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George Town Public Library, Cayman Islands

Coordinates: 19°17′47″N 81°22′53″W / 19.29635°N 81.38141°W / 19.29635; -81.38141
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George Town Public Library
Map
19°17′47″N 81°22′53″W / 19.29635°N 81.38141°W / 19.29635; -81.38141
LocationGeorge Town, Cayman Islands
TypePublic Library
Established1920
Other information
DirectorPaul Robinson MSC, BA, AD/DIP, CILIP, ALA
WebsiteOfficial site

The George Town Public Library is the main library of the Cayman Islands Public Library Service, a department of the Cayman Islands Ministry of Education. It is located in George Town, capital of the Cayman Islands. It has been designated as a place of historic significance [1] and has been referred to as "one of the country’s most important national assets."[2]

History

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The George Town Public Library began in 1920 as a small room above the city's old jail and was funded as a subscription library through a $40 grant from the Cayman Islands government. A separate library building was finished in 1939, designed by Captain Roland Bodden and Captain Rayal Bodden, with a ceiling modeled after an inverted ship's hull. While the library was opened to the public in 1940, it was not until 1980 that it was staffed with a trained, professional librarian.[3] The library was expanded in 2009 to include the modernized, three-story Maples Wing, providing a children's services area and public computers with internet access.[2] Early in 2017, a renovation of the historic library building was completed in order to showcase local Caymanian history and culture.[4][5]

References

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  1. ^ "Historic Plaque Programme" Archived 16 April 2017 at the Wayback Machine. National Trust for the Cayman Islands. Retrieved 15 April 2017
  2. ^ a b "New George Town Library Wing Opens". Cayman Compass. Retrieved 15 April 2017
  3. ^ "Library History". Cayman Islands Public Library Service. Retrieved 15 April 2017
  4. ^ "Four Year Report". Cayman Islands Government. Retrieved 15 April 2017
  5. ^ "Library Now Restored". Cayman27 News Library Service. Retrieved 15 April 2017