In Jamaica, librarian to lead the Association of Seventh-day Adventist Librarians

September 2, 2014 | Mandeville, Jamaica | Nigel Coke/IAD

Career Librarian and Director of Library Services at Northern Caribbean University (NCU) Grace Carr-Benjamin, M.L.I.S., was recently elected president of the Association of Seventh-day Adventist Librarians (ASDAL) during a meeting held in the United States.

Grace Carr-Benjamin was elected to serve as president of the Association of Seventh-day Adventist Librarians. Image by Nigel Coke/IAD

The ASDAL is an organization for individuals interested in Seventh-day Adventist librarianship. The association was established in 1981 to enhance communication between Seventh-day Adventist librarians and to promote librarianship and library services to church institutions.
Carr-Benjamin represents Inter-America’s chapter among the other three in Africa, Europe and South America.

“I feel elated on the election,” said Carr-Benjamin. “It is my desire to heighten the awareness of the value of being a member of the association by Seventh-day Librarians who are not currently working for the Church, but who are in other non-Seventh-day Adventist Universities and Institutions.”

As custodian of information resources, a university library serves to support the mission of the institution through its various services, which strengthen the teaching and learning agenda, explained Carr-Benjamin. “The benefits of the NCU library, being a member of the ASDAL will bring more attention to the issues of Adventist educational institutions and libraries of Latin American and the Caribbean.”

As it stands NCU is the only Caribbean institution that has membership in ASDAL, according to Carr-Benjamin. “NCU, through the Hiram S. Walters Resource Center, gives Jamaica and the rest of Inter-America, a voice at an international level,” she added.

Carr-Benjamin, who was the all-island Boss of the year for 2010-11, will serve as president for the year 2015-16 and serve on the executive board until 2016-17.
In commenting on Carr-Benjamin’s election, Dr. Trevor Gardner, NCU president said “her contribution towards management in library services is well known in Jamaica and the Caribbean. However, to be voted by this internationally recognized body speaks to her professional and personal integrity.”

Grace Carr-Benjamin has been the director of library services at the Hiram S. Walters Resource Center at NCU since December 2007 and serves in various capacities on various local library committees.

For more information on the Association of Seventh-day Adventist Librarians, visit asdal.org