Oral Culture and Library Acquisition
by Katie Hannan on Sep 02, 2010
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Is it right to walk into a community in a developing country and establish library services based on the
idea of libraries in the developed world? For two young Australian librarians, 18 months s
Is it right to walk into a community in a developing country and establish library services based on the
idea of libraries in the developed world? For two young Australian librarians, 18 months spent working in Vanuatu and Samoa as AusAID volunteers provided insight into the world of acquisitions, information poverty, the nature of aid and book donations. This paper attempts to determine whether the traditional Western concept of libraries with our strong culture of recorded/printed information works in a world where oral language and culture is valued more than written, what types of materials should be collected and how they can be acquired.
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Experienced aid worker: "You know, if the Samoans wanted to invest in libraries, they'd find the money to do it - just look at the churches."
Susanne: *hopes that what she's doing in Samoa as a volunteer librarian is valued if other cultural institutions have greater priority*
KATIE - Situation similar in vanuatu
KATIE:
KATIE
KATIE
KATIE
KATIE: Digicell, mobile phones, technologies, MORE digital solutions are obviously needed. Digital content is CHEAPER to deliver than print material and can be updated easier!
Digital content can easily incorporate more audio material and can be tailored to work well within a traditional oral culture. Many communities have mobile phones, but don’t have wired electricity, or things that we take for granted such as waste management!
Following on from this, we need to remember that rechargeable digital devices also need access to electricity. Highlight the need for more renewable energy sources such as solar. Better use of aid money than shipping out of date print books overseas just to see them end up mouldy and unused.
The creation and establishment of indigenous knowledge centres is a significant milestone in bringing groups of people into the library and information arena. An IKC “could be somewhere that Indigenous cultural knowledge is kept safe to pass on to future generations, za place where Indigenous culture and knowledge is showcased to the wider community. An IKC could be a repository for community knowledge, a place where knowledge can grow, and a place for two-way cultural learning to occur.” The State Library of Queensland's IKCs provide the services of a local library, act as a meeting place and provide a safe place to keep important artefacts, artworks and other information within the community.
In 2009 Natalya Godbold presented a paper called “User-centred design vs. "good" database design principles : a case study, creating knowledge repositories for indigenous Australians” at RAILS5 (research applications in library and information science) - http://www.communication.uts.edu.au/conferences/rails/abstracts-03.html#godbold
Mention the film ten canoes, and how students really appreciated it and felt connected to the characters and the way of life that was depicted in the film! (Not to mention finding the main character attractive)