Lamu Fort Library: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 14:33, 14 January 2025

Latest revision as of 05:08, 18 May 2025

(13 intermediate revisions by 7 users not shown)

Line 6:

== History of the library ==

[[File:Lamu Fort.jpg|thumb|Lamu Fort]]

The library is a department of the Lamu Fort Museum.<ref, it is the only library in name="Lamu Fort"/>that serves the public. The fort was formally a prison; It is in a historic building that was built by the Sultan of Oman. Its history has made the library more attractive and notable by the researchers, it was then given to National Museum of Kenya in 1985. The [[Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency]] (S.I.D.A) assisted the National Museums of Kenya to convert the fort into a museum. In 1986 the library was officially reopened at the fort museum by Mr. K. Nordenskiöld, a former director of S.I.D.A on Tuesday 22 April 1986.<ref{{citation nameneeded|date="LamuJanuary Fort"/>2025}}

== Classification of library collection ==

The library uses the [[Dewey Decimal Classification|Dewey Decimal Classification system]] to classify its collection.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}<ref>https://www.britannica.com/science/Dewey-Decimal-Classification</ref> Lamu Fort Library is still using a [[Browne Issue System|Browne Charging system]] to lend books. The system uses cards to lend and retrieve books that were borrowed, the cards are arranged in a tray by date of return.<ref>{{citationCite web needed|datetitle=January[Solved] Arrange in sequence the steps of the Browne Charging System. |url=https://testbook.com/question-answer/arrange-in-sequence-the-steps-of-the-browne-chargi--659cebd52d7774f3163f9e04 |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=Testbook}}</ref> The library has about 10,000 items classified under Dewey Decimal Classification System and the catalogue uses the [[Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules (AACR, AACR2, AACR2R) |url=https://www.librarianshipstudies.com/2018/12/anglo-american-cataloguing-rules-aacr.html |access-date=2024-03-07}}</ref>

== Branch of the Lamu Fort Library ==

The Lamu Fort Library have donated over 2000 books to build up a library in Siyu Fort.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Siyu Fort – National Museums of Kenya |url=https://museums.or.ke/siyu-fort/ |access-date=2024-03-15 |language=en-US}}</ref> The library was started in 2020 with the assistance of the [[commons:File:Khadija_TwahirKhadija Twahir.jpg|Lamu Fort Librarian]].<!--https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q114353621--> The Library collection consists of donations from the Lamu Fort Library, the British Council, Macmillan, the National Museum of Kenya Resources Center and individual donors. The aim of setting up a library in [[Siyu]] is to boost the reading culture of Siyu Community and also to give the Siyu community access to information materials to students and Siyu community. The Fort is Located between Siyu Primary School and a hospital. The library collection is classified using the Dewey Decimal Classification and catalogued using Anglo American Cataloguing rules.

== Lamu Fort Library Sections ==

The Librarian had subdivided the library into Research, Archive, E-library and Maktaba Sanaa section, for easy retrieval of information.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}

=== Research section ===

The research section holds theses, projects, historical books, periodicals, bibliographies, and dissertations. The collection covers Lamu history, archaeology, anthropology and poetry. It includes many rare publications of popular Swahili writers such as: Professor Sheikh Nabhany,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jumbe |first=Ishaq |title=Kenya's Kiswahili guru Professor Ahmed Sheikh Nabhani is dead |url=https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2001230457/kenya-s-kiswahili-guru-professor-ahmed-sheikh-nabhani-is-dead |access-date=2024-03-06 |website=The Standard |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-07-05 |title=Sun sets on Ahmed Nabhany, one of Kenya's best Kiswahili literary and cultural icons |url=https://nation.africa/kenya/life-and-style/weekend/sun-sets-on-ahmed-nabhany-one-of-kenya-s-best-kiswahili-literary-and-cultural-icons-368144 |access-date=2024-03-06 |website=Nation |language=en}}</ref> Lamu Conservation books by Usam Ghaidan,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Usam Ghaidan - Academia.edu |url=https://independent.academia.edu/UsamGhaidan |access-date=2024-03-06 |website=independent.academia.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=GHAIDAN |first=Usam |url=https://www.amazon.com/Lamu-Study-Conservation-Usam-Ghaidan/dp/B001N3UPXK |title=Lamu: A study in conservation |date=1976-01-01 |publisher=East African Literature Bureau |edition=Prima edizione |language=English}}</ref> and Quest for the past : An historical guide to the Lamu Archipelago by Chrysee MacCasler Perry Martin and Esmond Bradley Martine,{{citation needed|date=January 2025}} Francesco Siravo and Ann Pulver, new research collections "in this fragile World"<ref>{{Citation |last=Mau |first=Ustadh Mahmoud |title=In This Fragile World: Swahili Poetry of Commitment by Ustadh Mahmoud Mau |date=2023-02-06 |work=In This Fragile World |url=https://brill.com/edcollbook-oa/title/62192 |access-date=2024-03-15 |publisher=Brill |language=en |isbn=978-90-04-52572-6}}</ref> a book edited by Clarissa Vierke and Annachiara Raia and many more.

Line 27 ⟶ 25:

=== Maktaba ya Sanaa Section ===

The [https://www.lamu-maktaba-ya-sanaa.com/ Lamu Maktaba ya Sanaa] section is the Library of Art section that was started in 2018. The section has collection of art books, zines, periodicals, art catalogues, magazines and many more. The section was made intentional to provide reference materials for the local and international artists.<ref>{{Cite web |title=LMYS – Lamu Maktaba Ya Sanaa |url=https://www.lamu-maktaba-ya-sanaa.com/ |access-date=2024-03-06 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Project – LMYS |url=https://www.lamu-maktaba-ya-sanaa.com/about-us/ |access-date=2024-03-06 |language=en}}</ref> Because of many art festivals that is organized in Lamu county<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lamu Art Festival – 30 Visual Artists from Europe and Africa |url=http://www.lamu-art-festival.org/ |access-date=2024-03-19 |language=en-GB}}</ref> the Lamu Fort Librarian<!--Q114353621--> and Ms. Karin Voogd<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lamu Painters Festival 2015 - Karin Voogd - Lamu, Kenya |url=http://www.lamupaintersfestival.org/painters-festival-2015/painters-2015/voogd/karin-voogd.php |access-date=2024-03-19 |website=www.lamupaintersfestival.org}}</ref> find the need to create the art section to assist local and international artists with art references Materials.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lamu Art Festival – 30 Visual Artists from Europe and Africa |url=http://www.lamu-art-festival.org/ |access-date=2024-03-07 |language=en-GB}}</ref> The first launching of the Maktaba ya sanaa project was done in Lamu during the Lamu Art festival by Hertbert in 2016, the second launch was done at Africa Studies center Library in Leiden University in Netherlands by Ms. Karin Voogd in 2017<ref>{{Cite web |title=Exhibition: Karin Voogd’sVoogd's Book Covers for a Library of the Arts in Lamu, Kenya {{!}} African Studies Centre Leiden |url=https://www.ascleiden.nl/news/exhibition-karin-voogds-book-covers-library-arts-lamu-kenya |access-date=2024-03-19 |website=www.ascleiden.nl}}</ref>

== Library Services ==