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Micronesia
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Directory Information
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The Pacific Ocean occupies an area more than a third of the globe's surface
and greater than the world's total land area. Microesia is one of the principal
geographical regions in this vast ocean. It encompasses more than 2,100 islands
and has a total surface area larger than the continental United States. It
covers several political entities, including two totally independent nations,
Kiribati and Nauru: four U.S. affiliated entities, the Commonwealth of North
Marianas Islands (CNMI), the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the
Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI) and the Territory of Guam: and the Republic
of Palau, the last United Nations Trust Territory.
Guam Library Association - GLA has a long history since its founding in the
late 1960's, but it was inactive for some years. On 23 September 1989, GLA
held a revival meeting, in which about 30 library professionals and guests
participated and four executive officers were elected. In the meeting, it
was recognized that GLA should be the viable organization for the discussion
of library issues on the island and information professionals continuing
education opportunities and social activities. With the limited number of
library professionals on the island, GLA also opened its membership to
library technicians, school teachers and friends of the libraries.
The libary professionals on the Micronesian islands have discussed organizing
a regional library association for some time. On 23-25 October 1990, 15
librarians, archivists and other professionals form various Micronesian islands
formally met and discussed the need for such an organization to address issues
and concerns among libraries, archives and museums on these islands.
There have been other important library activities throughout the Micronesia in
recent years. Both libraries at Guam Community College and Northern Marianas
College (Saipan) were automated in 1991 with financial support from the local
and U.S. Federal governments. In the same year, CNMI signed into law its
Library Act, under which a seven member Library Council was established to
be responsible for information of public library services on the Commonwealth
islands. CNMI began to construct a public library building in Saipan.
The building of 14,000 square feet was completed and dedicated as the Joeten-Kiyu
Puplic Library and began to provide services to the public in February 1992.
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