National Library of Jamaica, National library in Kingston, Jamaica
The National Library of Jamaica is a government institution in Kingston housing books, manuscripts, maps, and audiovisual materials in a large building on East Street. The collection includes research materials, digital databases, and photographs spanning different periods of the country's history.
The institution began in 1979 when the West India Reference Library collection was transferred and reorganized under the Institute of Jamaica Act from 1978. This foundation established its role as a major keeper of the nation's documentary heritage.
The library's holdings cover publications created in Jamaica and abroad, gathered to document the island and its people. Its collections include newspapers, photographs, posters, calendars, prints, postcards and event programmes alongside books and manuscripts. The West India Reference Library, begun by Frank Cundall in 1894, formed the core of these holdings.
Visitors can use reading rooms, access digital databases, and make photocopies, but materials cannot leave the building. Planning your visit in advance and knowing what collection you want to explore makes the experience more rewarding.
The library grew out of the West India Reference Library, started by Frank Cundall in 1894, and became a national institution only in 1979 under the Institute of Jamaica Act of 1978. Its holdings range from books and manuscripts to maps, films, photographs, postcards and event programmes, all kept for research and study rather than lending.
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