‘It was a privilege to be invited and welcomed’

A library by community, for community

Andrew Trigg spent a year supporting the Pohnpei Public Library, working alongside staff to strengthen the library’s operations and strategy. Pohnpei is one of four states in the Federated States of Micronesia, which is a country made up of 607 islands in the western Pacific Ocean.

Andrew says it was significant to partner with a community-led organisation. ‘The Pohnpei Public Library is governed by a board of seven people who are all community leaders. The library is managed by Micronesians, it’s run by Micronesians, it’s for Micronesians. As a non-Micronesian partnering with the library, I felt really proud to be associated with that locally led approach.’

He describes his experience of the library as a ‘really bustling, civic institution with a brilliant collection that they’d built over more than 40 years. We’d get 200 to 300 people come in every day – there are public libraries in Australia that would not get even half of that patronage!’

Andrew recalls a particularly memorable experience of travelling with colleagues to deliver books to a school on one of the country’s islands. He witnessed how important the library’s work is to communities around the country. ‘It was a privilege to be a part of that; to be invited, and to be welcomed,’ he reflects.

Locally led volunteering

Andrew says that his assignment reinforced the importance of being led by local priorities and ways of working.

The Pohnpei Public Library has a proud history of volunteering, including welcoming international volunteers. Drawing on this experience, Andrew asked his counterpart’s advice for making the most of his assignment. Her reply was to let go of pre-determined ambitions and follow the lead of colleagues and the community.

Although determined to take up his counterpart’s advice, Andrew admits it was initially challenging to shift his perspective. ‘I was coming from this Australian work culture of key performance indicators and a particular kind of achievement,’ he says. But he was quick to realise that better outcomes could be achieved with a more flexible, team-based approach.

Andrew was able to support the library’s long-standing successful operations and public programming by sharing his knowledge as a member of the team.

The library's funding for accessible library facilities, through New Zealand's North Pacific Development Fund, is one of two successful grants that Andrew and his colleagues worked on together during his assignment.

Pohnpei Public Library was also successful in securing funding through the Australian Government's Direct Aid Program to purchase a specialised scanner for preserving and digitising historical documents and photographs. The equipment will support materials held not only in the library's own collection, but also across other libraries, archives and museums in Pohnpei. The grant will also provide professional development for staff.

Andrew’s colleagues reflected on his collaborative approach and cultural sensitivity being central to his work at the library.

‘He shares openly about his own… expectations and checks the cultural appropriateness with me’, says a colleague at the library.

Andrew says his experience emphasised the importance of ‘having faith in your colleagues. In Micronesia you share the load - it’s not just one person working on the task - and it’s being flexible in who’s doing what and when.’

Continuing connections

Looking back on his assignment, Andrew says he is most proud of the connections he developed with his counterparts.

While the team collaborated to progress projects, achieve grant funding, and establish new partnerships, Andrew says it was ‘the day-to-day fellowship’ with his colleagues that characterised his assignment. He adds, ‘when I left, we both said we were going to miss each other and it’s true.’ 

Now back in Australia, Andrew has continued to keep in contact with his colleagues at the library. ‘I’m still in touch with my colleagues about projects that they’re working on including developing accessible facilities based on a grant that we worked on together during my time there,’ he says.