National Library receives €10,000 donation

TBG Limited, a Malta-based industrial holding company, has donated €10,000 to New Leaf - an organisation dedicated to preserving and digitising the books at the National Library of Malta - for its book preservation and digitisation programme.

Half of the funds have been used to purchase a special piece of equipment to digitise small thick books which generally have a rigid binding and inserts - such as documents inserted onto one page - which need to be unfolded and flattened.

The remaining €5,000 will help to preserve the Libri Bullarum, registers of the chancery bulls issued under the magisterial seal by the grand master and the council. The subject matter concerned the admission of knights, issuance of passports, collations of the priories and commanderies, bestowal of titles of nobility, the election of judges, and the instructions issued to ambassadors and galley captains.

These registers also contain diplomatic correspondence, military matters, the administration of the central convent on Rhodes, and the summons to chapters general. These registers of charters are grouped according to the reign of the specific grandmaster during the period covered.

Oliver Mamo, the National Librarian, said that the donation will enable them "to have equipment that will not only speed up the process for book preservation and digitisation for future generations, but also minimises contact with books and documents by operators."

Mamo said that The Libri Ballarum was incredibly important and their preservation was "paramount".

Meanwhile, the Company Secretary of TGB, Clifford Thring, said that the company was "privileged" to be supporting the cause.

 "TBG supports selected causes in Malta as part of its social responsibility as a Maltese company and is privileged to have many worthwhile causes to support. New Leaf was selected for these contributions as their work focuses on supporting the preservation and making available to a wider public, the unique set of assets that Malta has in the books and documents held by the National Library".

Monique Chambers, Chairperson of New Leaf said that it was only with such contributions that it could continue to carry out its work.

"It is only with corporate sponsors, membership fees and private donations that we can continue the work we have started to assist the National Library's experts to preserve and digitise books and documents for future generations," she said.

"This donation brings the total funds raised to almost €50,000 in under two years," she said.

 The National Library houses 750,000 books, many of which have historic importance and require preservation, repair and digitisation.

To find out more about the charity and its work, one can visit its website at www.newleaf.org.mt