LIANZA

Posted by: thewhaanga | Posted on: 23 Aug 11

The Bougainville Library Trust is working with local people to plan, build, stock and fundraise for a community library in Arawa, Bougainville and the project is gathering momentum.  

An art auction held at Government House in May was a huge success raising $50,000 on the night. This wonderful result was possible due to the generosity of the artists who contributed works along with the willing spirit of those who attended  and joined in the excitement of the auction, either as bidders or cheerleaders. 

Lloyd Jones, author and Chair of the Bougainville Library Trust, recently visited Bougainville to meet with James Koibo, the Regional Commissioner and Chair of the Bougainville Heritage Foundation, to discuss a site for the library. As a result the library stori haus will now be built on the large grounds of Arawa High School where it will be of service to the greatest number of people. The high school site is centrally located, near the market, and will play a dynamic part in the cultural life of the island. 

James and his team are excited that the project is entering its construction stage and that excitement is shared by the people around Arawa. The Bougainville Library Trust has established a building subcommittee to oversee the construction phase. 

The stori haus will celebrate Bougainville's story and its stories. It will also feature a core selection of books. The Trust's collection is now up to 7,000 books and the aim is to collect another 5000 books with an emphasis on non-fiction and material for younger readers. 

A further fundraising event is planned for later in the year. 

For more information about this project please visit http://bougainvillelibrary.org.nz/.