As part of the Philipsburg Jubilee Library’s (PJL) Black History Month activities, Dwight Barran and Ans Koolen will be discussing the archives of Profiles of the Windward Islands on Wednesday, February 20 at 7:30pm.
Morenika Arrindell, Activity Manager of the Library, said that the archive is about 30 years old and contains rare footage of St. Maarten, St. Eustatius and Saba.
In 2011, Barran and Franklin Bryson, through the Barson Foundation, presented the library with episodes of Profiles of the Windwards Islands on DVD. Documentary maker, Barran, will be presenting on these episodes.
The digitized collection holds a wealth of information for researchers, students and curiosity-seekers who want to learn more about what the islands were like in the past decades. They contain images of hurricanes, interviews with many St. Maarten political leaders and artists, as well as the hoisting of the St. Maarten flag for the first time.
Through funding made possible by the Mondriaan Foundation in the Netherlands, the archive spanning some 3 decades of program was digitized.
Librarian Koolen, charged with the cataloging of the entire DVD collection for this project, will briefly discuss how the information was stored, how the information can be located by the public, and the rules for use.
"This archive will become a vital addition to the historical St. Maarten collection of the library,"Arrindell stated.
The general public is invited to attend this very informative event, on Wednesday, February 20 at 7:30pm in the library’s lobby. For more information please contact the Philipsburg Jubilee Library at 542-2970 or email us at pr@stmaartenlibrary.org.