US expert trains national library staff

UNITED States State Department library expert Alison McKee held a training for 14 staff members of the National Library and Archives on Tuesday.
McKee is a department specialist based in Fiji covering American Spaces programmes across the Pacific and the American Corner is a partnership between the US embassy Port Moresby and the library.
At the American Corner, McKee spoke with library staff about trends at libraries in the US, how libraries can do outreach to communities and form partnerships, Stem programmes in libraries as well as early childhood and literacy programmes.
She also discussed online tools available.
“Through the American Corner’s partnership which gives visitors access to millions of books, newspapers, and magazines, people can now be able to educate themselves in various different fields through reading and in turn to deepen US partnership in the education sector with PNG,” McKee said.
An embassy spokesperson told The National: “The corner has been operating for more than 10 years, providing free internet, a wide variety of classes and programs, and access to a specialised contemporary book collection ranging from children’s books to reference materials.”
However, according to a previous report by The National on Feb 20, now former library director Robert Yalip said: “The library is closed off to the public use due to non-payment of contractors for general services rendered since 2013, amounting to the total of K16 million, still yet to be released by the Treasury Department.
As reported, the library still remains closed to public use, but the officers still go to work.