A Rapid Assessment of the Library of the
Joachim De Brum House, Likiep Atoll,
Republic of the Marshall Islands

by
Dirk H.R. Spennemann,
Jon O'Neill
and
Joan O'Neill

Likiep is unique in many ways. This is particularly true from the viewpoint of historic interaction between colonised people and external administrative powers. Abundant physical and non-physical evidence of this interaction remains on Likiep in surprisingly good condition.

One of the major items is a library, collected by Joachim DeBrum between the 1880s and the 1930s. It is the only plantation library that still survives in Micronesia, and one of the few libraries in the island Pacific dating to the colonial period. This report dicusses both its conservation and the contents.

Despite being the focus of several major historic preservation programmes, the contents site continue to degrade and constant maintenance is required to alleviate the damage caused by decay processes that are exacerbated by tropical conditions.

This report describes the site and examines the issues at hand.

This book and its illustrations are copyright Dirk H.R.Spennemann, Jon O'Neill and Joan o'Neill (© 2003).

This book has been published by the Johnstone Centre Charles Sturt University Albury. It is distributed to interested users free of charge. You may download the pdf file and print it out for your own use; alert others to the the presence of this book; and create a link to this page.

You may not, however, (i) distribute the printed product, or (ii) distribute the document electronically be it as pdf file or any other text or image file to others; or (iii) include the document in any compilation; or (iv) store the document on any server without prior written consent by the copyright holders Jon O'Neill and Dirk H.R.Spennemann. By downloading the file you agree to abide by these stipulations.

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