Tuvalu National Library and Archives
Encyclopedia
The Tuvalu National Library and Archives (TNLA) is the national library
of Tuvalu
. It is located in Funafuti
.
administration, as well as Tuvalu government archives.
The library's archives have been described as "comparatively well housed" but "endangered [...] through frequent and heavy use and [...] through risk of being washed away in a cyclone-prone area. Environmental and handling damage is occurring to key customary records". This has resulted in a project to microfilm and digitally copy the archives.
National library
A national library is a library specifically established by the government of a country to serve as the preeminent repository of information for that country. Unlike public libraries, these rarely allow citizens to borrow books...
of Tuvalu
Tuvalu
Tuvalu , formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia. Its nearest neighbours are Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa and Fiji. It comprises four reef islands and five true atolls...
. It is located in Funafuti
Funafuti
Funafuti is an atoll that forms the capital of the island nation of Tuvalu. It has a population of 4,492 , making it the most populated atoll in the country. It is a narrow sweep of land between 20 and 400 metres wide, encircling a large lagoon 18 km long and 14 km wide, with a surface of...
.
Role and facilities
The TNLA holds "vital documentation on the cultural, social and political heritage of Tuvalu", including surviving records from the colonialGilbert and Ellice Islands
The Gilbert and Ellice Islands were a British protectorate from 1892 and colony from 1916 until 1 January 1976, when the islands were divided into two different colonies which became independent nations shortly after...
administration, as well as Tuvalu government archives.
The library's archives have been described as "comparatively well housed" but "endangered [...] through frequent and heavy use and [...] through risk of being washed away in a cyclone-prone area. Environmental and handling damage is occurring to key customary records". This has resulted in a project to microfilm and digitally copy the archives.
National Librarian and Archivist
Mila Tulimanu, of the Ministry of Education and Culture, serves as National Librarian and Archivist.External links
- Image of the National Library building, on the British LibraryBritish LibraryThe British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
website