COLUMBUS MEMORIAL LIBRARY

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE WORLD DIGITAL LIBRARY: WORLD DIGITAL LIBRARY: CARIBBEAN COLLECTIONCARIBBEAN COLLECTION

WDL AGREEMENT SIGNINGWDL AGREEMENT SIGNING                                                 

PRESS RELEASEPRESS RELEASEOAS JOINS WITH LIBRARY OF CONGRESS ON WORLD DIGITAL LIBRARY ENDEAVOR September 12, 2008

The Organization of American States (OAS) has agreed to join with the Library of Congress in developing the World Digital Library, which will open to the public at its formal launch in Paris next year.

Secretary General José Miguel Insulza signed the “Contributor Agreement” with Librarian of Congress, Dr. James Billington, at an OAS headquarters ceremony Thursday.

Under the agreement, the OAS’ Columbus Memorial Library will collaborate on the global library project, whose main objectives include promoting international and intercultural understanding and awareness; providing resources to educators; expanding non-English and non-Western content on the Internet; and contributing to scholarly research.

Insulza welcomed the opportunity for OAS partnership in the historic venture, remarking: “We are extremely proud that the Columbus Memorial Library will become a partner in this project, contributing unique materials from the Americas towards the objectives of the World Digital Library as it develops to promote international and inter cultural understanding and awareness.”…

Dr. Billington, meanwhile, welcomed the OAS’ important partnership that will contribute content representing 35 Member States. He also made special mention of the OAS’ contribution of language expertise to this endeavor that will operate in seven languages, including the Western Hemisphere body’s official languages—Spanish, French, Portuguese and English.

“Working with the OAS sends an important signal to cultural institutions in all the countries of the Western Hemisphere about cooperation in this project,” the Librarian of Congress added, in outlining the history of the initiative which so far has enlisted a number of national libraries and cultural institutions worldwide. Billington said the World Digital Library seeks “to bring people together by collecting information about different cultures, in a single global undertaking.”

• The Organization of American States (OAS) is the world’s oldest regional organization, dating back to the First International Conference of American States, held in Washington, D.C. from October 1889 to April 1890.

• The OAS was established to achieve among its member states, “an order of peace and justice, to promote their solidarity, to strengthen their collaboration, and to defend their sovereignty, their territorial integrity, and their independence.”

• Today it comprises the 35 independent states of the Americas and has granted permanent observer status to 63 states, as well as to the European Union.

• The OAS uses a four-pronged approach to effectively implement its essential purposes, based on its pillars: democracy, human rights, security, and development.

OAS HISTORY AND OVERVIEWOAS HISTORY AND OVERVIEW

COLUMBUS COLUMBUS MEMORIALMEMORIAL LIBRARY LIBRARY

Ambassador, Carlos Martinez Silva,Delegate from Colombia, suggested “…the

establishment in Washington of a memorial Library, to which each government could send, on its own account, the most complete collection possible of historical, literary and geographical works, laws, official reports, maps, etc., so that the results of

intellectual and scientific labor in all America might be collected together under a single roof…

On April 18, 1890 the delegates to the First International Conference of the American States determined a Library would be a fitting memorial of the first gathering of representatives from the American Nations.

CML HISTORYCML HISTORY

The Cornerstone of the The Cornerstone of the Inter-American SystemInter-American System

COLUMBUS MEMORIAL LIBRARYCOLUMBUS MEMORIAL LIBRARY

• The Columbus Memorial Library houses the world's most complete collection of unique photographs, maps, commemorative stamps, archives, and records documenting the history of the Organization of American States from 1889 to the present. The extensive collection of books and periodicals date back to 1535.

• Today the CML is responsible for the Archives and Records Management Program of the OAS General Secretariat, and for preserving and indexing the OAS official documents, as well as carrying out the functions of a traditional library.

• The Columbus Memorial Library serves the staff of the OAS General Secretariat, Permanent Missions and Permanent Observer Missions to the OAS, Embassies and researchers throughout this hemisphere and the world.

CML OVERVIEWCML OVERVIEW

COLUMBUS COLUMBUS MEMORIALMEMORIAL LIBRARY LIBRARY

Highlights of CML CollectionHighlights of CML CollectionThe Library’s Collection contains hundreds of documents, photographs, maps, magazines and rare books from, or relating to, the Caribbean Region.

DOCUMENTS AND RARE BOOKSDOCUMENTS AND RARE BOOKS

All Protocolary and Extraordinary Sessions

1968-20011968• Visit of his Exc. Mr. Errol

Walton Barrow, Prime Minister of Barbados (September 12th) OEA/Ser.G/II C-a-680

2001• Visit of his Exc. Mr. Ralph E.

Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (October 3rd) OEA/Ser.G CP/Act 1295/01

The CML Collection contains historical documents and rare books including:

•The History, civil and commercial, of the British Colonies in the West Indies. By Bryan Edwards (1806)

•Historie Générale des Isles de S. Christophe, de la Gvadelovpe, de la Martinique, et avtres dans l’Amérique. By Jean Baptiste Dutertre (1654)

PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTIONPHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION COUNTRIES INCLUDE:

•ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA•BAHAMAS•BARBADOS•DOMINICA•GRENADA•GUYANA•HAITI•JAMAICA•SURINAME•TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Photographs include panoramas, people, street scenes, parks and plazas, churches, monuments, education, topography, transportation, political leaders and much more.

