Madam President….
Rise in support of the Bill

Shocking that something that should be non controversial is being politicized.

Senator Foulkes knows full well the commitment of EVERY government of The Bahamas to a national library system. It is shocking to hear him rewrite history and mislead the Bahamian public…

Regret that it was not brought forward as planned during the 2002-2007 term

Important role in National Development and National Pride

Know the importance of community libraries ….see the G.K. Symonette Library Named after my grandmother and built by my father Sir Clement Maynard with the help and support of many people but particularly the people of Yellow Elder, his constituents.

It was named after my grandmother, a woman who believed in the importance of children reading and knowing their history. She wanted to ensure that mistakes of the past would not be repeated in the future.

Among other things, the Bill provides the legal framework for:

• Government to  provide the resources as will enable the Board to move to provide libraries, in the traditional sense in communities all over The Bahamas
• Government to provide the means by which Internet access and research capabilities are put in place in communities all over The Bahamas…
• Government to properly equip all school all over The Bahamas with Internet access so that students and after school students and parents can have access to computers and internet access

The WIPO project is not proceeding as left in place in May 2007 announced in June 2007 by the then AG in her contribution on the speech from the throne.
While on DRG, note the shameful manner in which national records are still being stored
A trip to DRG to research title to a document will carry a person to the Books in which history of title is recorded and might also carry a person to the Books in which birth records and marriage records are recorded
These are NATIONAL HISTORY BOOKS. NATIONAL TREASURES.
They are torn apart and thrown on the floor or tossed on shelves at DRG
Anywhere else in the world people would not be allowed to touch the original of records written in the 19th century!!!!
Hopefully these books will be restored and be put in the National Library.
In 2009 it is possible to electronically store the information in the books required for DRG purposes and that project should be expedited

Persons all over the world collect Bahamian art and music. We need to bolster our copyright law to encourage artists, authors, musicians and other nation builders whose creativity ought to be protected. Jimi Hendrix used to come to The Bahamas to listen to the guitar player, musical genius Joseph Spence in Andros. Blind Blake was a prolific music writer. Can you imagine the Royalties that they and their families would have collected had we moved to properly protect their musical genius? Hopefully the framework of this legislation will spur the necessary amendments to our copyright laws

We celebrate annually one of the most unique cultural festivals in the world, Junkanoo. Every year the celebration on each Island could and should be recorded in our national library system. Imagine and Treasure a collection of Junkanoo pictures and movies and videos since the early 1950s and before to today and into the future…imagine its impact on music and design and every other aspect of Junkanoo

History…(anniversary of Valley Boys and 20th anniversary of the Showtime Girls…)
o       Research
o       National Treasure
o       NOTE the PLP’s establishment of the National Junkanoo Corporation to bring State support and funding to all aspects of Junkanoo, this most important cultural festival.
o         Extraordinary privilege that we in The Bahamas have to know in a very personal way people who are pioneers and trailblazers. Hope that we’ll see in the 2009 Budget provision made for UOB students and others similarly interested to record the stories of these people.
o       This is a matter of utmost urgency.
o       We should sponsor and generously fund the taping interviews with people like

• The late Capt. Rollie Gray (Regattas and boat builders);
• Mr. Hansel Saunders in Bimini, a Master Boat Builder and community leader,
• Mr. Rafael Cartwright, a man with a very unique perspective about Long Island AND the Anglican Church,
• President Lyn Holowesko, Bahamas National Trust and a woman running for Parliament in the Family Islands in the 20th century,
• Capt. Fernley Palmer of the Boy’s Brigade,
• Mrs. Clarice Granger of the Girl Guides, who can also tell us about the late Rev Talmadge Sands (her father) and the late Dean William Granger (her husband) both important clergymen in our history,
• Commodore Leon Smith, the Defence Force
• Sir Albert Miller, the Police Force
• The Governor General, His Excellency the Honourable Arthur D. Hanna, their Excellencies the Honourable Sir Orville Turnquest and the Honourable Sir Arthur Foulkes and the Hon. Paul Adderley, all Founding Fathers in that they were framers of our Constitution…
• Mr. George Mosko, now the Patriarch of the Mosko family and a leader in the Greek Community about the important role of the Greek Community in The Bahamas

Imagine the power of  a voice recording or video recording with

• the late Rev. Lavinia Stewart would have been [EXPLAIN A LITTLE ABOUT HER – community leader, first woman ordained as a Baptist Minister, historian, longest serving Parliamentarian of the Baptist Convention
• the late Mr. Hubert Farrington about his commitment to classical ballet, other dance forms and yoga in The Bahamas and his accomplishments as a Dancer in the Metropolitan Opera, New York
• the late Mr. Clement Bethel, the first Director of Culture prolific composer and researcher of  all aspects the Junkanoo  art form
• the late Mr. Winston Saunders, lawyer, actor, playwright, director
• the late James Weldon Johnson, of Bahamian descent author of "Lift Every Voice and Sing"
• any of the late Captain Moxeys of Ragged Island, written about as persons who should be studied by true sailors as they can truly navigate by the stars
• the late Norman Solomon, entrepreneur, politician, raconteur, nation builder. Imagine his story about the City of Nassau Redevelopment Corporation. Imagine his statement about the PLP’s vision, in establishing of this Corporation. Imagine his dismay about the adverse effect of the Stop Review and Cancel policy on his considerable work effort.

Too many people who participated in what Dr. Doris Johnson called the Quiet Revolution have passed away with THEIR stories. We don’t need to wait for books to be written. We are from an oral tradition. We live in the YOU TUBE generation. Let us give to our unborn children the precious gift of a library (like the Library of Congress) filled with the oral autobiographies (personal statements) of nation builders. History will in any event give its own interpretation to their lives and stories. Let us record THEIR stories and THEIR unique perspectives

The examples are but a few examples of nation building activity that can be encouraged RIGHT NOW in EVERY community across The Bahamas. Right now. Right in the middle of a recession. Imagine in 50 years time what the story will be about the Bahamian spirit that yet again remained undaunted in a worldwide recession. A people whose spirit incited them to record our stories so that we and Bahamians yet unborn could never forget how blessed we are as a people and how precious is our birthright of a richly blessed and deeply talented people.

We have not been given information to suggest that any funding or any proper funding has been given to support the aims, objectives and possibilities that can arise from this Bill
o       Hope that funding will be generously put in place
o       Provision of funding could and should be included in any government stimulus package.
o       Sustainable jobs will be created
o       New environmentally clean industries will be created
o       The returns on the investment will be direct (in that persons can be charged for access to different levels of information)
o       The returns will also be indirect in terms of national pride, a sense of self and purpose, strong self esteem, flourishing research,  etc
o       We can incite and excite our youth to their greatest potential by showing them pictures and giving them stories of great people right here in The Bahamas, people who live in their neighbourhoods, people to whom they can relate
o         We can foreshadow a major and minor in Bahamian Studies at UOB just like our students major in African American studies at Colleges and Universities abroad
o         Our children will be interacting with others who are googling us rather than the other way around.
o         Our children will understand and treasure their proud heritage, God’s rich blessing upon The Bahamas and Bahamians and have easily accessible information to stand their ground and hold their heads high as other societies study Bahamians and emulate Bahamians

The point is that this Bill provides the opportunity to cement in a 21st century way access to information and by that means
o       Weather the recession
o       Build community spirit
o       Record community and national history in a very unique and personal way
o       Incite cultural development
o       Excite research and development
o       Encourage new economic development
o       And so much more.

I support the Bill and look forward to support generous funding  of its purposes in the 2009 Budget