Philipsburg Jubilee Library                                                                                        
 

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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 
 

'National Library and Heritage Centre'
Press release from Sector Welfare, Island Territory of St Maarten, July 2008:

Partners present plans for ‘National Library and Heritage Centre’ to commissioners
In a presentation to the Commissioners Wescot-Williams and Marlin, four prominent Sint Maarten organisations in the field of documentation and cultural heritage unfolded their plans to establish a ‘National Library and Heritage Centre’. This cooperative venture was initiated and is presently being facilitated by Sector Welfare of the Island St Maarten.

According to the project, the Philipsburg Jubilee Library, the library of the University of St Martin and the National Archives would be housed in one jointly operated building.

The aim is to create a single location where students, educators and the general public can find information, do research and get acquainted with history and culture. A situation of ‘one stop shopping’ therefore, where anyone who is looking for information on literature, culture, history or any other subject of interest, will be sure to succeed.

The plan for a joint library/archives building will enable the partners to offer state of the art facilities for retrieving digital information, be it from the internet or other digital sources. These facilities will be indispensable to Country Sint Maarten, and will further enhance the quality of our education infrastructure. Included in the project as well, are plans for an Education Resource Centre, to support teachers and those in training with a wide array of material to add to their professional development.

A jointly operated auditorium will offer the possibility to organize lectures for a wider audience. Large groups of university students, library activities or events connected to history, language and culture can be accommodated in this setting. The proximity of the language lab of the University of St. Maarten creates the ideal setting for the hosting of international multilingual conventions at this auditorium, which will give the project an economic spin.

Closely linked to the joint library/archives building are the plans for a new Museum building, to replace the present premises that have become inadequate. This new Museum then will be a  truly National Museum, that will have the task of conserving and safeguarding the heritage of the future country Sint Maarten .

The cooperation between the four partners will bring about significant cost reductions, as they are presently all seperately in urgent need of new buildings. Further efficiency is brought about by the sharing of expertise, the joint operation of support facilities and the sharing of overhead costs.

The plans brought forward by the University, Library, Archives and Museum met with enthusiastic support and encouragement on the part of Commissioners Wescot-Williams and Marlin. The four partners involved in the project, as well as Sector Welfare will therefore move on to the next stage of the development of their joint venture.                                                

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