Recent Donations

Great progress has been made in the last two months with one and a half shipping containers of shelving and library supplies being sent to Dili. But an enormous amount is still needed by way of training and support, as well as resources and equipment.

Shelving

In August the ANU donated 249 double bays of superseded library shelving. APHEDA paid for the shipping costs. The shelving remains in a shipping container while repair work on the library building is being completed.

This wonderful donation will transform a library that has relied on a handful of beaten up wooden shelves and bag racks with borers and bullet holes. It means there is now room for incoming Indonesian language books as well as the massive collection of Portuguese and English language books stacked in boxes because there is nowhere for them to go.

Library Resources

In September the former Alexander Mackie Library at Sydney University donated its remaining resources to East Timor after moving into the Fisher Library. This small goldmine has just been packed into a shipping container provided by the NSW Department of Education. It has been jammed in with a heap of shelving, furniture and resources for schools and other projects.

The UNTL Library will inherit over 100 boxes of library and office supplies including more than 600 much needed bookends, tape dispensers, filing trays, book repair tapes, an ancient guillotine, file and resource boxes, as well as 3 (battered) book trolleys, 2 media trolleys, 2 dump trolleys and one precious roll stool!

Computers

Twenty superseded Pentium computers are about to go to Dili in another shipping container. The UTS Library (University of Technology, Sydney) has donated them for the Multimedia Centre in the UNTL Library. These computers, along with the existing IT equipment will ALMOST complete the equipment needs of the local area networks for the library system and the Multimedia Centre.

Many UPSs are still urgently needed to protect all IT equipment from power surges and failures. Also needed is an airconditioner for the server room. Most urgently needed is IT training and support for an extended period of time to establish and operate the Multimedia Centre. Funds are also still being sought to build perimeter benches for the computers as well as for study seating in the main library.

Other Donations

Two librarians from Shepparton (Vic) hope to travel North in November for three months to provide support and training in online cataloguing, establish the circulation system and assist with a myriad of other needs.

Pamela Thompson has organized a fabulous collection of well over $4,000 worth of office and library supplies from local donors (as well as personal items for library staff). Melbourne Rotary is sending them to Dili.

Included with items such as new staplers, scissors, hole punches, floppy discs, cutting mats, notebooks, pens, clips and copy paper, are 20,000 date due slips and 5,000 Reference and Not for Loan stickers - all printed in Tetum!

Building Update

USAID is funding building work to overcome problems that emerged from last year's transformation of a shattered gymnasium building into a University Library.

The leaking roof is being repaired. Poor ventilation, access and security issues are being dealt with. Purpose-built shelves are being built for the Reserve Collection room to maximise use of the small space.

Problems with the flooring have recently emerged and need to be addressed (cracked and disintegrating concrete).

Windows have been installed between the Multimedia Centre and the main library to overcome security problems. This large room has now been divided in two to provide a classroom. It will be used for IT and information literacy training as well as providing audiovisual facilities for classes (but as yet there is still no audiovisual equipment on campus!!).

New Friends Group

A new Friends of the UNTL Library group has recently been formed in Canberra to coordinate local efforts and to assist with national projects. There are already Friends groups in Sydney and Melbourne. Contact details for Friends goups are available on the contacts page.