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Vol. 2, nos. 3-4 (Sept.-Dec. 06); Vol. 3, Nos. 1-2 (March-June 2007)

pen source software is viewed bylibraries as the way to go. Pacific

libraries are demonstrating this with theimplementation of two open source soft-wares relating to library managementand digital collections.

New Zealand is credited with developingKoha, the first open-source (ILS) andGreenstone, a tool for building digitalcollections.

Koha, created in by Katipo Communica-tions for the Horowhenua Library Trusthas been in operation since and is cur-rently used in over 100 libraries aroundthe world.

Greenstone, developed by the NewZealand Digital Library Project at the , isdistributed in cooperation with and theHuman Info NGO in Belgium.

The benefit for Pacific libraries in thatthe software is available free of charge.

It does not need the initial outlay of fundsof commercial packages that has pre-vented many libraries from automatingtheir operations.

The challenge, however, lies in equippingthose working in Pacific libraries withthe necessary information and IT literacyskills. For many this is a more managea-ble task which allows the two (softwareand training) to work side by side.

Pacific libraries using Koha include theCook Islands National Library, FFA Library,SPC, Noumea with the Nelson MemorialPublic Library the newest user.

Greenstone can be found at the USPLibrary Laucala Campus, PRIDE, SPCand the Belau National Museum withothers in Samoa, Republic of the MarshallIslands and Fiji working on its installation.

More information on the software isfound in this edition.

Contents

Open Source:The Way to Go

1

1. Editorial

2. Regional Connections

3. Developments

4. Conferences, Training & Workshops

5. PeopleRecruitment, Achievements, Living

6. Recent Publications

REGIONAL CONNECTIONS

O

ISSN: 1815-3240 (hardcopy); 1815-3259 (electronic copy)

Elizabeth C. Reade Fong

Collections in DangerPAPUA New Guinea's National Libraryat Waigani was in danger of losing partsof the New Guinea Collection after waterfrom a broken pipe made its way intothe building.

This forced librarians to relocate materialsto higher shelves. "The most vulnerablesection of the library is the New GuineaCollection. This section holds the historyof PNG and if the materials are destroyed,then our history is gone," said KarinaSereva, Acting Deputy National Librarian.

Meanwhile, the K2.5 million work on theair conditioning system at the NationalMuseum and Art Gallery has been award-ed to El Tech Engineering Services, anationally owned company.

The director of the Museum, Simon Po-raituk said the tender was administeredby the Department of Works. The Muse-um had struggled to keep its collectionsintact when the cooling system brokedown.

(Source: PNG Post Courier Online, 13February 2007)

Continued next page

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NZ Librarians Help Fiji ChildrenThousands of Fiji children without accessto books have benefited from the brightidea of a Tauranga librarian.

The office of Tauranga Libraries Manager,Jill Best, overflowed with some 5000children’s books, the result of an emailappeal to colleagues in other public librar-ies.

This initiative followed a visit to Fiji byMs. Best last November at the invitationof the Fiji Local Government Associationto assess the state of Fiji’s public librariesand make recommendations for the fu-ture.

She left dismayed at the run-down stateof libraries generally, caused by years ofunder-funding. The worst example wasthe Suva Public Library, which had beenstarved of any money to buy books forat least 10 years.

Having mapped what Fiji needed to doto save its libraries, and knowing it was

unlikely to happen while coups continuedto destroy the economy, she resolved to“somehow or other get decent stocksof books”.

New books were out of the question, soshe asked her friends around New Zea-land libraries to think of Fiji’s childrenwhen they did periodic weeding of theircollections. The word went out in Febru-ary and soon her office looked more likea publisher’s warehouse.

Six cubic metres of books, all in verygood condition with publication dates ofless than five years were loaded into acontainer in the last week of April andshipped to Fiji, with costs met by theCommonwealth Local Government Fund.

Digital Libraries in a Box ProjectAn NZAID funded project, with a budgetof F$265,000 designed to enhance ac-cess to digital resources at the USPCampus libraries via the intranet and toaddress the issue of slow bandwidths

DLIAB project: Impressions of staff

Here are excerpts from the thoughts of some who visited the Region.

