By Francine Black, Staff ReporterJAMAICAN READERS islandwide now have more books to read at the library, thanks to an initiative by two Jamaican non-governmental organisations (NGOs) which lead to a recent handover of some 200 new books to the Jamaica Library service.
The Library Service will also as of this year, for the first time, have available to readers books by Calabash Literacy Festival authors donated by the Novelty Trading Company.
In March and April of this year, the NGOs Jamaicans. com and Chichibud Ltd., decided to hold a virtual book drive to collect classic and recently published multicultural children's literature for the Jamaica Library Service.
WISH LIST
The project, which was overseen by Xavier Murphy, director of Jamaicans.com, and Professor of Education Dr. Rebecca Tortello, board member of Chichibud, included the establishment of Amazon 'wish list' on-line at Jamaicans.com, where interested persons who visited the web site purchased close to 200 new books. The books were then shipped to Jamaica courtesy of Food For the Poor.
The donation of Calabash Literary Festival authors was also organised by the Chichi-bud Ltd. The company organised the donation of books by Novelty Trading Company and will include works from over 70 authors, including St. Lucian Nobel prize-winner Derek Walcott and Jamaica's own Rachel Manley. The books will also be available in bookstores, islandwide.
Chichibud is dedicated to the promotion of literacy at the primary level. Jamaicans. com is a web site which supplies Jamaicans with information on current events, Jamaican history and culture and the work of social service organisations. The NGOs and Calabash plan to maintain this partnership with the Jamaica Library Service, as well as make the drive an annual event.
