National Library of Trinidad and Tobago

The National Library and Information System of Trinidad and Tobago (known as NALIS) is a corporate body established by the NALIS Act No. 18 of 1998 to administer the development and coordination of library and information services in Trinidad and Tobago.

As a statutory authority under the Ministry of Communication NALIS is governed by a Board which ensures proper and efficient performance of the functions of the organisation. NALIS is managed by an Executive Director assisted by a Deputy Executive Director and Directors of its various divisions.

NALIS provides library and information services at the Heritage Library (located in the National Library Building, Port-of-Spain), 23 public libraries, 4 mobile libraries, 66 special libraries, 133 secondary and 483 primary school libraries, 25 ECCE centres. Library services are also provided through its website at www.nalis.gov.tt and its social media sites: the blog, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

The National Library of Trinidad and Tobago, located at Hart and Abercromby Streets in Port of Spain, is the administrative seat and focal point of NALIS' libraries and information service centres in Trinidad and Tobago.

The Public Library Service began in Port of Spain in 1851, the Carnegie Free Library was established in San Fernando in 1919, and the Central Library Service was introduced at the Ministry of Education in 1949. These three organisations were responsible for the administration of library services in Trinidad and Tobago until 1998. On 18 September 1998, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago repealed the Acts that governed these three separate bodies and established the National Library and Information System Authority (NALIS) as a Statutory Authority under the NALIS Act, No. 18 of 1998 entitled:

This Act brought together the administration and management of all libraries in the public sector, that is, public, special and school libraries, under an independent Board - the NALIS Authority. The three (3) existing Public Libraries (the Public Library of Trinidad, the Carnegie Free Library and the Central Library of Trinidad and Tobago) and their resources of buildings and stock were transferred to the new Authority.

The Act also gave to NALIS the responsibility to manage the national human resources of library and information science personnel in Public Service bodies; this was brought about through the transfer of staff from the Public Service and the Statutory Authorities Service Commissions to NALIS.

Under the Act, NALIS has the authority generally to administer funds allocated by Parliament, raise funds, recruit and manage staff and manage all resources and library infrastructure, such as buildings and bookmobiles.

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