Tokelau Campus on Atafu Atoll:

Vilimaina Vakaciwa “The best part is the contact with people,they are friendly and humble. Work is a struggle consideringthe lack of resources locally. Traveling by boat is the tough bitand I wondered if this was how those traveling to Fiji in the 19thcentury felt.”

was introduced by library staff who visitedthe nine USP Campus libraries of Kiribati,Nauru and Tuvalu (Elizabeth Reade Fong);Niue, Tokelau and Tonga (Vilimaina Vakaci-wa); Marshall Islands & Solomon Islands(Sin Joan Yee) in the second half of 2005and through 2006. The project also in-volved other Library staff & members ofthe USP Information Technology Section(ITS).

Follow up visits were made by librariansJudith Titoko (Niue), Lusiana Dakuidreketi(Marshall Is.), Liviana Tabalala (Tuvalu)and library assistant Puspha Prasad (La-basa and Lautoka). At the same timethey undertook the retrospective conver-sion of bibliographic records into MARCformat for the Athena database.

The one obstacle to the project was theinability to download titles onto localservers from EBooks Inc. due to copy-right restrictions. Never-the-less the Li-brarian Regional was able and continuesto acquire electronic versions of referenceand general materials for the DLIABproject.

REGIONAL CONNECTIONS

Campus in Tuvalu:

Liviana Tabalala “The best part is having the opportunity to dohands-on library work like searching and downloading Zmarcrecords. There were practical library activities that I had notdone for almost a decade due to the nature of my current workas a library course trainer. I admire the simplicity of theTuvaluanway of life but did miss my vegetables terribly as they arescarce and expensive on Tuvalu.”

Kiribati & Nauru Campuses:

Elizabeth Fong “Living in the islands and trying to physicallyorganize Library collections in the heat of Tarawa was a challengeas is keeping the library free of dust. The greatest satisfactionwas to leave both library collections in classified order and tohave the staff understand the purpose of the Regional LibrariesManual.”

Alofi, Niue:

Judith Titoko “The sounds and sights of nature  - the birdsongat the Niue Campus (surrounded by bush) and the waves crashingagainst the cliffs at high tide when the weather is stormy. Thechanging colours of the vast ocean - aquamarine/deep blue/grey.”

Majuro, Marshall Islands:

Lusi Dakuidreketi “It was great making inroads into getting thecollection online. Personally, I did not miss the humdrum ofdomestic chores that I left behind but it was worrying when Iwas told that no one was really sure about when the Air Nauruflights would resume, especially after two weeks of cancella-tions!”

Living in the islands and trying to physicallyorganize Library collections in the heat ofTarawa was a challenge

Continued from previous page

The Tokelau Campus on Atafu Atoll

The Tokelau Campus on Atafu Atoll

2 3

Nasinu Town Council OpensPublic LibraryThe first community library for NasinuTown, situated in the Nasinu Municipalbuilding at Valelevu was officially openedon Thursday 7 June, 2007 by the InterimMinister for Finance, Hon. MahendraChaudhury who, in his opening speech,commended the Council for itscommitment and vision.

Nasinu Town is seven years old andserves up to 100,000 people living andworking in the Suva-Nausori corridor. Atthe opening, Mayor Rajeshwar Kumarreconfirmed the Council’s vision forpromoting literacy for Nasinu’s citizens.“To set up a public library in a new and

developing town is a very ambitious andexpensive exercise that the Councilundertook a year ago. The Counciltogether with a donation of books fromthe Save the Children’s Fund and theCommonwealth Local GovernmentForum New Zealand resourced theLibrary.”

“We shall work towards providing freeaccess for families and students that aredeprived of educational opportunities. Indue course as we turn this library intoan electronic facility we will facilitatetraining of the elderly and those notfamiliar with e-communication. We areenvisaging conducting evening literacyclasses in electronic communication andcomputing.” said the Mayor.

Advanced Greenstone DigitalTraining WorkshopA training workshop on AdvancedGreenstone was hosted by the USPLibrary with funding from UNESCO, from25-28 June, 2007.

The four-day workshop was attended bya majority of participants from Fiji librariesand one each from Palau, the MarshallIslands and three from Samoa that wereeither using or planning to useGreenstone to build their digitalcollections. UNESCO Staff from Apia alsosat in on the training.

Certificates of participation werepresented at the end of the Workshop.

KOHA: Open Source IntegratedLibrary SystemLate in 2006, the University of the SouthPacific Library was asked by UNESCO toinstall the Koha open source integratedlibrary system at the Cook Islands NationalLibrary (CINL) for which UNESCO alsoprovided a server.

