Philipsburg Jubilee Library
   Ch.E.W. Voges Street 12, Philipsburg, St Maarten, Netherlands Antilles
   tel. +599 542-2970 / fax +599 542-5805 info@stmaartenlibrary.org                                              
     
     home   

                   

85-year-old library in for many developments, part 1

 

“Reading is the basis for the collection of knowledge”
By Wim Hart

Although having reached the impressive age of 85 years, Philipsburg Jubilee Library as an institution appears to be very much alive and kicking. And, as St. Maarten is moving towards country status, management and staff of this important facility are preparing to become the National Library of St. Maarten. This new status has been laid down in the Integrated Cultural policy framework recently presented by the Cultural Policy Steering Committee of Saint Martin. Meanwhile, some 3,500 people visited the library each month the past year, a whopping ten per cent more than in previous years. “It’s an international trend. The libraries are more and more becoming the centre of every society,” says Library Director Ans Koolen. “Rightfully so,” she adds, “Reading is the basis for the collection of knowledge.” Many on the island who support her view come forward with donations to maintain and upgrade the facility. But getting enough money to properly run the library is a returning problem.

“We have three priorities,” says Director Koolen. These priorities are a brand-new bibliobus (bookmobile), a new automation system and continued care of the working conditions of the staff, including education and training. The library boasts a very loyal, knowledgeable, service-friendly and enthusiastic staff of twelve people with the vast majority employed for more than ten years. One of them, Irmin Hughes has been with the library for 27 years. Only three of the twelve employees (plus one part time security guard) joined the institution recently. Ans Koolen has been with the library for 26 years and became director after Blanca Hodge retired on April 1, 2007. Monique Alberts has been Assistant Director as of October 1, 2007.

In an interview with WEEKender Koolen speaks about many developments that have been going on at the library and of many others that are still in the pipeline. She also discusses the continuous concerns about the financial position and the very much appreciated financial assistance rendered by “Friends of the Library”, Windward Islands Bank (WIB), Antillean Co-Financing Organization (AMFO), Support for Netherlands Antilles Youth Development Programme (SNAYDP), Representative of the Netherlands in St. Maarten, St. Maarten Timeshare Association, Island Gems Charity Foundation and a few others.

The near future promises for Philipsburg Jubilee Library to make an even more impact on the Dutch side community. To this extent, Director Koolen points at the intention expressed in the Integrated Cultural Policy to turn the facility into a National Library. The International Federation of Library Associations and the mission statements of existing National Libraries point out the following regarding the status of National Library:
- collection and preservation of the national imprint  
- facilitating national and international access to the national collection
- national and international cooperation

Under former Director Blanca Hodge Philipsburg Jubilee Library has built up an extensive documentation about St. Maarten dubbed “The St. Maarten Collection.” It covers a wide scope of very significant historical, cultural, economical and political data. This collection needs to be preserved as part of the national imprint on or before the constitutional changes making St. Maarten a separate country within the kingdom.

The present facility on Ch. E. W. Voges Street is too small and too outdated to meet the requirements for a National Library, Director Koolen agrees. “But,” she says, “We have already started discussions with the Director Sector Welfare and with University of St. Martin (USM) and Old Archives in Curaçao.” She points out that these discussions focus on close cooperation between the library, USM and Old Archives aimed at the construction of a new building that facilitates the urgent spatial needs of the these institutions as regards to their collections of books, CDs/videos and other documentation.

Another subject of the discussions concerns the overlapping that exists in the material that the three have collected and which needs to be sorted out and coordinated.

“Library, USM documentation and Old Archives together in one building in, say, five to seven years. That’s what we hope to establish. We are also speaking about a combined catalogue for all three of us. In the meantime we have reached a very good understanding,” Ans Koolen summarises the discussions that have been held so far.

She says that the library also has a good cooperation with the St. Maarten Heritage Museum where it concerns documentation of St. Maarten’s present and past.       

Speaking about some statistics in relation to the library, she reveals that the facility has a collection of 60,000 titles, including the St. Maarten Collection. There are also between 400 and 500 CDs and (mainly) videos, 150 magazines and daily copies of the two local newspapers to read for everyone who visits the library during opening hours. 

For the rest of Wim Hart's article which is e.g. about the Friends of the Library, donations and points of concern, please click at 85 years old library in for many developments part 2.
(The Daily Herald Weekender, June 21, 2008)
                                                                                      
library / library history