I know a librarian who used to work at the University of Hawaii. She told me lots of Pacific nations had publishing houses and put out several periodicals that the university did its best to purchase and preserve. She said it was sometimes difficult to get them. I seriously thought about buying a boat and moving out there to work as a professional library supplier.
There are a dozen or more reasons why I didn’t do it, but this makes me think of that dream again.
I was in Ubud for about 6 months in 1997 and I spent a lot of time in this library. It is (or was) part of the family compound, and it was a really peaceful and welcoming place. I would often eat lunch there and then read or nap (I had picked up a little bug while I was there and was sleeping a LOT towards the end) and it was just a great place to be. Outside of Kuta and Denpasar there weren’t a whole lot of places to find books, and for the most part libraries were just small private collections being lent out of people’s homes and businesses. For those of us who were in town for an extended period it was great because folks that were traveling through would leave their books or swap them out for new ones so it was also a great source for escapist leisure reading. I’m sorry to hear of Laurie’s passing, I didn’t really know her but I do remember her being around, and she was a great resource for westerners who were trying to figure out how to fit in and roll with the locals. I’m glad to hear this library is still up and running.
A great remembrance. Thanks for sharing.
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