It is hoped that this is the beginning ofa critical mass of Koha users & expertisein Pacific libraries. For more informationabout Koha see www.koha.org forUNESCO see www. unesco.org for theUSP Library see www.usp.ac.fj/library

We shall work towardsproviding free access forfamilies and students

DEVELOPMENTS

ALA brings advocacy workshopto the PacificThe need to advocate for libraries isuniversal, even in paradise. How do youraise awareness of the importance oflibraries and their impact? How do youmake sure that schools hire trained,certified librarians? How do you get anew roof for your library after a typhoonrips it away?

In November, ALA Executive DirectorKeith Michael Fiels and I (MichaelDowling) presented a two-day AdvocacyWorkshop in Palau as a prelude to the16th Pacific Island Archives and LibraryAssociation (PIALA) Conference(http://www.uog.edu/rfk/piala/piala.html). Thanks to the efforts of the indefatigableArlene Cohen, from the University ofGuam, the workshop became a reality,with sponsorship from IFLA’s Action forDevelopment through Librar iesProgramme Core Activity (ALP), andIFLA’s Management of L ibraryAssociations Section (MLAS).

Getting a group of 33 librarians from nineisland nations and territories spanningthousands of square miles where planessometimes fly from an island only oncea week is a challenge, but it all cametogether. Participants were fromAmerican Samoa, Guam, MarshallIslands, Commonwealth of NorthernMarianas (CMI), Federated States ofMicronesia (FSM), Fiji, Kiribati, Palau, andPapua New Guinea.

The workshop and the PIALA Conferencewere graciously hosted by the PalauLibrary Association and Palau CommunityCollege.

Despite jetlag, the dedicated participantswere eager, which energized thepresenters. The workshop took theparticipants step by step through thedevelopment of the creation of anAdvocacy Plan. The first day focused onPlanning and Defining Issues and Goals,Developing Your Message and TalkingPoints, and Defining Your Audience. After

each topic, the participants heard a localsuccess story before breaking intogroups. Libby Cass of the University ofSouth Pacific and President of the FijiLibrary Association, served as a facilitatorwith Arlene Cohen during thesebreakouts.

Day Two focused on Building Support,Team Building, Media Outreach, andLobbying.

By the end of the Workshop each countryhad put together an outline for anAdvocacy Action Plan for next year.

Since the Workshop, participants havebeen firming up their Action Plans. ALAwill provide advice to help meet theirgoals, one of which is a new roof for theChuuk Public Library two years after thetyphoon destroyed the old one. If youare interested in helping libraries in thePacific, please express your interest ont h e S i s t e r L i b r a r i e s s i t e a thttp://wikis.ala.org/sisterlibraries/index.php/

ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fielsparticipates in a breakout discussion withJohn Pagolu, Enion Kalles, and other librariansfrom the Marshall Islands.

CONFERENCES, TRAINING & WORKSHOPS

By Michael Dowling (adapted from ALA International Leads)

54

PEOPLE

Chris Hammond-Thrasher joined the USP Library in July 2006as Systems Manager. Chris says he left frozen Edmonton,Alberta, Canada with his wife and seven-year-old twin daughtersfor the Fiji tropical weather. In Canada, Chris formerly workedin the private sector as a Senior Management Consultant inSecurity, Privacy, and Technical Risk for Fujitsu Consulting.

Chris Hammond-ThrasherSystems Manager, USP

Ela Qica rejoined USP Library in January this year as DigitizationLibrarian.  Ela is no stranger to USP Library where she hadworked from 1990-2000 as Librarian in the Cataloguing andCentre (now Regional) Libraries sections. In April 2000, sheresigned to join the United Nations as an Associate Librarianin the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) Library. Thereshe worked as a cataloguer, indexer, and later became theReference Librarian for the Social and Economic Section. In2005, she moved from the Library to the Office of the DirectorGeneral as Associate Speechwriter. Ela resigned from the UNin 2006 and returned home to Fiji.

Ela QicaDigitization Librarian, USP

Denise Rosenblatt joined the USP Library as a Reader ServicesLibrarian in March 2007. Denise came to the USP after sevenyears of work with the National Library of Education (NLE) inWashington D.C, USA.  While there she was a liaison librarianfor the Institute of Education Sciences, the National Centerfor Education Statistics, and the Office of Innovation andImprovement where she was also responsible for the NLE’sFederal Depository Library Program and GovernmentDocuments Reference.

