Library Project.

As one of my secondary Peace Corps projects, this summer I’m going to be working on improving the Bethania school library. Last year, the principal made it clear that he wanted some of the school’s savings to go into refurbishing the library. The school board decided that the current library building wasn’t a good permanent home for the library since the high tides have been turning the building into it’s own mini island.

Mr. Lamb (RPCV Palau '66-'68) "wades through the water" on the way to the library.

Thus, the school board decided they want to remodel the Home Ec room and make it an “iLibrary.” I’m not sure what that means, and I’m pretty sure they don’t know what that means either. When I asked, they said that there would be a computer bank installed for the students to use, instead of all the books. When I said that sounds like a computer lab and not a library (and we already have a computer lab), they said nevermind, I shouldn’t worry, there will still be a “book corner” in the iLibrary.

Great. A book corner!

Meanwhile, Nick has been working with one of the tech guys at the Ministry of Education (MOE), to help do what he can to speed up the internet to Babeldaob (the main island). Part of MOE’s new plan for integrating technology into the schools is an experiment with "iClassroom." A group of Americans is bringing this new-fangled technology to Palau soon, and they’re going to test it at Palau High School and one of the elementary schools. I have a feeling that there was some confusion here between "iClassroom" and "iLibrary" and with this plus a bit of "keeping up with the joneses," mixed together with a dash of technical ignorance, we ended up creating ourselves an iLibrary.

Or rather, a book corner in a computer lab ... that has no computers.
 
This should interesting ....... stay tuned.