HE National Library of Jamaica (NLJ) recently welcomed some of Jamaica’s top movers and shakers with an old-world, breakfast-themed event, Coffee, Tea, History.

Guests included Spanish Ambassador to Jamaica, Her Excellency Celsa Nuño, St Aubyn Hill, CEO of Corporate Strategies Ltd and Christopher Zacca, president of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica, who got to see first-hand, the inner workings of the NLJ. They witnessed how the collected materials are preserved and stored, and were also allowed to explore the Library’s numerous collections spanning works published in Jamaica from the 16th century to the most current publications, including books, pamphlets, newspapers, maps, archival films, phonodiscs — or LPs and 45s, and CDs and DVDs.

“We felt it necessary to invite Jamaica’s powerful and influential to come and reconnect with their National Library,” said National Librarian and CEO Winsome Hudson. She further stated that the average Jamaican often confuses the NLJ with the Jamaica Library Service, which she funds unfortunate as the two institutions have different purposes.

Clarifying, she said, “The National Library of Jamaica is a research library and its main goal is to collect, preserve and facilitate access to Jamaica’s culture, history and heritage through works published in Jamaica or about Jamaica and by Jamaicans.”

Both Professor Verene Shepherd, Director of the Institute for Gender and Development Studies at the University of the West Indies, Mona, and the Honourable Julian Robinson, Minister of State in the Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining, guest speakers at Coffee, Tea, History’… also stressed that the NLJ needs to have a symbiotic relationship with its public.

“The NLJ readily feeds the public’s needs, but the public also needs to support their National Library.” Professor Shepherd said.