- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 24/Jul 06:33

Larger-than-life librarians

JEROME TEELUCKSINGH MY GOOD friend, Lloyd Kirton, was employed at the Alma Jordan Library at UWI, St Augustine. In July 2024, he was working on designing a poster for the launch of a book I co-edited. The poster was fantastic and appealing. I and my co-editor, Dr Allison Ramsay, missed him at the book launch and after the event we heard from his colleague that he was unwell. Unfortunately, we were never able to thank him. Lloyd passed away on July 27, 2024. Lloyd was employed at this library for 23 years. He was a familiar face at the library. His journey began in 2001 as a library attendant and for the next two decades he worked in various capacities including the Special Collections Division, circulation desk and West Indiana. The library staff are my second family where I and others feel valued and respected. For one year, Lloyd’s presence was missed at St Augustine because he was transferred to the nearby Medical Sciences Library in Mt Hope. He would return to continue his work at St Augustine. Lloyd had a trademark smile. It was smile that exuded warmth and friendliness. He occasionally told me of his other jobs – selling sno-cone and adventures as a maxi-taxi driver. Yes, he worked to ensure his family would be comfortable and happy. TT would be a better place if we had more Lloyds in schools, companies and party politics. If more people at universities had an unbiased mindset like Lloyd then there would be no discrimination in decisions of promotions, sabbaticals, appointments and hiring. Some see librarians as simply maintaining the organisation of collections, or shelving books. However, their roles are crucial and often overlooked. For the past 20 years, I have been visiting libraries chasing after journals, magazines, books and newspapers. In TT, I have interacted with the librarians at the NALIS branches in their community engagements, the Parliament, OWTU and St Andrew’s Theological College. Additionally, in the US I’ve been at the New York Public Library, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and West Dade Regional Library. In Canada I’ve been to public libraries in Ontario, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. And, in the UK, it was a joy to walk through the grand British Library in London and the Bodleian Library at Oxford University. These were not casual trips. They were part of my journey to complete postgraduate research. In my younger days, I made a brief visit to the library at Cheik Anta Diop University in Senegal, Africa. All had quality librarianship and I realised that these institutions are not merely information hubs. They are time capsules preserving information for future generations. The library is a storehouse of knowledge for the learned and unlearned. Libraries guard democracy and many have ensured there is intellectual freedom and little or no censorship. It’s a pity that some of our libraries are often underutilised and the library staff are unappreciated by the public. Artificial intelligence including ChatGPT has the potential to complement and not compete with the library. The integration of such technology is essential. What is common among all these libraries? Employed in each of these institutions are friendly, willing and co-operative staff. They were always helpful in finding resources for myself and other patrons. And eager to answer queries and provide advice. Lloyd was no different from the other librarians. He assisted with library events, provided technical support and helped library users with digital resources. However, he possessed a humility as he served with efficiency. He was always eager to assist me with photocopies, retrieving microfilm, newspapers and other resources. I was there at the funeral service held on August 5 at OP Allen Funeral Home in San Juan. I saw men crying for the loss of a brother, friend and relative. There were many tributes and all reflected a life that was caring and generous. A true family man. I stared in disbelief at Lloyd lying in the casket. It was the first time that I ever saw Lloyd’s face without a smile. Death erased another smile from TT and left a grieving widow and two young daughters. Yes, death continued to be the great silencer of happiness and joy; it brings tears and trauma. Countless libraries filled with thousands of books on death or the afterlife cannot fully prepare any of us for the arrival of that dreaded angel of death. Hopefully, one day I will visit my friend’s final resting place at the La Fillette Cemetery. The post Larger-than-life librarians appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.