WEST INDIES & SPECIAL COLLECTIONS BROCHURE

UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
(Mona Campus)
Email: wisc.library@uwimona.edu.jm

 

THE WEST INDIES AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS


DESCRIPTION

The West Indies and Special Collections (WI&SC), established in 1974, bring together in one Section, a number of the Library's special and unique research Collections. The Elsa Goveia Reading Room, the reading area for consulting material from the Collections, is located in an extension which was added to the south of the Main Library building in 1988. In 1989, the reading room was named in memory of the late Professor Elsa Goveia, outstanding West Indian historian and the first female to be appointed a professor at the University of the West Indies.

WEST INDIES COLLECTION

Emphasizes: The English-speaking Caribbean; the teaching and research programmes of the University.

Geographical coverage: All the West Indian islands, Bermuda, Guyana, French Guiana (Cayenne), Suriname and Belize and the Caribbean diaspora.

Includes: Books, pamphlets, theses, microforms and other material in the Humanities and Social Sciences.

West Indian periodicals in the Humanities and Social Sciences are held in the Periodicals Section of the Main Library. The periodical publications of West Indian governments in those disciplines are to be found in the Government Serials Section.

West Indian books, pamphlets, periodicals, government serials and other materials in the Medical and Natural Sciences are kept in the Medical and Science Branch Libraries respectively.

SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

Rare Book Collections: Old and rare books and pamphlets on the Caribbean. Old periodical titles e.g. Planters' Punch. Non-West Indian rare books and pamphlets.

Manuscript Collection: Diaries, estate journals, land transfers, letters, ships' logs on the West Indies, literary manuscripts.

West Indian Creative Writing
(XX Collection): Anthologies, novels, plays and poetry from the English-speaking Caribbean retained in a pristine state.

Special Editions: Limited numbered editions and reprints.

Private press publications.
Autographed copies of important works.

Microform Collections: Extensive collections of microfilm copies of :-

(i) Records of some settlers and civil servants from the 17th to the 19th centuries.
(ii) Family and plantation papers.
(iii) Government documents.
(iv) Out-of-print works, periodicals and newspapers.
(v) Theses on Caribbean topics.

University Collection: Material originating from the University of the West Indies and its staff, as well as material about the University.

Includes:
Monographs and articles written or edited by University staff.

Theses accepted by the University of the West Indies for higher degrees.

Publications by and about the University including newsletters, official publications, reports.
Photographic records of the activities of the University at Mona.

Newspaper clippings and other vertical file material.

Map Collections: Small collections of rare and recent maps of the Caribbean area.

Calendars, Postcards, Posters, Prints.

Audio-visual Collection: The Library has a growing collection of videocassettes and sound recordings. These may be accessed in the Audio-visual Room which is situated in the Elsa Goveia Reading Room. Requests and enquiries may be made at the WI & SC issue desk.

 CATALOGUES AND WEST INDIANA DATABASE

The Card Catalogue of books, pamphlets, manuscripts, maps, microforms is arranged in two sequences:

Author/Title and Subject

UWI Theses are listed in a separate card catalogue also by author/title and subject.

OPAC (Online Public Access Catalogue) lists all West Indian books, pamphlets, theses etc. catalogued since 1988. The card catalogues list all material catalogued before 1988. A project has been started to add to the OPAC earlier catalogued material. Uncatalogued material is listed in the Main author/title catalogue.

Readers should consult the Main author/title catalogue and the OPAC before coming to
WI & SC.

The West Indiana Database is an online index to articles found in non-West Indian journals, chapters from books, conference papers, offprints and pamphlets. It can be accessed through the Library’s web-page. URL: http://mona.uwi.edu/library/

USE OF MATERIAL

The stacks of the West Indies and Special Collections are closed to readers. Request slips must be completed, after which the material is fetched at regular intervals for the reader by Library staff.


Undergraduates are advised to use copies of West Indian material made available in the Reserved Book Collection (RBC).

Readers are responsible for items issued to them and should not leave material unattended or pass on such material to other users.

All items issued from WI&SC must be used in the Elsa Goveia Reading Room.

Material from the Collections may be photocopied with permission and in compliance with copyright regulations.

Readers using manuscripts, maps, photographs or theses are required to sit at designated tables.

Readers must not mark, deface or damage any book or other Library material. Please use pencils, when consulting material.

Please consult staff regarding any problems or questions relating to the Collections.


TREASURES FROM THE LIBRARY

Diaries and letters, for example, West Indian Journey, February 17 - June 10, 1944, the diary of Sir Raymond Priestley. The diarist records his experiences as a member of the Committee on Higher Education in the West Indies, which made recommendations concerning the establishment of the University College of the West Indies.

Literary manuscripts of Caribbean writers, of which the major holdings are the manuscripts of Michael Anthony, Erna Brodber, Wilson Harris, John Hearne, Orlando Patterson and Derek Walcott.
Photographs of the University of the West Indies including views from the 1950's which capture and document its early history and development; many are the work of Amador Packer, outstanding Jamaican photographer.

Prints include Album Pintoresco de la Isla Cuba, a rare and valuable volume of coloured prints depicting nineteenth century Cuba.

HOURS OF OPENING

MAIN LIBRARY, SCIENCE & MEDICAL BRANCH LIBRARIES

Semester:

Mon. - Fri.: 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Saturdays: 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Vacation:

Inter-Semester
Mon. - Fri.: 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Saturdays: 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon

Summer
Mon. - Fri.: 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Saturdays: 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon

Overnight Reading Room
Mon. – Fri. 10:00p.m. – 6:00a.m.
Saturdays: 4:30p.m (or noon*)- Monday 6:00a.m.

The Library is closed on Public and University Holidays throughout the year, on the Saturday during the Easter Weekend and before Independence Day, at noon* on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

2004