Wednesday, 1st July 2009 - 17:54CET
Library wanted in proposed Piano Valletta projects
The Malta Library and Information Association has asked why plans for a public library in Renzo Piano's Parliament building designs have been changed and do not include a library.
In a statement it said that the City Gate area was the ideal location for the island's main public lending library, currently in a place considered out of the way by many, including the association, in Floriana.
Most public libraries in European cities can be found in prominent, central and easily accessible locations.
The association said that it had drawn up a short report proposing a public library in this location and this could be downloaded from its homepage at www.malia-malta.org.
Considerable public support for this idea was gathered through an i-petition and a Facebook group and details have been presented to the Prime Minister in March this year.
"If there is not enough space in the allocated site for both a public library and a museum, MaLIA feels that a state-of-the-art public library service should take precedence over a museum in this location.
"Surveys have shown that all sections of the public, from school children to old-age pensioners, would prefer a centrally located public lending library.
"Such a public library would be of greater benefit than a museum."
The organisation said that since most of the Palace, which currently housed Parliament, wasgoing to be changed into museum spaces, the museum being proposed for the new Parliament building could be housed there.
"If Renzo Piano himself is in favour of a public library in this important location, should not the general public including the 'group that joined the fray' who have proposed and promoted this idea, expect to see a public library as suggested originally?"
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Comments
That's the whole point Eric Gahn. We need a better library to increase interest in books here in Malta...
A library would be a good idea
In Piano's plans it is going to be demolished and left empty!
Books are a necessity for education, without which there cannot be a good democracy .It can be symbolic if parliament were built on a public lending library.
Actually no... let's go for a fully fledged shooting range. It's more fitting in Valletta.
Oh come on gentlemen! We have been discussing this place a million years now. Let's just build it and get it over and done with. Everyone wants to put in his little hands on this piece of land as though they have some divine right to it!
The guy has done some amazing work and the proposals are great and overall everyone is satisfied. And that's quite a task in Malta. Let's just get down to issuing the permits, build and move on.
Next...
1. Demolish the ugly and ridiculous housing estate on the left
2. Remove/hide the bus terminus
3. Clean up the city in general!
It would also mean that people would be inclined to enter the building more than once.
I rather would like to see books and interactive media free for everyone then only an expo of 'ugly' mugshoots ...
All in all in Piano's building I presume can easily accomodate a library ... it's an interior conversion or update which surely shall not ruin the concept of the building!
That having been said, I wonder how many patrons the present library facilities have.
The present building housing the Law Courts would be ideal for the community library currently housed at Belt-is Sebh. This building enjoys a prominent position and proximity to the historical Bibliotheca.
I commented elsewhere that having Parliament House and the Law Courts side by side near the City Gate would be most fitting to a historical city that was built to champion freedom, law and justice.
Can someone tell me what the proposed museum would showcase?
the present one. Since I retired, I joined the lending library at Floriana. It is really and out-of-the-way place. And you cannot afford to go by car as you do not find any parking place, week-days. Let us have a library incorporated in the Piano Valletta Projects. I am sure it will serve a better cause than a museum.
I support a library.