The College of The Bahamas came one step closer to the realisation of a 10-year dream on Thursday when it broke ground for a multi-million dollar state-of-the-art Library and Information Centre.
It will be named after the late Harry C. Moore, the former chairman of the Lyford Cay Foundation and former member of the College of The Bahamas Council.
He was hailed as a friend of the academic institution who tirelessly promoted the Library Project, persuading members of the Foundation and friends to contribute.
He has been recognised for his tremendous influence, generosity and determination to fight prejudice by creating educational opportunities for Bahamians.
The ceremony was attended by: Catholic Archbishop Patrick Pinder; retired Governor-General Sir Orville Turnquest; Minister of Foreign Affairs and Public Service Fred Mitchell; Minister of Public Works and Utilities Bradley Roberts; Lady Marguerite Pindling; former COB presidents Dr Keva Bethel and Dr Leon Higgs.
The estimated $12 million facility will be located on 60,000 square feet of land acquired by COB on Tucker Road. The construction of the Harry C. Moore Library and Information Centre will be conducted in four phases – Phase I will encompass the strengthening of Tucker Road; Phase II involves the development of the 250-space car park; Phase II includes the building construction and Phase IV will deal with landscaping.
The four-storey structure will accommodate about 1,000 users, allow for doubling holdings from 70,000 volumes to 150,000 volumes and will contain the technology and other amenities, serving a dual role as the national library of The Bahamas, housing the growing Bahamian and special collections, such as the papers of former Prime Minister, the late Sir Lynden Pindling (the Pindling Room); those of Sir Roland Symonette, the Rt. Hon. Hubert Ingraham, and eventually those of Prime Minister Perry Christie.
The Library and Information Centre will also be a depository for government documents and resources, including those from the United Nations and other such agencies as the International Labour Organisation, World Trade Organisation, The Commonwealth Science Council, regional Caribbean trade and labour organisations.
COB president Dr Rodney Smith said the Centre will reflect the need to assimilate the functions normally associated with a country’s library, thus creating an even richer resource base for developing the country’s professional and skilled workforce.
“This facility will signal to the nation and the rest of the world that The Bahamas was recognising its obligation and its role as both a nation builder and global contributor to the world’s bank of intellect through enhanced teaching, research and service,” Dr Smith said.
Monique Moore, wife of Mr Moore, said she was proud that her husband’s “last and most ambitious project” was finally becoming a reality. She said the library, the heart of every successful academic institution, would provide the lifeblood for generation of Bahamian students at COB to nurture their potential for intellectual growth.
Accordingly, Attorney General and Minister of Education, Alfred Sears, expressed pleasure that the college chose to honour the life and work of Mr Moore. He said the facility would be a fitting tribute to a man who used his retirement years to give full expression to his philanthropic nature and his love for The Bahamas.
Mr Moore served on the 1993 National Task Force on Education as a member of the committee to review the financing of education in the country. The Lyford Cay Foundation, however, was the principal means by which he used his formidable skills in fundraising; scholarships and community grant programmes to promote educational excellence in The Bahamas and to improve the number of Bahamians who had access to post-secondary education.
Mr Moore’s philanthropy has been recognised by the Government of The Bahamas, by awarding him Queen’s Honour, Honourary Commander of the British Empire in 1996. In June 1997, the Rotary Club of Southeast Nassau awarded him the Paul Harris Fellowship, and in 1998, he received the Eugene Abrams Award for Volunteer Service from the Geneva-based Organisation American Citizens Abroad. In 2003, the CEO Network awarded him the Philanthropist Award for “Years of altruistic work that has afforded countless Bahamian youngsters opportunities for higher learning.”
The Harry C Moore Library and Information Centre will replace the existing 10,032 square-foot library structure. From its inception the library was operating at maximum capacity with little room for growth of collections, functions, user space and infrastructure for expansion of technology.
It is said by COB that by the turn of the century, COB had realised significant growth in programme offerings and student enrolment, creating even stronger demand on severely limited resources. In the mid-1990’s COB began a planned evolution to university, and it was understood that the new status would demand a concomitant increase in the library’s holdings.
The groundbreaking ceremony comes at a time when the College is seeking to become a university by the Fall of 2007.
By KEVA LIGHTBOURNE, Nassau Guardian Staff Reporter
