Library Week Samoa 2009

Whoo wee (or Choo Hoo as the Samoan’s say)! Have just got to the end of one massive week that was Library Week in Samoa – well in Upolu anyway. We are off to Savaii at the start of August to do it all again! This is the first Library Week Samoa has had for 21 years!!!!! I could say it’s taken the executive 21 years to recover from the last one and that would be pretty close to the truth!No seriously it was a massively successful week just a whole lot of work for the 8 of us on the Executive Committee.

Samoa Library Association Executive Committee

It all began with a Library Week opening Parade through the centre of Apia on Monday 6^th July. The parade went from Aggie Grey’s along Beach Road to the Nelson Memorial Public Library. We were at first worried that no one would come and join us and that we would be walking up the street on our own but at the last minute found out that Robert Louis Stevenson school was planning to bring all 300 of their students and with a couple of other schools we knew about, including Amoa College from Savaii, we were suddenly expecting around 500-600 kids!! How to keep them all entertained and amused after the parade was the main worry. Luckily for us it so happened the US Navy ship was in the harbour and we had been asked if the US Navy band could join us in the parade and if some of the US Navy boys could come along and read. This was the perfect solution to our 500 or so kids and much appreciated assistance.

So anyway the parade began at 9.30am and was led by the US Navy and Samoa Police bands. The Library Association of Samoa followed next with their freshly painted banner (thanks to one of the Executive’s brother who did a fabulous job) and dressed in their uniform/puletasi/shirts. Walking along we sure did attract a bit of attention with people and tourists on the side of the road waving and taking photos. The TV cameras were also following. Looking behind it was great to see a huge trail of people following us in a big worm like movement. The children had been invited to dress up as their favourite book character so there were many inventive costumes including ghouls, ghosts, witches, Cindrella, Harry Potter, surgeons, army people etc.

At the Public Library we divided the kids and adults. Kids outside with iceblocks and packets of chips and adults inside for the speeches. The Reverend Lotu Uele blessed our ceremony and gave the opening prayer. We then had the Deputy Prime Minister the Honorable Misa Telefoni Retzlaff as the key note speaker. Our Patron Her Highness ????? said a few words and cut the ribbon to open Library Week. It was a very appropriate ceremony followed by lovely refreshments.

Throughout the week there were Movie nights at NUS and USP libraries, storytime at the Public Library in English and Samoan and Short Story/Poetry writing competition. There was much coverage of events in the Samoa Observer News Paper, Newsline and on Television 1 and 3. The President Avalogo Togi Tunupopo and myself were interviewed for Television 3 which was a nerve wracking experience. As was pointed out to me by friends my nervous wiggly foot twitching thing carried on throughout the whole interview but it was a great experience. First time I’ve been in a TV studio.

Prizes for the competitions were awarded at the end of week High Tea at Plantation House where a small select few people were invited to attend. The events were set up in the little fale with comfortable chairs, music, presentations, prizes and guest speaker Robin Yeager from the US Embassy who spoke on the importance of reading and literature and entertained the crowd with a children’s story telling. The evening ended with a glass of champagne to celebrate and lovely finger food by Marita who is a great cook!

Exhausting but fantastic. This time the Executive does not want to wait 21 years to remind the Samoan public how important literacy and reading is to life long learning and knowledge. In order to do this though the Association needs support in the way of book donations and funding. Membership fees are kept very low so that librarians and interested people around Samoa can afford to join so as a not-for-profit organization it is important for the Executive to identify sources of funding and support. If anyone out there is willing to help this important cause then please contact me!