* *apologies for cros posting**
Russell Bowden, for many years Deputy Chief Executive of the Library
Association, writes from his home in Sri Lanka where he still maintains a
keen interest in assisting libraries:
" Yesterday the Sri Lanka Disaster Management Committee met and agreed the
help that we need. It is already up on the NET but I will attach a copy for
your ease of use.Priorities are money (ease of sending and ease of
utilisation at this end) and [believe it or not] crayons, childrens' water
paints, paint books and paper to assist the traumatised kids who sit beside
the roads staring into space - there are very few psychiatrists in the
Island and even fewer trained to deal with traumatised victims.I think that
greatest assistance would be via sponsorship / fostering / linking /
adoption by a UK library or a Branch or Group of a devastated Lankan library
- it would provide not just one-off support but, hopefully a long-term
supportive relationship. SL MDC for LISA will be happy to select the donor
here. "
This and other tsumani reports by Russell may be found on IFLANET. His
reports and appeal will be considered shortly by CILIP.
FOR IFLANET 10 January '05
ASSISTANCE FOR LIBRARIES, INFORMATION SERVICES & ARCHIVES
IN
SRI LANKA
HELP URGENTLY REQUIRED
Today (Monday 10 January) the newly-established Sri Lanka Disaster
Management Committee for Libraries, Information Services and Archives [SL
DMC for LISA] held its fourth meeting and agreed a list of requirements to
assist with the rehabilitation of libraries and information services and
government records destroyed or damaged by the tsunami. The opportunity is
also to be taken to not only rebuild but also develop them so that they are
in positions to play positive roles in the Government's ambitious plans to
establish an e-Lanka. Time scales will obviously depend to a large extent on
what becomes available but attention is being paid to those outlines in the
Action Plans from the World Summit on the Information Society.
The lists that follow are still preliminary. It is also still too early to
prioritise items in them particularly because, although it has been possible
to travel to view libraries by National Library staff as far south as
Hambantota, it has not been possible yet to actually visit and survey those
on the east coast where (as I write) cyclonic weather conditions are
building to add to the misery caused by the tsunami and the monsoon floods
that have followed it and where already damaged roads and bridges now have
been made totally impassable. However it is known that many have been swept
away entirely or severely damaged. See the Map. See also photos of damaged
library buildings between Colombo and Hambantatota on the south-west coast.
The National Library and Documentation Services Board provide the executive
and services for the SL DMC for LISA. To communicate with it use:
E-mail: [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Web site: www.natlib.lk <http://www.natlib.lk/>
www.lankapage.lk <http://www.lankapage.lk/>
Phones: ++ 94 11 26 87 58 1
Fax: ++ 94 11 26 85 20 1
Address: Director-General, NLDSB, 14 Independence Avenue, Colombo 7 Sri
Lanka.
For money donations a special bank account, monitored by the Disaster
Management Committee, has been opened: send them to NLDSB.
LIST OF REQUIREMENTS:
MONEY:
At this stage monies are probably the best form of assistance in that they
can be speedily raised (perhaps by sponsored events such as marathons,
coffee mornings etc. etc.), can be speedily transmitted and on arrival can
be quickly committed and, in so doing, help to provide employment to local
people.
Monies are required for:
Reconstruction and repair of severely damaged or destroyed buildings;
To purchase locally-published books in Sinhala or buy Tamil books from South
India;
To buy locally-made furniture and equipment;
To engage foreign expertise.
PLANS & ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNS:
Required to construct low-cost buildings particularly plans and designs that
can be adapted to make use of locally-available materials.
MOBILE LIBRARIES:
In order to be able to speedily restore services to users. First to be based
on the National Library in Colombo until local buildings have been repaired
or reconstructed. In obtaining this mobility there is the possibility of
reaching the largest numbers of users.
Vehicles - x 2 or 3 of middle size (because roads are narrow and damaged).
Equipment and stationary to make them operational in the shortest time.
