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 LUSIOLA CASTILLO Thank you for your dedication and service. 
Our Chief Librarian, Lusiola Castillo, was born in Orange Walk Town, Belize. She attended Muffles High School after which she relocated to Belize City in 1987 to begin her career at the ‘Belize Center for Environmental Studies (BCES).’ With little knowledge of libraries and book organization, she was tasked with organizing a roomful of books into a collection that would be easily accessible to researchers at the Centre. Unknowingly, her career as a librarian commenced at that time. In 1992, she moved from the BCES to the ‘Society for the Promotion of Education and Research (SPEAR)’ where she held the position of Resource Center Documentalist/Information Officer. The Centre held a collection of books on Belize, Central America, and the Caribbean, and the largest database in Belize, with over 5,000 entries. In 1997, she commenced her formal library studies through the distance education program at the University of the West Indies Center in Belize, and in 1998, she left for Jamaica to complete her studies in Library and Information Science at the University of the West Indies. After completing her studies in 2000, she joined the Belize National Library Service and Information System (BNLSIS), where she was appointed Librarian responsible for the Branch and Community Libraries in the North and West of Belize. In 2006, she was fully responsible for Belize's public libraries. During these formative years at the BNLSIS, she was an integral part of the Regional Project for Central American Libraries, contributing to personnel training, collection development, reading initiatives, outreach programs, and the development of the Central American Database between 2001 and 2008. In 2007, she participated in the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) and Caja de Compensación Familiar (COMFENALCO) Internship Program in Medellín, Colombia. She was exposed to the planning and management of library services, the development of guidelines and various work styles, reading promotion, Community Information Services, the promotion and dissemination of culture, the selection and processing of information, and strategic planning. In 2010, she was promoted to the post of Principal Librarian, responsible for the development of both the national and public libraries in Belize; she saw the long-term impact of the initiatives. In 2015, she was appointed Acting Chief Librarian and participated in the International Visitors Library Program in the USA. The Visitor’s Program was very educational and informative, highlighting the importance of culture in libraries. The month-long exchange program was a learning experience that allowed her to share and explore the many roles and functions of American libraries across the public, private, and academic settings. Through the programs offered by these libraries, the use of technology, participating in the best practices, she was given an opportunity to network with others in the profession both in the USA, Africa, and Asia. She was officially appointed to the post of Chief Librarian in 2016. Her appointment marked a turning point, as she became the first person from outside Belize City to hold the post of Chief Librarian. With the mission of the BNLSIS as her mandate, Lusiola focuses on ensuring that libraries remain relevant as local centers of information for ALL, providing library services on the basis of equal access regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, religion, nationality, language, social status, or any other characteristic. Adapting to new communication and technological access, as well as improving the e-services the library provides, assists in fulfilling the BNLSIS mandate and in improving the quality of life of the community it serves: —Providing public access spaces for production, sharing, and exchange of knowledge, information, and culture. —Creating and strengthening the reading habit in children and adults, while stimulating imagination, creativity, curiosity, and empathy. —Preserving local data, knowledge, and cultural heritage, including oral histories and traditions, by documenting, sharing, and providing access to these cultural expressions and heritage for posterity. —Always having the professional development and training of staff at the forefront to ensure the library service's growth, to facilitate the accomplishment of the BNLSIS mission.  Words from Lusiola: “Assisting in the development of Belize by providing informational, educational, and recreational services is a pleasure. Knowing that I contribute in a small way by helping patrons obtain the information they need, finding a book they would enjoy reading, and assisting them with their research, assignments, and homework is invigorating. Seeing children join in the pleasures of reading, youths expressing themselves, and seniors sharing their experiences and knowledge is fulfilling and gives me the willpower to advocate for library development, for continued reaching out to others who can benefit from the library's services, in the advancement of Belize's national and cultural development, and achieving the BNLSIS’ mandate. “As the Chief Librarian, I ensure that we build our Belize Collection nationwide by supporting our national authors by purchasing copies of their published books for our libraries. I also ensure that we support our authors and others in the arts by promoting their works and assisting them in book launches, book presentations, and readings at the libraries. We also acquire books and other related sources of information on Belize and its social, economic, and cultural