The World of Marine Information for Everyone: The National Aquarium of Cuba/Acuario Nacional de Cuba (ANC)
| Pages | 10-12 |
| Published date | 12 June 2007 |
| Date | 12 June 2007 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/07419050710780344 |
| Author | Marisol Ramos,María de los Ángeles Ginori Gilkes |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science |
The World of Marine Information for Everyone:
The National Aquarium of Cuba/Acuario
Nacional de Cuba (ANC)
Marisol Ramos and Marı´a de los A
´ngeles Ginori Gilkes
10 LIBRARY HITECH NEWS Number 5 2007, pp. 10-12, #Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 0741-9058, DOI 10.1108/07419050710780344
It is rare to find a library in an
aquarium that is not only open to the
staff but also to the public. The Acuario
Nacional de Cuba (The National
Aquarium of Cuba) (ANC) is one of
such places. Founded in the 1960s,
the aquarium mission has been to
be a scientific center specializing on
research, environmental education, and
to promote the knowledge of Cuban
marine, flora, fauna, and ecology. In
1994, the current librarian, Marı´a de Los
Angeles Ginori had the opportunity to
inaugurate at Library at the Acuario
Nacional de Cuba. Marı´a de Los A
´ngeles
has been involved with the area of
marine techno-scientific research since
1996 and before that became a librarian
in 1992. Currently, she is the Cuban
contributor to Aquatic Science and
Fisheries Abstracts and the UNESCO
project Ocean Portal/Portal Ocea´nico.
I met Marı´a de Los Angeles two
years ago (2005) when I visited Cuba
for the first time. The library director of
the Ministry of Fisheries, Enma
Fonseca, put together a panel of fellow
librarians in the marine sciences and
other local research centers and
departments, and Marı´a did a
presentation about her work at her
aquarium library. Even though I did not
have time to visit her library then, I
promised her that I will stop by
during my next visit. This article was
born while conversing together during
my visit to her beautiful aquarium last
March of 2007. Since we both are
aquarium librarians, (I worked at
the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, in
Los Angeles, CA) we felt an instant
connection which facilitated writing
this piece.
The ANC’s library works just like a
public or university library. It selects,
acquires, processes, stores, promotes,
and gives access to the public
information and resources related to the
marine environment in Cuba, with an
emphasis on the study of aquariums,
marine ecology, Caribbean ichthyology,
marine mammals, and environmental
education, plus popular and lay
information on marine topics. Although
of modest size, the library has the basic
elements needed to offer good library
service, such as a reading room, an
office, and storage. The library holdings,
although small, are quite varied and
intend to offers materials for all ages and
type of research. Right now we have
900 books (for specialists, children, and
the general public), 80 serials, 200
newsletters, 150 compact discs, 150
VHS videos, 2,000 slides, 1,100
photographs, 100 scientific and
educational posters, and 500 color plates
of marine fishes.
The library offers the following
services to everyone: Online access
through their bilingual website at
www.acuarionacional.cu/biblioteca.htm,
a Reading Room open to the public,
borrowing services, interlibrary loans,
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