Vanuatu National Library
The Vanuatu National Library (in Bislama Vanuatu Nasonal Laebri, in French Bibliotheque Nationale du Vanuatu) was established in April 2004[1] and is located within the Vanuatu Cultural Centre in Port Vila, it contains more than 30,000 books and serves both as a national repository for "rare and special" materials.[2][3] The National Library also has responsibility for the Port Vila public library.
History
[edit]In 1955, the British and French administrations in Vanuatu decided to set up a Cultural Centre to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Anglo-French Convention of 1906. The cultural centre, which was officially opened in 1962 on the main street, contained a library, meeting room and museum.[4]
After Independence in 1980, the Port Vila Public Library came to be described as the National Library, where a small collection was kept on the history of Vanuatu. By 2004, the Vanuatu Cultural Centre Library served two distinct function - as a public lending library, and as a national depository library, and so the National Library of Vanuatu was established in its own location within the Vanuatu Cultural Centre Complex.[4]
In September 2007, the National Library took responsibility for the security, preservation and development of the National Archives.
In November 2013, the library relocated to a new two-story building, along with the Vanuatu National Archives, as part of a new Vanuatu Cultural Centre complex.[5]
Collections
[edit]The Library possesses two "special collections", one devoted to Vanuatu and the other to other parts of the Pacific, as well as a general collection.[1] It holds "some 500 rare items" about Vanuatu, primarily a collection of rare books.[6] Its "rare and special" items include "anthropological and archaeological materials, art and arts references, autobiographical records and biographies, a large section of works on the languages of Vanuatu, mission histories, oral traditions, cultural, historical and political records, journals, newspapers and periodicals".[1]
Nelly Caleb current serves as Chief Librarian.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "National Library" Archived 2009-11-23 at the Wayback Machine, Vanuatu Cultural Centre
- ^ "National Library" Archived 2009-11-23 at the Wayback Machine, Vanuatu Cultural Centre
- ^ "National Library of Vanuatu" Archived 2009-09-19 at the Wayback Machine, Australian National University
- ^ a b Field Survey Report: Intangible Cultural Heritage Safeguarding Efforts in Vanuatu (PDF). Field Survey Report: Intangible Cultural Heritage Safeguarding Efforts in Vanuatu. 2012.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link) - ^ Vanuatu National Library & Archives Opens! Archived 2013-12-02 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ 2008 Conference of Directors of National Libraries in Asia and Oceania
- ^ "Vanuatu National Library and Archives". Vanuatu Cultural Centre. Archived from the original on 2025-07-31. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
External links
[edit]Vanuatu National Library and Archives at the Vanuatu Cultural Centre.
17°44′43″S 168°19′03″E / 17.7452°S 168.3175°E
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