Embassy Activities (2009)
A View into U.S. Library Systems
On September 4, 2009, Information Resource Officer (IRO) Wendy Simmons, together with Embassy Information Resource Center (IRC) Director Sue B. Phornroekngam and Public Diplomacy Officer (PDO) Rebecca Landis, visited the Discovery Learning Library at Soi Phra Nang in Bangkok, Thailand. The first-time visit, which came in response to an invitation from Ms. Pranee Satyaprakop, Deputy Director-General of Culture, Sports and Tourism Department, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, had Embassy staff engaging with more than 60 librarians and administrators from a dozen Discovery Learning Libraries, the public library network of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.
Welcomed by the Head Librarian Ms. Arunwan Pimpapattanayothin, IRC Simmons and IRC Director presented an information-filled, multi-media presentation about the development of public libraries in the U.S. and their ever-broadening scope of community services, complete with video clips and other interesting visuals. The audience was impressed by the innovative ideas employed by librarians in the U.S. to give back to the communities during the economic recessions, which include the use of new technology as well as traditional tools to attract visitors of all ages and backgrounds to their respective libraries. Many of them took notes and asked questions about management and budget of public libraries in the U.S., as many in the audience are faced with the same budget problems as their counterparts in the U.S.
After the presentation a short discussion ensued on how to create library programs to attract more community members, particularly young people. PDO Rebecca Landis also took this opportunity to promote the Embassy Speakers Program, a program that sends Embassy officials out to the community on public speaking engagements. The event is first of a series between Embassy Bangkok’s Public Affairs Section and the Discovery Learning Library Network, which began with a visit to its Lumpini Park Branch on August 25.
The Discovery Learning Library Network is one of Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s ongoing public education projects, aimed to turn traditional public and community libraries into knowledge centers to promote lifelong learning and self-study using new technology and multimedia. The library at Soi Phra Nang is the first, and the biggest, of its kind.