PIALA 2002 in Chuuk

The Chuuk Association of Libraries and PIALA are excited to announce this year's 12th Annual PIALA Conference will be held on Weno Island, Chuuk during during the week of November 18, 2002, with the theme "Libraries, Museums, and Archives: The Coconut Tree of Life." The PIALA 2002 Conference will be held at the pleasant Truk Stop Hotel in downtown Weno. The formal conference opening will be on Wednesday, November 20th.

The program is being planned to stress the importance of libraries, museums, and archives to the everyday needs and wants of people. In the Chuuk islands, as in many islands across the Pacific, the coconut tree is considered the single most important plant. It gives us shelter, food, and even clothing. Similarly, libraries, museums and archives give us the information we need to provide ourselves with shelter, food and clothing. As with the network-like roots of the coconut tree, these three institutions can help keep us connected with our past, our present, and our future.

Typhoon Chaatan put the conference planning a bit behind our schedule but planning is moving ahead. Several interesting presenters and pre-conference workshops are being prepared. Please help to share information with colleagues in your area by printing or forwarding this information.

Pre-Conference activities begin on the afternoon of Monday, Nov. 18 with a meeting for all the members of the FSM-ALAM (FSM-Association of Libraries, Archives, and Museums). This vital meeting will cover the FSM's next five-year plan for libraries, on-going projects, the IMLS sub-grants, and future training plans. Others are welcome to observe.

Tuesday, Nov 19 Pre-conference Workshops on Cataloging will be co-presented by Ruth Horie of the Cataloging Dept. Hamilton Library, University of Hawaii at Manoa and Christopher Bull, Library Director at the College of the Northern Marianas. The first part will be done by Chris and will cover copyloging; this will be followed by Ruth whose session will be on the cataloging of Pacific materials.

A Post-Conference workshop "The Internet as a Research Tool" will be presented by Rakunathan Naryanana of Singapore's NLB on Saturday, the 23rd.

For planning your arrival, note that Continental Micronesia flights depart Guam and arrive in Chuuk via Guam on Sunday night and Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning. The Monday, Wednesday, Friday flights continue on to Honolulu while the Sunday night flight returns to Guam.

Continental flights departing from Honolulu, cross the International dateline and arrive in the Marshalls, Kosrae, and Pohnpei on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday late afternoon and continue on to Guam.

Some of the expected presenters to date include:

Franda Liu, from the PREL Center in Hawaii, "There Is Always Something New on the Web"

Arlene Cohen, from the JFK Library of the University of Guam, "The Ariel System and InterLibrary Loans"

Jean Thoulag, from the College of Micronesia-FSM, "FSM Digital Library and Archives."

Nancy Lane, from the PREL Center in Hawaii, will present on two topics: "A Pacific Preview of the NSDL" and "Library Training
Needs in the Pacific.

Fr. Fran Hezel, Micronesian Seminar; Pohnpei

Roy Rechebai, Joeten -Kiyu Public Library, Saipan;

and more to be announced.

Anyone wishing to have a booth at the conference should also contact Lynn Sipenuk at lynnsipenuk@mail.fm

Lastly, this year's PIALA includes a "Bring a Book Campaign". Chuuk has just begun a Public Library and numerous elementary schools are setting up libraries. To help them get started, please bring with you as part of your registration a suitable children's book to contribute.

Come join us in Chuuk this November!