development for our collection. We facilitate the issuance of ISBNs for the Caribbean through CARICOM and, as a tool to know what is being published in Belize, and, at the same time, enforce the legal deposit of materials at the National Heritage Library. “The BNLSIS has evolved with technology. Even though there is always room for growth, we are doing our best to keep up with the new trends and opportunities affecting the library world as in providing digital literacy at all levels and ensuring we have e-books and resources for Belize through full-text documents, journals, and other electronic databases. Libraries are dynamic and always evolving; ensuring they remain relevant in the society they serve is a priority. Being community-centered and embracing the community is a must to allow all Belizeans to come to the library for their educational development, for information to create and build on existing knowledge, to recreate and interact with the community through the various programs and activities we offer, and for the promotion of cultural development by sharing the various cultures of Belize in their different dimensions to the community for their knowledge, appreciation, and continuity. The promotion of more green activities and programs at the various libraries is ongoing and is important to ensure that we become self-sufficient and more accountable for our actions. These programs bring awareness of our environment, the need to protect and nurture it, and means to improve it. Implementing this awareness results in a better quality life for all. Among our future plans are: —Turton Library Center was donated to the Belize National Library Service and Information System (BNLSIS) by Roberto Turton for the sole purpose of a library. It is estimated that the building is over or close to a hundred years old. It is a wooden colonial building that needs to be restored and repaired to its former glory to continue housing the library at the center of Belize City. Project funds have not been secured at present. —The Leo Bradley Library, headquarters of the Belize National Library Service and Information System (BNLSIS), needs renovation and is under a project by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology (MoECST) and International Development Bank (IDB) which hopefully will commence this year. The building is 30 plus years and needs renovation. —Development of Community Library buildings to host community libraries now operating in classrooms, spaces in community buildings, old teachers' houses in school compounds, and other buildings not for library purposes. Libraries need to acquire more spaces for patrons to use for growth and for lifelong learning spaces. —More libraries promoting green initiatives and education for the promotion of recycling, conservation, and preservation of our environment, and self-development. —Technology upgrades for the libraries. “Belize is embracing libraries for cultural development, the acquisition of new learning skills, and the sharing of knowledge, experiences, and expertise. “On a personal level, I love reading, as it allows me to enter another realm through the author's eyes and thoughts, both in my professional life and especially for entertainment and growth. I enjoy photography, for it captures life and nature and allows one to relive once-in-a-lifetime moments. Gardening keeps me close to nature and grounds me, combining both art and science and providing me with physical health and mental well-being, allowing me to enjoy the beauty without the noise of the outside world.” Lusiola Castillo, Chief Librarian, Belize National Library Service and Information System (BNLSIS), Leo Bradley Library, Princess Margaret Drive, Belize City, Belize, 501-2234248 or 2234249, nls@btl.net https://www.bnlsis.org/ From Shelves to Screens BNLSIS @ 90 Enriching Minds One Page at a Time.  MoECST: Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology. EBSCO (Elton B. Stephens Company) is a division of EBSCO Industries Inc, a private company that provides products and services to libraries of many types around the world.  Newsletters Update. All our Newsletters are now archived at the Blog section of our website. Read these interesting and informative Newsletters: http://jabirubooksbelize.com If you know someone who would like to receive our monthly Newsletter, please have them go to CONTACT on our website and send us an e-mail. Please note that our monthly Newsletters are also published on our FaceBook page at: https://www.facebook.com/JabiruBooksBelize Thank you for forwarding and sharing this Newsletter. BOOKS WRITTEN BY DR. HENRY W. ANDERSON Add these great books to your personal library for your reading pleasure. They are available as e-books and printed books.  INFORMATION/LINKS Dr. Anderson books are available both as Print-on-Demand and E-Books at store.bookbaby.com (Recommended by Publishers). Please go to: https://store.bookbaby.com/profile/jabirubooksbelizecom Dr. Anderson’s books are available at the libraries of the Belize National Library Service and Information System. Search under Author: Henry W Anderson. Please go to: https://bnlsis.mlasolutions.com/m5/catalog/(S(tsaodaxofc2mvp3zhpl4wwt2))/Default.aspx?internal=1&installation=LeoBradley E-Books are available at other Retailers: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Vearsa, Kobo, OverDrive, Copia, Gardners Books, Baker & Taylor, eSentral, Scribd, Ciando, Hoopla, Playster, and many more. Print-on-Demand books are available at some of the Retailers listed. Please visit us at: https://www.facebook.com/JabiruBooksBelize Visit our website at http://jabirubooksbelize.com 
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