross
258:Caribbean
182:60 (1990)
179:Employees
34:6°48′50″N
1159:Anguilla
1107:Suriname
1082:Paraguay
1057:Honduras
1017:Dominica
1002:Colombia
972:Barbados
939:Americas
553:"Guyana"
421:Services
376:Branches
343:Mazaruni
327:Region 3
171:Director
98:Branches
62:Location
1384:Oceania
1189:Curaçao
1174:Bonaire
1169:Bermuda
1122:Uruguay
1062:Jamaica
1037:Grenada
1027:Ecuador
982:Bolivia
967:Bahamas
937:of the
463:Bartica
236:History
187:Website
150:Members
1379:Europe
1369:Africa
1359:Canada
1077:Panama
1067:Mexico
1047:Guyana
992:Canada
987:Brazil
977:Belize
949:states
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479:Lethem
467:Buxton
455:Albion
393:Linden
316:Linden
209:Guyana
163:Budget
70:Guyana
1164:Aruba
1052:Haiti
997:Chile
475:Mocha
1229:Saba
1149:and
1087:Peru
1012:Cuba
889:ISBN
866:2012
840:2012
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