Denise is not new to the Pacific though. In 1994 her familymoved to Saipan in the Marianas Islands where she beganher library career as the Literacy Coordinator for the Joeten-Kiyu Public Library. She returns to the Pacific for the secondtime after completing a Masters degree in librarianship.

Denise RosenblatReader Services Librarian

Maria Kalenchits joined USP as Librarian/Coordinator of PIMRISin May 2007.

Maria replaces Chris Nelson who resigned in December 2006.Maria comes from Estonia in Europe and she holds a Mastersdegree in Information Science from Tallinn University. Priorto joining the USP, Maria was the Head of the Library at theEstonian Marine Institute. She had also worked as a coordinatorof the UNESCO IOC IODE ODINECET pilot project(Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange for EuropeanCountries in Economic Transition) in 2005-2006. Maria hasmoved to the Pacific with her husband whilst her daughtercontinues her education in England.

Maria KalenchitsLibrarian/Coordinator,PIMRIS

Susanna Macanawai was appointed to a 3-year contract as aLibrarian at Reader Services in June 2007 after obtaining theGraduate Diploma of Applied Science in Library & informationManagement from Charles Sturt University, New South Wales. Susanna also holds a degree in Agriculture (USP) and theDiploma in Library/Information Studies (USP). She has workedat the Alafua and Laucala lib-raries as a paraprofessional.

Dianne Thompson joined the USP as Law Librarian at EmalusCampus in Port Vila, Vanuatu on 22 March 2007. Diane replacesPeter Murgatroyd who resigned early this year to join SPREPin Apia, Samoa. Diane visited the USP Main Library in Suvafrom 23-25th July on a familiarization tour. 

Susanna MacanawaiLibrarian, Reader Sevices,USP

Reijieli Tawaketini joined the USP Library in February 2007 asPart-time Junior Library Assistant and works at the Main IssueDesk. She is currently enrolled in the vocational USP Certificatein Basic Skills in Library & Information Studies.

Reijieli TawaketiniJunior Library Assistant

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FAREWELLSACHIEVEMENTS

UH CuratorReceives Lifetime

Achievement Award(Adapted from UH News)

Dr. Karen M. Peacock, Curator of the University of Hawai‘iat Manoa Library’s Pacific Collection and friend of manyPacific librarians, received the Lifetime AchievementAward at the closing ceremony of the 16th annual PacificIslands Association of Libraries and Archives (PIALA)Conference last month. The only other recipient of theaward is her father, Daniel J. Peacock, who receivedthe honor in 1998. Daniel Peacock is considered the“father of Micronesian librarianship,” and was recognizedfor his work in developing libraries throughout the TrustTerritory of the Pacific Islands as its director of libraryservices.

“I am deeply honoured and was completely surprised by the award,” said Peacock.“The members of PIALA are extremely generous, and I am so grateful for theirfriendship through the years, and for their kind recognition at the conference.”

The ceremony was held at the Belau National Museum amphitheatre in Palau, andthe award was presented by PIALA President, Aaron Sigrah of Kosrae.Representatives from Hawai‘i, the Marshall Islands, Kosrae, Pohnpei, Chuuk,Guam, CNMI, Yap and Palau presented gifts and lauded Karen Peacock’s deeppersonal impact on their islands, their libraries and on their personal and professionallives.

Raised in the Pacific Islands, Peacock calls Hawai‘i her home, but says part of herheart is always in Micronesia. Since receiving her master’s degree in library sciencefrom UH Manoa in 1973, Karen has combined both heart and home in her workfor 33 years in the library’s world- renowned Pacific Collection. She went on toearn a Master’s in Pacific Island Studies in 1978 and a PhD in History in 1990.

“Thanks to the work of my predecessors and my colleagues today, the PacificCollection is the most comprehensive representation of information about thePacific region in the world,” Peacock said. “It is my daily joy and privilege tocontinue that legacy, and to work and correspond with the dedicated librariansthroughout the Pacific Islands.”

Karen says, “These librarians face huge obstacles. Internet access in much of thePacific is slow and expensive. So, while we can find ways to use technology toenhance access, this is not always a feasible option for PIALA member libraries.”

“Email and organizations like PIALA, which provide training to empower Micronesianlibrarians, are valuable developments over the past 20 years,” said Karen. “Theyprovide a sense of community to people who are physically quite isolated. Emailhas facilitated and increased teamwork, communication, and cooperation oneverything from patrons’ reference questions to applying for grants.”

