Education Minister Tim Gopeesingh says restoration of the old Public Library at Knox Street, Port-of-Spain, will foster a much needed appreciation of T&T's history among the younger generation. He made this comment while delivering the feature address at the launch of A Tale From The Old Library Vol 2: An Historical Record of the Public Library, on Friday.
Gopeesingh said:?"We live in a time when libraries and their historical significance run the risk of being lost in this age of technology. The fact that this project falls under the National Patriotism Month-and while we celebrate our 50th anniversary-makes it more worthwhile and relevant." He added, "We will be fulfilling that very glaring need to preserve the memories and legacies of all our great patriots, past and present, who offered to their nation their leadership, skills and achievements at the highest levels."
The book was produced as part of Citizens for Conservation's continuing programme of education and documentation of important historical heritage sites of T&T for posterity. Over the last 15 years, the group has formed alliances with PIC (The Preservation Institute of the Caribbean), The University of Florida, Masters of Architecture Program, The Caribbean School of Architecture in Kingston, Jamaica, and the Preservation Institute in Nantucket to produce reports and studies on several Trinidad and Tobago historical sites.
Some of these reports include a study of sugar mill sites in Tobago; the Great Houses of the Savannah or The Magnificent Seven; The Victoria Square Heritage Site; Norfolk Street, Belmont; The Old Fire Brigade Station; and the Red House.
Most recently Citizens for Conservation has partnered with architectural students from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada on a similar venture. Students from Carleton University's Azrieli School of Architecture and Urbanism under the direction of Prof Yvan Cazabon, first visited Trinidad and Tobago in 2011. On that visit they documented two important buildings, the Figari House, a typical early 20th-century house on Piccadilly Street, Laventille and the Boissiere House, commonly called the Gingerbread House, at Queen's Park West. From these studies a book was produced titled Tale of Two Houses. Citizens for Conservation presented copies of this book to Nalis, The UWI Library, The National Trust and the UTT library.
The students made a second visit this year during which they completed a survey of the old Public Library on Woodford Square and produced yet another book, A Tale from The Old Library. The objective of the book is to record accurately, through texts, drawings, digital models and photographs, the current condition of the old Public Library.
