The Brothers of Christian Instructions Haitian Library

üHistory

üCollection of documetns (newspapers, fiction, non-fiction, valuable + pics)

üBudget + Institutional Support

üNumber of visits

üEquipment and Services

üNew accomplishments since 2012

üDigitized documents

üTraining (Florida and National Archives)

üGoals

HISTORY ØThe Brothers of Christian Instruction’s Haitian library, is the second oldest library in the country. It was founded in Port-au-Prince in 1912 exclusively particular for its own students.

ØIt became a public library in 1920.

ØBHFIC operates on limited business hours due to lack of financial and human resources. Operations are Monday to Friday 9:00AM – 3:00PM. Our staff includes: an Executive Director, a Secreteray, a Technician in Digitization and an Office Clerk.

ØErnest Dion, the founder of BHFIC, decided to begin the historical documentation of Haiti’s history on the people, their culture and legislation, geography, flora, rich religious history, education and medicine.

ØLibrary has numerous collections of rare newspapers from the 19th century as well as the 20th and 21st centuries that can be accessed for research. Collection of documents (1)

ØThe BHFIC has nearly 10,000 documents. (this number does not include the newspapers that are over two hundred titles). The majority of the documents are about the pre- Columbian period, the Spanish occupation of Haiti (1492-1697), relations with Santo Domingo, the heroic struggles, the general revolt with heroes like Dessalines, Christophe, Petion, the official reports on the American occupation (1915 - 1934), complete collections of writers such as: Coriolan Ardouin, Thomas Madiou, Georges Corvington, Roger Gaillard, Leslie Manigat and many others.

ØFor Haitian literature, the library has more than 1,200 works of fiction, La Ronde, Haiti Littéraire et Sociale. Collection of documents(2)

ØIt is important to note “Le Temps”, a magazine of years 1932 – 1940 printed in 15 strong volumes, real mines of literary texts, biographies of writers and various analysis.

ØOur volumes of Haitian legislation, including 63 codes and 200 volumes of the “Moniteur” attract particularly students, professional or private individual looking for a law, decree or notice of divorce. Newpapers (1)

1) Haïti-Journal :1930 – 1970 (41 years) 2) L’Action Nationale :1936 – 1937 (2 ‘’) 3) L’Elan : 1935 (1 ‘’) 4) L’Essor : 1917 – 1927 (11 ‘’) 5) L’Humour : 1897 (1 ‘’) 6) L’Informateur haïtien : 1919 (1 ‘’) 7) L’Information : 1934 – 1935 (2 ‘’) 8) L’Opinion : 1935 – 1936 (2 ‘’) 9) L’Opinion nationale : 1861 – 1865; 1891 – 1893 (8 ‘’) 10) La Poste : 1922 – 1926 (5 ‘’) 11) La Presse : 1929 – 1931 (3 ‘’) Newspapers (2) 12) La Vérité : 1886 – 1889 ( 4 years) 13) Le Courrier du Soir : 1919 – 1921 (3 ‘’) 14) Le Courrier haïtien : 1920 – 1922 (3 ‘’) 15) Le Lien : 1928 – 1931 (3 ‘’) 16) Le Matin : 1907 – 1984, 2004 – 2013 (87 ’’) 17) Le Mouvement : 1935 – 1941 (7 ‘’) 18) Le Nouvelliste : 1899 until now (exc.1914) ( 115 ‘’) 19) Le Papyrus : 1933 – 1936 (4 ‘’) 20) Le Soir : 1899 – 1908 ( 10 ‘’) 21) Le Télégraphe, gazette officielle: 1821 – 1839 (19 ‘’) 22) Le Temps : 1922 – 1932 (11 ‘’) Collection Items ü Money/Currency: countless bank notes and coins (about two thousand) are stored in boxes. Many have no identificational documentation.

üPhotographs : photos of former presidents, politicians and other historic personnalities of the Haiti.

üCollection of stamps: more than a thousand stamps are stored in boxes.

üOther /Misc.: there are artifacts such as; swords, arms, macaroon of former presidents which are valuable museums collections. Budget

ØBHFIC has a budget of 1,000,000 (one million) gourdes per year. ( about $20.000 us) ØThe budget consist of all capital expenditures of the library including: painting, boxes of paper, cartridges for printers and copier, water, telephone and internet subscription, antivirus for computers, equipment for cleaning, and unexpected (light bulbs or toilet repair, grilled fan to replace ...), staff salaries and purchases of new books. ØBHFIC’s budget in unable to cover all the costs. Funding remains a challenge for the library. Help from other institutions •Unibank : Since 1997, Unibank provides us with a monthly grant of 2,500 G. ($55 us). After the earthquake in 2010, the subvention increased to 4,000 gourdes. ($ 90 us). •Fokal : In 1998, Fokal provided assistance in the amount of 60,000 G ($1.300 us) and after the earthquake of 2010, $ 10,000 to repair the library. In summer 2013, they paid the training in Florida for one of our employees. •National Archives: In the summer 2013, the National Archives has agreed to pay for training for one of our employees. •C3 Editions: Since 2013, “Editions C3 regularly” sends us their new published titles. •Others : Authors and researchers bring us new titles that expand our holdings.

Total visits: Library Usage 960 Sept 2012 – June 2013 200

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0 Library Usage Total Visits: 1.227 Sept 2013 – May 2014

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150

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0 Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb March April May Equipment and Services Equipment •3 desktops •1 laptop •1 small scanner (8.5’’ x 11’’) •1 photocopier • 1 scanner for newspaper / big format (from dLOC)

Services •Consultation on site •Photocopy •Scan 2012-2014 New Accomplishments 1. Mail address : [email protected] 2. BHFIC logo 3. Facebook page : BHFIC 4. Piece of furniture for the new books 5. New stands for books and newspapers 6. Register of grievances ( to know about researchers feelings) 7. Laminated members cards 8. Water for employees 9. Flower pots 10. New employee (Jan 2013) 11. Phone number (+509 3770 9642) 12. Office identified with the name of the library 13. Air conditioning in the Executive Director’s office 14. Security cameras 15. Fire extinguisher 16. New room for digitization Digitized documents ü Small documents : 197 GB üBooks üLes Bigailles :1901 üHaïti Littéraire et scientifique : 1912 üHaïti Littéraire et sociale : 1905 üLa Ronde :1898 üZobope :1944

ü Newpapers : 500 GB Haïti Journal: 5 years – from 1940 to 1945. Employers’ training üFlorida summer 2011: Training on digitization in partnership with dLOC.

üFlorida summer 2013: Training on Advanced topics, large format materials with dLOC.

üNational Archives (Haïti) november 2013: In partership with dLOC, in the National Archives, we participate in a training based on digitization of big format. Goals 1. Digitization 3. Access to the database ü Camera + Lamps ü Ncomputing ü Computer ü Separate computers ü New employee ü Salary 4. Fair that lasts one year

2. New conference room 5. BHFIC on line ü Chairs (50) ü Table ü Projector ü White board ü Air conditioning ü Conference stand Reading room

Pre- columbian stones

Equipment for digitization Stamps

Swords

Money Marie-France GUILLAUME Executive Director +50936025420 duffrance@gmail. 180, Rue du Centre Port-au-Prince / Haïti Tel.: +509 3770 9642 P.B.: 1758 Facebook: BHFIC