"PUT books before boys."

This was the advice from parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Arts and Multiculturalism, Nela Khan, when she spoke to the young women at the St Jude's Home for Girls in Belmont at the formal opening ceremony of the institution's newly refurbished library yesterday.

"I wish to encourage you to make full use of this facility to better prepare yourself for the challenges to be faced when you leave this institution, grasp all the opportunities available to you so that you would be able to make a meaningful contribution to society...and forget the boys," she said.

The library, which was donated by the National Library and Information System Authority (Nalis), is the third facility for people being kept at correctional institutions.

The others are located at the Youth Training Centre (YTC) in Arouca and the Women's Prison in Golden Grove.

Elated about the opening, the home's education coordinator, Grace King, said Nalis was initially approached for book donations, but was surprised when they were instead given a facility outfitted with computers, air-conditioning and flat screen television among other things.

"Our girls are already exposed to many things...and this library could help make the difference and open up their minds," she said.

In an interview, Nalis's executive director, Annette Wallace, said the library has been developed according to prison rules as is the case for detention centres but added she would consider creating a system whereby the girls have access to the Internet.

"It is rule here that the detainees do not have access to the Internet, but I know these are young girls and this is the Internet age so maybe we could look into working out some form of supervisory time for them to access it," she said.

Meanwhile, Wallace is reminding the girls that the books are their windows to the world and they should not hold back when it comes to educating themselves.

"Don't stick, make use of this library and all that it has to offer...it's for your good," she said.