William Zammit, head, Division of Library, Information and Archive Studies,, University of Malta, Tal-Qroqq
Hopes for new chapter in library services
The recent spate of letters and articles referring to public library services in Malta in general and to the National Library in particular have served to focus some well-overdue attention to this mostly ignored albeit fundamental aspect of any nation’s cultural and intellectual development.
Our public and national library system has been crying out for a thorough overhaul for ages; yet we as a nation never seem to be able to devote the required attention and resources to this sector. The published and manuscript treasures held at our national library – a cultural and financial patrimony of the greatest importance – have been sustaining damage for decades, not just during the last few months or so.
Equally serious, problems relating to poor service all-round go that far as well. It simply seems that, with few exceptions, services provided have got stuck somewhere in the 1960s both where the public and the national library are concerned. The National Library in particular – that institution which should be preserving and making accessible our nation’s intellectual output – lacks even the most basic services which one expects from such an institution.
Professional online cataloguing of the collection’s published and manuscript holdings remains a dream, as does an online and regularly-published national bibliography and decent electronic records readers. Even more glaring is the total lack of facilities for people with special needs.
One hopes that the legislation in the pipeline will aim to address such shortcomings; above all, by attracting much-needed qualified and enthusiastic professionals to work in the sector. The Division of Library, Information and Archive Studies at the University of Malta has been – since 1986 – holding diploma-level courses in Library Studies. Scores of students have thus graduated; yet only a fraction of these are to be found working within the public/National Library sector. This year, another four students will be obtaining a degree in Library, Information and Archive Studies, following a demanding five-year evening course. We currently have 14 students following the diploma in Library Studies course and another six following that in Archives and Records Management. Given the rather bleak situation in the sector, such numbers are indeed encouraging and would certainly increase once concrete positive developments start revamping it.
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Denis A. Darmanin
Aug 27th 2010, 19:28
I'm not in disagreement, but what are we to do in the meantime if we need to use certain facilities at the National Library? Two weeks ago I went there to search in newspapers regarding an incident that happened in 1927. I went through spools of microfilm and had to use one of two of the most NON-user friendly and outdated contraptions ever encountered. Two of the other types were out of order. When I enquired about photocopies, I was told that the machine that copies from microfilms is not operating and to either photograph and much more photocopy the original newspapers, was not possible due to the very fragile condition of their pages, of which some were falling to pieces. Isn't it time that the microfilms get converted into a digitized system and viewed on monitors, while print-outs can be selected and ordered just like any e-government service? The National Archives already has something similar, especially the indexing.
The library's staff are very helpful and can understand how frustrating it can be when you want to assist but your hands are tied. The problem probably lies in lack of funding, restoration and investment in upgrading the system.