La Horquetta Gets Public Library

As much as 5,000 households in the La Horquetta neighbourhood and surrounding communities will stand to benefit from the educational and social resources of the new La Horquetta Purpose Built Public Library. The National Library and Information System of Trinidad and Tobago (NALIS) and the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT) constructed the library through a $42 million Government investment in 17 months. According to Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Communications, Symon de Nobriga, this Library provides opportunities to empower young people, helping them to embrace a lifestyle that is productive. "When this administration as we are today builds and opens a library, we are building a future for our children. When we build a library, we are adding to the arsenal of tools available to the national community to combat the scourge of crime because that is not only a Ministry of National Security challenge." Minister of Youth Development and National Service and Member of Parliament for La Horquetta/Talparo, Foster Cummings, said a library is more than just a building filled with books as it provides access to knowledge, nurture curiosity, and foster innovation. "A library is a cornerstone of any thriving community, a place where dreams are inspired, skills are sharpened, and ideas come alive. But for many families in this community, it is absolutely difficult for a student to be able to get the environment they require to study and to pay attention to their work in the way that they should to be successful in their examinations." Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Camille Robinson-Regis, delivered remarks from the Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley. She said she continues to admire the advocacy for libraries by NALIS. "As we celebrate the opening of this library, let us remember its true significance. It is more than a building. It is a commitment to the people of La Horquetta/Talparo. It is a promise that every child, every elder, and every individual, no matter their challenges, has a place where they can learn, grow, and thrive." The two-storey La Horquetta Library is located on Slinger Francisco Boulevard, Phase 5, La Horquetta. It has an auditorium with 123 seats, a 90-seat amphitheatre, two NALIS stores, and commercial spaces for rent. It also houses a children's, young adult, and adult library, computer stations, a sick bay, two multi-functional rooms, and has 63 parking spaces.