This sense of cooperation and teamwork is reflected in the carved woodenstoryboard presented to Peacock by Tina Rehuher, director of the Belau NationalMuseum. The carving is of a two-headed eel, representing an ancient Palauan taleon the importance of teamwork and cooperation.

“My father has, of course, been an example of dedication, integrity and scholarshipfor me. What distinguished him, though, is that more than anything, my fathercares about people, and has always put them first. I’ve carried on this approach,and incorporated it into every facet of my Hiwork.”

“Thirty years ago, I hoped that I would someday work with scholars who camefrom the Pacific Islands. When I began my career, there were very few PacificIslanders in academic careers,” Peacock said. “Today, there are many youngscholars from throughout Micronesia and the entire region that come into thePacific Collection every day to find the resources that make their research possible.That makes it all worthwhile for me.”

Yadav Narayan resigned in June tomigrate after serving for 2 years asthe Library’s Analyst/Programmer.

Chr is Nelson, USP’s L ibrar i -an/Coordinator at PIMRIS and formerAlafua Campus Librarian resigned andreturned to Australia in mid-December2006.

Peter Murgatroyd resigned as theUSP’s Law Librarian at the EmalusCampus Library,Vanuatu to take up hisnew position as Information ResourceCentre Manager (IRCM) with SPREPin Apia, Samoa.

Sharmila Pillay resigned in February2007 after a year with the USP Libraryas a Reader Services Librarian.

Libraries Pa-C-fika wishesdeparting librarians/staffthe best in theirendeavours.

6

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Vol. 2, Nos. 3-4 (Sept.-Dec. 06); Vol.3, Nos. 1-2 (March-June 2007)

Libraries Pa-C-fika replaces CentreLibraries Update and PIC News

A quarterly newsletter produced by:Regional Libraries and PacificCollection, USP Library

Managing Editor

Elizabeth Reade Fong DUL Customer Services Tel: (679) 323 2363Email: fong_e@usp.ac.fj

Assistant Managing Editors /Writers

Vilimaina VakaciwaLibrarian, Regional Libraries Tel: (679) 323 2234Email: vakaciwa_v@usp.ac.fj

Tony DadaloLibrarian Pacific CollectionEmail: dadalo_t@usp.ac.fjTel: (679) 323 2285

Photos: USP Library

Proudly sponsored by USP Book Centrehttp://www.uspbookcentre.com/

Libriaries Pa-C-fika connects the librariesaround the Pacific Region keeping themabreast of the latest libraries and ICTdevelopment and progress in the region andabroad.

Published in both print and electronc versions.

Layout & Design by Dreamwise Ltd

Printing by Bluebird Printery

From election to coup in FijiJon Fraenkel & Stewart Firth (eds) (2006), 483 pp. ISBN-9789820108080

.. a collection of essays by more than 30 commentators on Fijian affairs. "In May 2006Fiji held its tenth general election since independence in 1970.In a country with anunenviable history of election trauma, the mood was apprehensive if not tense- notleast because of controversial public statements against the incumbent Qarasegovernment being made by the commander of Fiji's military forces." ISBN

Under the mango tree : the people, the palates, the pleasuresRob Rickman ,Peter Henning & Glen Craig (2006), 96 pp. ISBN-0958756333

"This publication has been created as an everlasting memento of people met, ofpalates tantalised and of pleasures enjoyed. Of world travel. Of Pacific rhythm. OfFiji flavours...and our own Fiji's Nadi Bay Resort. "

Traditional trees Of Pacific IslandsCraig R. Elevitch (2006), 800 pp. ISBN-9780970254450

This book provides in-depth information for 80 of the most important Pacific islandtrees. Written by experts, the text is richly illustrated with over 800 color photographs.Learn how and where to grow these important trees.

Traditional medicine of the Marshall Islands: The Women, The Plants,The TreatmentsIrene J. Taafaki, Maria Kabua Fowler & Randolph R. Thaman (2006), 300 pp. ISBN-9789820203785

This book is an attempt to ensure that traditional knowledge is not lost and thatecosystems are protected for future generations. It is the result of a collaborationof nine expert Marshallese healers, members of clans who possess their own specialmedicines, and numerous others who are familiar with folk or general remedies. Itdescribes more than 270 traditional medicinal treatments, all of which use the plantsof the Marshall Islands, and provides a biogeographical, historical and anthropologicalcontext, with a particular focus on the use of traditional medicine for the treatmentof women.