The Seychelles National Library re-opened its services to the public on Thursday with a limited number of books while the others are still being processed, said a top official.

Speaking to SNA, the principal librarian at the National Library, Anne-Mary Robert, said that this is due to procedures they must follow.

"When we look at the shelves today, it's clear that there aren't enough books, but this is because after we receive books, we must process them. This includes tagging, a security measure to prevent theft," she added.

Robert said that the Library started buying books when in the ship Logos Hope was in the country but also "bought some locally and they are still being processed. At the beginning of next year, we will launch a tender to complete the collections that we have."

She added that apart from the library services, the facilities will also include a café that will be opened in February.

At the moment the National Library will be operating from 8.30 am to 5 pm during weekdays and 8.30 am until 1 pm on Saturdays. 

The library for the time being has a limited number of books as the others are being processed. (Seychelles Nation) Photo License: CC-BY

The library was re-opened by First Lady Linda Ramkalawan and the secretary general of the Seychelles National Institute of Culture, Heritage and the Arts, David Andre.

At the re-opening ceremony, Andre, said, "Today, we are celebrating another important milestone in the history of our National Library, commemorating the 45th of the National Library and the re-opening of its services to the public."

The library, which was constructed in the early 1990s and opened officially in June 1994, closed in 2018 due to a fungus infestation. Renovation works started in February last year and were completed in 16 months.

Andre said it was on December 15, 1978, that the Carnegie Public Library was officially declared the National Library of Seychelles. The newly refurbished building now boasts several state-of-the-art facilities that people will be able to make use of.

"In addition to the traditional library services such as the loan of both printed materials and e-books, users will also have access to the internet, and the national collections of publications, reading promotion activities, and ISBN/ISSN Service," said Andre.

Andre said these are for specific age groups – children, teenagers, and adults. (Seychelles Nation) Photo License: CC-BY

Much like the previous design of the building, the Library has been sectioned off into several distinct spaces and Andre said these are for specific age groups – children, teenagers, and adults and specific purposes taking into consideration past challenges.

"These new facilities are available for free while others will be at a fee to help contribute to the maintenance costs. These include rooms for group discussions, meetings, conferences, IT training, and multi-purpose activities, as well as spaces for private tutoring and exhibitions," he added.

To ensure access to all, including those with physical challenges, lifts have been installed to facilitate movements to the first and second floors including the conference room in the south tower of the building.