Library exhibits biographies

The Turton Library Center on North Front Street in Belize City is the oldest public library in Belize. Currently the library is holding an exhibition to honor seventeen Belizeans who have made significant contributions to the country.

The display is the highlight of the library’s biography week which is being observed from April nineteenth to the thirtieth. According to Inda Wright, organizer of the display, they looked for new and prominent faces to profile.

Inda Wright, Organizer, Biography Week

“They were chosen based on their professions and based on the biographies that we already have. We did not want people that we already had in our files. We were looking for new and interesting people who have contributed in diverse ways to the development of the Belizean society.”

Those being honored hail from Belize City, San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belmopan, Orange Walk, Dangriga and Benque Viejo. Wright told us how the honorees were selected.

Inda Wright

“We took suggestions from the public and we sorted them out. Our librarians in the districts interviewed their persons, sent that information to us and we did the interviews for the Belize City people.”

One person who was interviewed is sixty-one year old Lennox Blades. Blades is not only being honored for the contributions he made in music as guitarist of the Boom and Chime Band, but this gifted musician also possesses other hidden talents that have been marketed and sold.

Lennox Blades

“I decided to invent a trap for rats and after a couple of guesses I guessed it correct. Then I decided that the same principle I used to trap rats, I could use to trap other animals, larger animals with it; just make the cage bigger.”

If you would like to view the display and learn about some of our outstanding Belizeans, the exhibition will run until Friday from 8:00 a.m. until five p.m. at the Turton Library on North Front Street.

In addition to Blades, the other honorees are Flora Ancona, Joan Burrell, Lascelle Arnold, Sebastian Cayetano, Santiago Castillo, Belizario Carballo, Donatila Chun, Henrietta Gill, Harry Lawrence, Rita Flowers, Pricilla Gillett, Jose Mai, Paul Rodriquez, Sister Marilyn Panton, Vivianni Teul and Dr. Leroy Taegar.