Towards Libraries as Paradise-A Thai Experience of Library Transformation-

Vilas Wuwongse
Computer Science and Information Management
School of Advanced Technologies
Asian Institute of Technology

Outline Introduction
 Thai Knowledge Park Non-Formal Education Commission
 Conclusions

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Introduction“I have always imagined that Paradise will be akind of library.”
Jorge Luis Borges(Argentinean poet, 18991986)3

Introduction
Following are excerpts from some of the speeches
made by Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra invarious occasions:“How are we going to prepare ourselves for life in themodern world, which today is going to be a society that
depends mainly on knowledge, or what is called aknowledge-based society?” (3 April 2002)
 “In the present world, we need people who may or may not
obtain a formal educational degree, but who love to learn
and to continue to develop themselves for all their lives. I
wish to see the Thai society as a society that builds up theatmosphere that is conducive to learning for all the Thaipeople.” (19 March 2003)
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Introduction“At the moment, I would like to build a library thatis alive and breathing. It will be a place that keeps
up with the rapid changes. It will contain good andup-to-date books with continual rotation. I don’t
want to see a library that is dead from the day ofits inception.” (26 August 2001)

 These ideas and desire of the Prime Minister

have led to the establishment of and thetransformation of old-styled libraries intomodern libraries.
5Thai Knowledge Park

Aiming at the creation of a lively library, which embracescontinuous changes, with good and up-to-date books: a librarythat will never die, the Thai government has established Thai
Knowledge Park (TKpark).
TKpark’s main objective is to instill the good habit and love of
reading and life-long learning into Thai people.
Through a number of brainstorming sessions with the networks
and communities of both youths and adults, TKpark has realizedthat the good habit and love of reading and learning can beinspired by lively, amusing activities of multi-art and culture, eachof which should appropriately tailored to the interest of its target
groups.

6Thai Knowledge Park TKpark opened the first prototype of its new-styled libraries at a conveniently locateddepartment store in Bangkok in January 2005.
 Currently the prototype consists of 5 sections:
Living Library, Open Square, Mini Theater,
Virtual Reality Room and Music Room.

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Thai Knowledge Park
Living Library is a library with books, information anda wide range of multi-media materials.
 Open Square allows people to creatively exchange
knowledge and experiences through a large varietyof activities as well as to make experiments andexpress themselves, in order to discover their own
talents, personal interests and needs.
 Mini Theater shows valuable and award-winning
Thai films.
8Thai Knowledge Park
Virtual Reality Room is equipped with state-of-theart virtual reality (VR) facilities: high-power servers,a high-speed network, high-quality displays as well
as HMD (Head Mounted Display), VR gloves, headtracking devices and other related gadgets.
 Music Room provides music-on-demand services
with a collection of Thai pop music. In addition to theterminals in the music corner, all PCs in the park areequipped with headphones and can serve asterminals for the on-demand services. Musicalbands are from time to time invited to perform live atthe park.
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Non-Formal Education Commission(ONFEC)

ONFEC’s main responsibilities cover 3 areas: organization of
non-formal education, rendering support and cooperation to theformal schooling system and organization and promotion ofinformal education.
The third responsibility deals with lifelong education which aims
at providing people with up-to-date knowledge and informationnecessary for earning their living, improving their quality of life,and adapting themselves to the rapidly changing society.
The lifelong education is carried out by means of various sources:
public libraries, village reading centers, community learning
centers, science centers, as well as educational radio andtelevision programs.

10Non-Formal Education Commission(ONFEC)At present, there are 850 public libraries under thesupervision of ONFEC all over the country.
 They can be classified into 3 sizes: large-sizedpublic libraries consisting of provincial public library;
middle-sized public libraries or Chalermrajgumaree
Public Libraries; and small-sized public libraries
comprising district and sub-district public libraries
which extend the network of provincial publiclibraries to district areas11Non-Formal Education Commission(ONFEC)
These public libraries provide library and information
resources, instill reading habits into rural people, as
well as disseminate cultural information and heritage.
 However, these public libraries have not functioned
as expected. Many of them look gloomy and areunattractive. They seem to welcome only seriouspeople.
 Moreover, they are mostly located at part ofgovernmental offices or isolated buildings on
government-owned or public-donated lands.
12Non-Formal Education Commission(ONFEC)ONFEC therefore plans to transform these libraries
into living ones and turn them into centers for:information and knowledge; community learning;community activities; community learning networks;
and lifelong learning.
 ONFEC is aware that It is very important to improve
public libraries in terms of their efficiency, livelinessas well as their ability and flexibility to respond to thelearning needs of the population.
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Non-Formal Education Commission(ONFEC)ONFEC has devised three types of mobile libraries:
mobile public, mobile floating and mobile volunteer
libraries.
 A mobile public library provides educational
activities with ready-made learning package ofvideotapes, computers, as well as various exhibits.


The services are concentrated on specific groups, such aspeople in congested areas, the disadvantaged, andimpoverished people missing formal education and lacking
in sources of knowledge and educational services.

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Non-Formal Education Commission(ONFEC)A mobile floating library provides an expansion ofreading and learning to people living along the riverand canals in order to create the awareness of cleanwaterways and conservation of natural environment.
 A mobile volunteer library focuses on target groups
who live in remote areas and have difficulties inaccessing the library. Volunteers will bring bags ofbooks to the community. These volunteers willcollect the statistics of service reviewers and willchange the materials and books monthly.
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CONCLUSIONS
 This short presentation has described two

attempts of the Thai government toward thecreation of a new breed of libraries: one is a
new establishment and the other atransformation.
 Both share the same goal, i.e., they want alibrary to be a living place, to be a paradise.
 It remains to be seen whether the Thaigovernment can achieve its goal: to create
libraries as public paradise.
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