This document discusses challenges and opportunities for developing libraries in oral culture communities in the South Pacific. It notes that communities in Vanuatu, Samoa, and other Pacific islands rely more on oral traditions than print culture. Libraries struggle with lack of funds, materials, and trained staff. The document proposes rethinking library development to better serve these communities through tailored donations, partnerships with Australian libraries, use of digital technologies like e-readers, and capturing of oral traditions. It emphasizes community consultation and flexibility to blend oral and written traditions.

1. Oral Culture and Library Acquisition:
Clash or Fusion?
Katie Hannan & Susanne Newton
ALIA Access Conference, September 2, 2010, Brisbane.

2. 2

3. Vanuatu
• AYAD funded a 6 month
position for a Librarian at
Epi High School
• The School is located in
Lamen Bay, a small village
to the NE of Epi Island
• Epi is a small island with a
population of around 5000
• Lamen Bay has an airport,
a postal service, a few small
stores, a market house and
a hospital half an hours’ walk
away. 3

4. Facts and Figures
• Y-shaped chain of four main islands and 80 smaller
islands; several of the islands have active volcanoes
• Population: 218,519
• GDP 5400 USD, ranked 140th in the world [1]
• In 2007 there were 37 libraries listed as belonging to
the Vanuatu Library Association [2]
• Local Languages (more than 100) 72.6%, Bislama
23.1%, English 1.9%, French 1.4%, other 0.3%,
unspecified 0.7% (1999 Census) [1]
• Only 74% of people over the age of 15 can read and
write

5. Samoa

6. Samoa
• Polynesian Pacific Island Nation halfway
between Australia and Hawaii
• Population of 220,000 across two main
islands with at least 100,000 more people of
Samoan descent in New Zealand, Australia
and America
• Famous for rugby, fire knife dancing,
tattooing, fales (beach huts), beaches,
singing and dancing.

7. Facts and figures
• Developing nation dependent on aid,
remittances from family overseas and
agriculture exports
• Average yearly wage: USD5,400 (Australia:
USD40,000)
• Literacy rate: 99.7% [3]

8. Libraries in Samoa
• One public library with two branches serves a
population of 220,000
• Many Samoans have never accessed a
library
• Approximately 50 small libraries in country
and about 10 qualified librarians
• Major lack of computer access, no free public
internet access available

9. Issues and challenges
• Humidity / insects
• Lack of local language material
• Lack of money and IT infrastructure
• Lack of skilled library workers
• Vulnerability to climate change and natural
disasters
• Information poverty

10. Disparity
• Different cultures have different priorities
• Whilst Australian Libraries rely on the written
word and a print based culture,
• South Pacific communities value and invest
in churches, community gatherings, music
and oral tradition

15. 15

16. Challenges for Pacific Libraries
• Books are expensive and hard to come by
• Reliance on donations which are often poor
quality, irrelevant or outdated
• Unwillingness to throw anything away
• Main sources of reading material are
newspapers and the bible.

33. Rethinking Library Development –
Tailored donations, partnerships
• Appropriate collection development policies
– Donations need to be suitable and tailored to the
needs of the library in the developing country
• Developing partnerships
– Between AusAID and library associations, such
as ALIA, Fiji Library Association, Vanuatu Library
Association
• Consider user needs as first priority,
increase community consultation

34. Rethinking library development –
Partnerships
• Pacific Twinning Program [4]
• An Australian Law Library is twinned with a
Pacific Law Library to provide resources,
support and training
• Australian Law Libraries are twinned with
libraries in Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu,
Papua New Guinea, Nauru, Cook Islands
and the Solomon Islands
• Many library staff in these countries are
running libraries with little or no training

36. Rethinking Library Development –
Digital solutions
• Building collections using digital solutions
• Rechargeable e-readers have been trialed
successfully in Ghana [5]
• Trial found students could use the e-readers
successfully without prior use of computers
• Used infrastructure in place for mobile
phones to download books and solar-
powered car batteries to charge
• Easier translation into multiple languages [6]

37. 37

38. Rethinking Library Development -
capturing oral traditions
• Indigenous Knowledge Centres in Australia have
been successful in rethinking libraries for
communities that have a strong oral traditional
culture
“Indigenous Knowledge Centres are breathing
places ...they keep our culture strong for our
children ... look after our traditions, songs,
language, stories and artwork ... bring back the
things that guide us today for the future ...
combining a meeting place for traditional business
with modern library services ...” [7]

39. Northern Territory Library
• Building indigenous digital archives
• Using cameras, computers, voice and video
recorders, scanners and printers, community
members capture old and contemporary art,
maps, songs, photos, film events and record
interviews [8]
39

40. Rethinking Library Development
• Need to ensure that Australian library course
curriculums include content on indigenous
culture and the establishment of libraries in
developing countries
• More two-way exchange and increased
opportunities for training of Pacific library
staff

41. Conclusion
• It is our duty, as information professionals
to ensure that the libraries that we assist
to establish in developing or
underdeveloped countries are appropriate
for the community in question and have
the flexibility to evolve to allow for the
involvement of community members.

43. Credits
• Photos of Ulei Secondary School Library taken by Romany Manuell, 2009.
• Photos of Lamen Island Primary School taken by Cyndy Hannan, 2007.
References
[1] https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/nh.html
[2] http://www.vanuatu.usp.ac.fj/library/VLA/Directory_2007.htm
[3] https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ws.html
[4] http://www.alla.asn.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=159&Itemid=462
[5] http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/e-readers_help_literacy_in_ghana.php
[6] http://blog.worldreader.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/WR-E-Reader-Trial-Report-Ghana.pdf
[7] http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/about/who/orgchart/ils/ikc
[8] http://www.gatesfoundation.org/atla/Pages/2007-northern-territory-library-our-story-indigenous-australia.aspx

44. For feedback
• Katie Hannan
– katie@lost.net.au
– @katykat on twitter
• Susanne Newton
– susannenewton@hotmail.com
– @susannenewton