Stand alone computers and databases and modems to establish them not only as
book-based lending libraries but also as communication centres. (Phone lines
are being speedily restored).
FURNITURE:
a. Designs for low-cost furniture to be manufactured locally;
b. Display boards;
c. Issue desks;
d. Reading tables & chairs;
e. Catalogue Cabinets;
f. Librarians' tables & chairs;
g. Book trolleys;
h. Book racks;
i. Other types of furniture i.e. kik stools etc.
AUDIO-VISUAL EQUIPMENT:
a. DVD players and discs
b. CD Players and CDs
c. Video players and tapes (although less of a priority because in the
hot and damp climate they quickly deteriorate with mould);
COMPUTERS:
Required to develop the libraries into information providing centres via
ICT, Internet, on-line access etc;
a. terminals, keyboards, printers, drives, modems;
b. scanners (particularly for damaged government records that should
have been destined for the National Archives).
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT:
a. Fax machines;
b. Photocopiers.
PRINT & NON-PRINT MATERIALS:
Be aware that many of the destroyed communities had little knowledge of the
English language and that the books primarily required will need to be in
the Sinhala and Tamil languages. Nevertheless some English books will be
welcomed particularly when they are suitable for young children (i.e.
picture books) or are reference materials.
a. childrens' literature;
b. reference materials (including in CD formats);
c. general reading;
d. leisure reading (Sinhala & Tamils requirements are specially
relevant here);
e. special subject areas (that relate to the work and interests of the
community before the waves struck)
1. fishing, prawn farming, ornamental fish farming;
2. small industries such as coir products, mask-making; gem cutting;
milk food manufacturing; palm-leaf industry; boat building; carpentry; motor
repairs including tinkering and body repairs;
3. paddy and cashew nut cultivation;
4. basic learning materials for foreign languages;
5. on Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Christianity.
f. support materials for counseling (the huge numbers of traumatized
people).
FOR HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT & TRAINING:
As part of human rehabilitation (in cooperation with the Sri Lanka Library
Association) and to assist in the up-grading of knowledge and the
acquisition of new skills (to work in the e-Lanka situations) training
courses and operations will be established (MONEY) and outside expertise
will be necessary (SKILLED EXPERTS)
a. Money to operate the programmes and to pay for overseas experts;
b. People with specialist skills;
Required for the following areas:
1. recovery and conservation of documents - especially govt. records as well
as books;
2. records management;
3. conservation in general.
c. Money & expertise to reinforce currently-existing training centres i.e.
SL LA; National Institute of Library & Information Sciences; Dept. of
Library Science, University of Kelaniya; National Library and Documentation
Services Board.
d. crayons, water paints, picture painting books, paper - for traumatized
children to go through catharsis and relieve feelings and express
themselves.
CONSERVATION (particularly of local government records many of which have
been severely damaged not only by contact with water but by the force of
it):
1. expertise see above;
2. specialist equipment
3. mobile conservation units (to move on after assisting in one area)
VEHICLES:
1. The National Library possesses few vehicles with which to move
around the coastal belt - for instance moving around experts;
2. It has no vehicles suitable for transporting large quantities of
books and heavier equipment and furniture e.g. from the airport or ports to
the venues requiring it.
SPONSORSHIP / ADOPTION / FOSTERING / LINKS
A most practical means of assisting would be via sponsorship or adoption of,
or twinning with, a devastated library in Lanka by one, or an organsiation,
in a donor country. The SL DMC for LISA would be delighted to identify a
library on request and assist to get the links established and then to act
as a 'go-between' in the preliminary stages.
As the rescue operations continue it is highly likely that more and
different sorts of aid may become apparent.
PLEASE, THEREFORE, CONTINUE TO WATCH THIS SPACE.
FOR THOSE PLANNING TO ASSIST THE SL DMC HOPES THAT THIS LIST WILL HELP.
IN ANTICIPATION IT ALSO WISHES TO RECORD ITS THANKS.
Russell Bowden Honorary
Fellow of IFLA
KOTTAWA
Sri Lanka.
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