The Public Library Services was established under the Public Library Services Ordinance in 1974 to be the legal depository for all government annual and departmental publications, and any other publication published in the Virgin Islands. The Public Library Services evolved from being just one library established by Mr. T. D. Green in 1943 in the J.E.W. Georges building on lower Main Street, Road Town which also served as a Senior School, to deposit stations at schools on the various islands and presently to four established branch locations in East End on Tortola, on Virgin Gorda, Anegada, and on Jost Van Dyke.
Vision
The Public Library Services vision is to be the first stop for the territory’s information needs.
Mission
The mission of the Library Services Department of the British Virgin Islands is to provide globally competitive information through technology and various formats to meet the educational, historical, recreational and cultural needs of the general public of the British Virgin Islands.
Core Values
- To be recognized by government, private sector and the community as an important contributor to national development
- To be recognized as professional information providers
- To provide an environment which supports personal and professional development
- To be a reliable repository and access point for all BVI historical and cultural information
- To facilitate spread of knowledge and literacy
In 2013 and 2014, the Public Library of the Virgin Islands was the only library in the Caribbean to be nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, the world’s largest children's and young adult literary award. The award was established by the Swedish government in 2002 and the objective of the award is to promote interest in children’s and young people’s literature, and to strengthen children's rights globally. The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award is awarded annually for work of the highest quality to one or several recipients such as authors, illustrators, oral storytellers and those active in reading promotion.
