Cayman’s public libraries are a great place to inspire your child to read and to encourage their love for books. We've produced a list of all of the public libraries in the Cayman Islands, so that you have loads of options for your bookworms to choose from, plus we list the educational programmes they run.
Cayman’s public libraries (CIPLS) boast a fully-accessible book collection for both adults and children, as well as a comprehensive e-book collection. Children who are confident readers can take part in their annual Summer Reading Programme. Visit www.cipl.gov.ky or the CIPLS Facebook page for more information on such programmes and events.
Library cards are free for children (up to the age of 17), and CI$5 a year for adults.
The public libraries in the Cayman Islands are as follows:
- George Town Public Library, 68 Edward Street, Tel: (345) 949 5159. They are open: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 10am-6pm, Thursday 10am-7.30pm and Saturday 10am-2pm.
- Bodden Town Public Library, 69 Bodden Town Road, Bodden Town, Tel: (345) 947 0966. They are open: Monday to Friday 10am-1pm and 2pm-6pm (closed 1-2pm), Saturday 10am-2pm.
- East End Public Library, 2739 Sea View Road, East End, Tel: (345) 947 7729. They are open: Monday-Friday 10am-1pm and 2pm-6pm (closed 1-2pm, Saturday 10am-2pm.
- North Side Library, 891 North Side Road, North Side, Tel: (345) 947 9362. They are open: Monday-Friday 10am-1pm and 2pm-6pm (closed 1-2pm), Saturday 10am-2pm.
- West Bay Public Library, 182 Reverend Blackman Road, West Bay, Tel: (345) 949 7659. They are open: Monday-Friday 10am-1pm and 2pm-6pm (closed 1-2pm), Saturday 10am-2pm.
- Cayman Brac Public Library,
263B Stake Bay Road, Cayman Brac, Tel: (345) 948 0472. They are
open: Monday-Friday 10am-1pm and 2pm-6pm, Saturday 10am-2pm.
- UCCI Library, located at the University College of the Cayman Islands, Tel: (345) 623 0563. Opening hours during term time: Monday-Thursday 8am-9pm, Friday 8am-4pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am-5pm. In the holidays they are open Monday-Thursday 8am-4.30pm and Fridays 8am-4pm. They are closed at the weekends in the school holidays. They are also closed for all Public Holidays. The library is primarily geared towards academia. However, it does offer some recreational reading material with a broad range of current periodicals and journals. for more information please contact Mrs. Lucille Kong at (345) 623 0563 or email: lkong@ucci.edu.ky.
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMES AT YOUR LIBRARY
The Cayman Islands Public Library Service (CIPLS) proudly hosts an assortment of educational programmes that consider the needs of different age groups, different backgrounds and each local district. Below are some of the services offered to the local community.
Play, Read, Learn!
This library-based programme is for children between the ages of 3-5 with a parent or caregiver present, at the West Bay and North Side public libraries. Days and times vary; contact the George Town Library on Tel: (345) 949 5159 for details.
Family Rhyme Time
The George Town Public Library host a weekly programme called Family Rhyme Time which is aimed at newborns to two-year olds. Infants and their parents spend time together singing different nursery rhymes and songs which helps with language acquisition and help with speech development. The sessions are held at 10.30am every Thursday for 30 minutes and the idea is that parents will then continue the singing and rhymes at home.
Summer Reading Challenge
Runs July 1st through August 31st, at all library locations. The challenge is geared toward school-aged readers as a means of developing a childhood enjoyment of reading and promoting continued reading and learning throughout the summer holidays.
Saturday Chess
Free chess sessions, hosted by the Cayman Chess Federation, are held every Saturday at the George Town Library, 11am-12pm, and are designed to introduce beginners to the game, and help intermediate players develop their skills. It is open to children of all ages but a parent or caregiver must be in attendance.
Computer Basics
One-day introduction to computers classes are offered at all six library branches; they cover basic computer skills and are free to all participants. The curriculum is designed for seniors and first-time computer users. Contact your local library branch directly for more details on course dates.
Music at the Library
The Cayman Arts Festival and the CIPLS proudly present monthly one-hour concerts at the George Town Public Library, which includes classical music, in addition to poetry and readings from local poets and writers.
ALTERNATIVE RESOURCES
In addition to Public Libraries, there are a number of alternative educational resources available to children and adults across Grand Cayman:
School Libraries
All schools across the Island are equipped with a school library or student media centre, and the students' weekly visit to the library to choose a book and read is often their most favourate class of the week! Encourage your child to get familiar with the various resources that their school has to offer.
LIFE Ltd - Literacy is for Everyone
Founded in 2012 as an independent charitable organisation, LIFE's mission is to significantly increase literacy levels across the Cayman Islands. They have donated thousands of books to create classroom libraries in each public school, and they have a thriving paired reading programme which is always looking for volunteers. Their Thive by Five programme has established libraries in preschools and trained teachers on how to explore language, sounds, letters, and print in authentic, developmentally-appropriate ways even before children learn to read. For more information see www.life.org.ky.
The Kiwanis Club of Grand Cayman
The Kiwanis Club of Grand Cayman operates a ‘Book Mobile’ mobile library, filled with books for all ages. It is permanently parked next to the administration building at George Town Primary School and opens every Thursday from 12.30pm-1.30pm for the children at the school to use in their lunch hour and borrow books. For more information about the mobile library and volunteering opportunities please email: president@kiwanis.ky. The Kiwanis Club also help with the holiday feeding programme for students and they offer a few youth service clubs such as Circle K, Key Club and Builders Clubs. In December they organise Santa's landing. For more details on these programmes please see their website: Kiwanis Club of Grand Cayman.
The Rotary Central
‘Little Free Library’ Programme is a “take a book, return a book” free book exchange. Libraries are situated at various business establishments in both Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac, and anyone can contribute or take books. People can take a book (or several) from any free library and return any book they choose to at any of the libraries on Islands.
The Sam Basdeo Learning Resource Centre
Located at the University College of the Cayman Islands (UCCI) it has some excellent academic resources within its collection. For further information on accessing their resources, please contact Mrs. Lucille Kong at (345) 623 0563 or email: lkong@ucci.edu.ky.