About Us
Our Client
From Chandara Lor
Angsoeng Photos
About Cambodia
Informing Cambodians in an Information Age
The Angsoeng Rural Media Library hopes to help bridge the information gap between rural and urban Cambodians and to help them learn about their country and the world. The library also wants to help bring Cambodians in the country and overseas closer together in order to help rehabilitate this war-weakened and deeply divided society.
Please read this letter from library founder Chandara Lor (pictured above) for a personal message about the Angsoeng Rural Media Library.
Background
Based in Takeo province, the cradle of Cambodia's ancient Kingdom of Funan, the Rural Media Library's goal is to provide poor villagers of all ages the opportunity to advance their education and improve their understanding of the social, economic, political, legal and cultural issues that affect Cambodia and the world.
The library is a free-of-charge clearinghouse for information and a gathering place where farmers, schoolchildren, researchers and others can gather together to study, read, research and discuss issues such as development, democracy, community-building and the issues and events of the world at large.
The library was established in Seila village, Chambak commune, Bati district in March 2001 at a private home on a much-traveled rural road between the Ang Soeng primary school and Bati high school in Takeo province. It is located about one kilometer off National Route 2, close to both the well-known Phnom Tamao Zoo and the historic 12th century temple, Phnom Chisor.
Takeo Governor Kep Chutema presided over the library’s grand opening on May 4, 2001, calling it Takeo's “first and largest” communications and community library. It is modeled on Phnom Penh’s vital Media Library located behind The Cambodia Daily newspaper's office in Phnom Penh at #50B Street 240.
Chandara Lor, a senior Cambodian journalist with independent newspaper The Cambodia Daily, founded the library. Mr. Lor gathered books, organized the property, collected support – putting the library together in his free time and with his own money. It is not related to his work at The Cambodia Daily.
Aim
The hope is that the Rural Media Library will help poor villagers develop their communities and, in turn, help their struggling nation move toward democracy. This goal, while universal and timeless, is also critically important as Cambodia prepares itself for the historic tribunal to try leaders of the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime.
The library provides a place where isolated, impoverished rural people can learn about and help their fellow citizens monitor their public institutions, such as the parliament and judiciary. It also helps prepare them to actively participate in the democratic process and create an informed and energized electorate in this stricken land.
The library also provides information on law, human rights and technical innovations such as sustainable farming, in an attempt to narrow the “information gap” between urban and rural Cambodians on the one hand and the developed and underdeveloped world on the other.
Finally, the library also provides a scholarly, peaceful environment where schoolchildren can come and enjoy reading, games and discussion, giving the growing number of young Cambodians a worthwhile alternative to the hazards that plague them, such as gangs, drugs, prostitution and disease.
The Rural Media Library’s objectives include:
* Promoting literacy and education.
* Promote public awareness of general laws and regulations and respect for human rights and the principles of democracy.
* Improving knowledge of English and catching up on the "emerging revolution" of Information Technology.
* Introducing up-to-date techniques to area farmers, such as the compost projects in the area.
Activities
In the first month after the library officially opened, approximately 3,000 people visited. The response was terrific and beyond the organizers’ wildest imaginations.
But it is not their imaginations that are of concern. Readers at the Rural Media Library find an assortment of publications in Khmer and English, including informational pamphlets from non-governmental organizations, newspapers, magazines, novels, reference works and textbooks. Items popular with children include quiz games designed to broaden general knowledge, basic English books, dictionaries and English conversation textbooks, Cambodian and world folk tales, and classic novels in both English and Khmer.
Our readers visit in a pleasantly informal setting, sitting on plastic chairs around a wooden table built by the head librarian or on bamboo benches constructed in the shade of the library’s small garden.
The Collection
The library has more than 1,000 items, including maps and informational posters. Based on early donations, the library's strongest collection is in the social sciences. It is also compiling an archival collection of speeches and papers by Cambodian and world leaders.
Data Collection
Although we do not yet have a circulation department, we are beginning the process of organizing our collection into the following categories and call numbers:
* 000 General
* 001 Philosophy & Psychology
* 002 Religion
* 003 Social Sciences
* 004 Languages
* 005 Natural Sciences
* 006 Technology & Mathematics
* 007 The Arts
* 008 Literature & Rhetoric
* 009 Geography & History
Acquisitions
The Rural Media Library has received a quantity of English-language books, newsletters, magazines, and pamphlets donated by non-governmental organizations, institutes and government departments and individuals in Cambodia and abroad.
The library has a smaller supply of Khmer-language publications and badly needs additional Khmer materials suitable for children or those with limited reading ability.
Donations are central to the library’s success and contributions pay far beyond their dollar value the first time a small child or an old farmer opens a book or reads a newspaper. For further information on the library’s needs and how to donate, please contact The Rural Media Library or look in the donation section of the Pookai Book Project.
The Rural Media Library expresses its sincere thanks to non-governmental organizations, institutes, government departments and generous individuals who have donated books, informational pamphlets, magazines, and even money. While we have had great success so far, we still need their continued support.
Opening Hours
The library is open to the public, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. On Saturday, it is open from 8 am to 2 p.m. It is closed every Sunday and on public holidays. (However, the library time has been always flexible for those who come earlier and leave later. Knowledge is our primary goal and a few hours of extra time are more than worth it.)
Borrowing Rights
At present, all materials must be read on the premises, as we do not yet have sufficient staff to set up a circulation system. In the future, we hope to allow readers to borrow up to two books for five working days, upon presentation of a valid ID card. Reference books, newspapers and magazines cannot be borrowed.
About the Founder
Journalist Chandara Lor is currently associate editor of The Cambodia Daily, the leading English- and Khmer-language daily newspaper in Phnom Penh and Cambodia’s paper of record. He is a member of the Cambodian Association for the Protection of Journalists and was born in Ang Soeng village, where the library is located.
“L.C.,” as his friends know him, knew nothing about library management when he conceived the idea of the Rural Media Library. But he built his eight-year career in journalism by applying himself to books and study. He is convinced he can help other Cambodians by providing them similar access to information. He has dedicated himself to this project, working weekends and nights to build the library's collection and enlist the help of Cambodian librarians in organizing the material.
Chandara Lor’s cousin, Vong Pov, a senior Angsoeng teacher, and Toek Phal, the founder’s father and a rice farmer are handling day-to-day operations on a volunteer basis.
The surge of people visiting our library has been gratifying insofar as the staff has discovered just how hungry Cambodians are for knowledge. However, it has also made the library's staff aware of much farther they have to go to meet this appetite. They do not have the money to expand the facilities and, indeed, worry may not be able to keep it going for long. Donations will help them continue this vital work, and help the people of Cambodia as they struggle to pull themselves towards a decent society, and better lives for all their people. Thank you in advance for your support.
How to Contact Us
Chandara Lor, the library's founder, can be reached by phone at 855-012-924-463, or via e-mail at takeomedialibrary@hotmail.com
In Phnom Penh, he can be reached at The Cambodia Daily, P.O. Box 27, #50B , Street 240. The phone number to the Daily is 855-023-426-602.
In Seila village, the library's address is House 140, Group 5, Seila village, Chambak commune, Bati district, Takeo province. Its staff includes: Vong Pov, deputy director in charge of general affairs; Toek Phal, permanent secretary/librarian; and Chhoeng Sok, assistant librarian.
Every dollar you give will helps the library fulfill its mission to improve the education of rural villagers and their children. Donations help rural folks build a better life.