PHOTOGRAPHS cont.PHOTOGRAPHS cont.

EXAMPLES OF METADATAEXAMPLES OF METADATA

Photographer: Rudin, James R. Date Created: 1974 Place: Latin America & the Caribbean > Grenada Time: 1950 AD - 2010 AD Topic: Social sciences >

Social problems & social services > Other social problems & services > Social sciences > Customs, etiquette & folklore

Additional Subjects: Parades and processions ; Police

Type of Item: Prints, Photographs Physical Description: 8 x 10; black & white photo Institution: Columbus Memorial Library,

Organization of American States

Title: INDEPENDENCE DAYINDEPENDENCE DAY

Description: This photograph shows a parade of police in ceremonial dress on February 7, 1974, Grenada's Independence Day. The photograph is from the collection of the Columbus Memorial Library of the Organization of American States (OAS), which includes 45,000 photographs illustrative of life and culture in the Americas. Many of the photographs were taken by prominent photographers on OAS missions to member countries. The OAS was established in April 1948 when 21 countries of the western hemisphere adopted the OAS Charter, in which they reaffirmed their commitment to the pursuit of common goals and respect for each other’s sovereignty. Since then, the OAS has expanded to include the countries of the English-speaking Caribbean as well as Canada. The predecessor organization to the OAS was the Pan American Union, founded in 1910, which in turn grew out of the International Union of American Republics, established at the First International Conference of American States.

EXAMPLES OF METADATAEXAMPLES OF METADATATitle: WOMEN DOING LAUNDRY WOMEN DOING LAUNDRY Description:

This photograph from St. Lucia shows an everyday scene with women and children. The photograph is from the collection of the Columbus Memorial Library of the Organization of American States (OAS), which includes 45,000 photographs illustrative of life and culture in the Americas. Many of the photographs were taken by prominent photographers on OAS missions to member countries.

The OAS was established in April 1948 when 21 countries of the western hemisphere adopted the OAS Charter, in which they reaffirmed their commitment to the pursuit of common goals and respect for each other’s sovereignty. Since then, the OAS has expanded to include the countries of the English-speaking Caribbean as well as Canada. The predecessor organization to the OAS was the Pan American Union, founded in 1910, which in turn grew out of the International Union of American Republics, established at the First International Conference of American States in 1889-90.

Date Created: 1985 Publication Information: Organization of American States, St. Lucia Place: Latin America and the Caribbean > Saint Lucia Time: 1950 AD - 2010 AD Topic: Technology > Home & family management > Housekeeping > History of North America Additional Subjects: Laundry ; Women Type of Item: Prints, Photographs Physical Description: 8 x 10 inches; black and white photograph

A small sample of the many maps that comprise the CML Collection:

• Map of the Caribbean Sea – including the North Coast of South America and the West Indies/ Richard Mayer, New York, 1919.

• The Countries of the Caribbean – including Mexico, Central America, the West Indies and the Panama Canal / National Geographic Society, 1922.

• West Indies Islands – and the approaches to the Panama Canal / George Philip and Son Ltd. The London Geographical Institute

• West Indies – showing sovereignty of the various islands/ Prepared by Military Intelligence Division, General Staff, US. Army

• West Indies, Central America / A. Petermann, Gotha, Justus Perthes, from Stieler’s Hand-Atlas, n.82, 1889

• West Indies – Island of Haiti with Windward and Mona Passages / US Navy Hydrographic Office 1915

MAPS OF THE CARIBBEANMAPS OF THE CARIBBEAN

MAPS OF THE CARIBBEAN cont.MAPS OF THE CARIBBEAN cont.8) West Indies – Island of Haiti - North Coast of Haiti and Santo

Domingo / US Navy Hydrographic Office 19079) West Indies – Island of Haiti - South Coast of Haiti and Dominican

Republic / US Navy Hydrographic Office 191210) West Indies – Island of Haiti - North Coast of Haiti and Dominican

Republic/ Mont Christi to Tortuga Island - US Navy Hydrographic Office 1912

11) Map of the Island of Haiti including the republics of Haiti and Santo Domingo US Army Mil. Intel.Division ca. 1921

12) Mole St. Nicolas – Haiti and Santo Domingo / Second (Military Information) Division, General Staff. 1908

13) Jeremie– Haiti and Santo Domingo / Second (Military Information) Division, General Staff. 1908

14) Monte Christi– Haiti and Santo Domingo / Second (Military Information) Division, General Staff. 1907

COLUMBUS COLUMBUS MEMORIALMEMORIAL LIBRARY LIBRARY

CML Website

www.oas.org/columbus

Available information:

•Online Catalogue

http://cmlcatalog.oas.org

Challenges in Digital Library AreaChallenges in Digital Library Area

Problems Include:

•Lack of Funds•Lack of Available Staff

COLUMBUS COLUMBUS MEMORIALMEMORIAL LIBRARY LIBRARY

Beverly Wharton-Beverly Wharton-LakeLake

Chief Librarian