New centre, new resources

Education

THE importance of books, especially at a time when levels of written and spoken English are very low, has been emphasised by PNG Institute of Public Administration librarian Eric Nandoma.
He said this last Wednesday at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Learning Resource Centre which will replace the library and be funded by Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
The library was built in 1963.
“Libraries are very useful places for learning, research and study,” Nandoma said.
“Therefore, all schools must be encouraged to have a library.
“Without libraries, learning will not be possible.
“This is the reality as we take note of the performance by our children in national examinations.
“The results are poor, especially in their reading and writing skills.”
Nandoma said it was a privilege to witness such an occasion where the old library would be replaced by a state-of-the-art library.
“We are also very thankful to the Australian government which will be building this facility for PNGIPA,” he said.
“We all know how important it is to learning and study, supported by relevant study facilities such as this.
“The old library you have seen is the library of the 70s.
“The library to be built is will be  equipped with modern information technology, which will allow our students and staff fast and easier access to information. This also means that the old traditional methods of storing and retrieving information will gradually be gone.
“The new library will have conference rooms with inbuilt PA systems, an Internet café, a children’s area for storytelling and video shows, well-planned access points for people with disability, a reading and relaxation area for listening to news for which TV screens will be provided, and closed access rooms to historical collections.”