Beyond words

Abstract

Ronald Cassar traces the origins and evolution of one of the major treasures of the Maltese Islands: The National Library. Often referred to as the ‘Bibliotheca’, it is situated in the heart of Valletta housing centuries of the nation’s knowledge and history ranging from books to manuscripts, maps, periodicals and journals. Even though its origins can be traced all the way back to the 1500’s, Cassar’s writing demonstrates how the Library’s future developments were directly influenced by the country’s political atmosphere (i.e: foreign occupations). With the first extensive collection donated by (Knight) Louis Guérin de Tencin, Grand Master Emmanuel de Rohan founded ‘Bibliothecha Publica’ in 1776. However, the premises in Valletta, designed by Polish-born Italian architect Stefano Ittar was inaugurated during the early years of British rule in 1812. In 1925, the repository became a legal deposit library (by Act no. II of 1925) imposing a law on all Maltese authors and editors to present a copy of their publications to create the leading Melitensia collection on the island. In 1976, with the opening of ‘Central Public Library’ in Floriana, the site in Valletta became the research and reference library now known as the ‘National Library of Malta’. Some of its most significant holdings include the Archives of the Order of St John transferred from the Public Registry. In 2009, the library embarked on their digitization journey to preserve and enhance the accessibility levels of their collections.