THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES

ST. AUGUSTINE, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, WEST INDIES

THE ALMA JORDAN LIBRARY

THE UWI RENAMES LIBRARY
The Main Library at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine which has been the intellectual hub of the campus for many years, has been renamed The Alma Jordan Library in recognition of the exemplary service and pioneering work of its first Campus Librarian, Dr. Alma Jordan. A ceremony to mark the occasion was held on Monday February 28, 2011 on the quadrangle in front of the Library and was attended by Dr. Jordan herself, the Campus Principal and other senior administrative staff, many of her former colleagues, library staff, information professionals from the national community, her relatives and friends. This iconic building with its distinctive pyramid shape was actually conceptualized by Dr. Jordan and was opened in October 1969. Dr. Jordan served as the St. Augustine Campus Librarian from 1960 to 1989 and the University Librarian from 1982 to her retirement in 1989. She has written extensively on Caribbean librarianship, and was a foundation member of the Library Association of Trinidad and Tobago (LATT) as well as the Association of Caribbean University Research and Institutional Libraries (ACURIL). Dr. Jordan has served on boards and committees nationally, regionally and internationally and is the recipient of many medals and awards, including the Hummingbird Medal (Gold) in 1989.  In 2001 she was inducted into the Hall of Excellence of her alma mater, St Joseph’s Convent, Port of Spain.

Dr. Jordan can be justly proud that those who have followed have built upon her legacy, creating a state of the art academic library. Moving beyond its imposing physical structure, The Alma Jordan Library is now a knowledge portal, providing a gateway to a vast digital storehouse of the intellectual output and information assets of The University of the West Indies.

This press release was reprinted with permission.

Elmelinda Lara
The University of the West Indies