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

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

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]