Long Beach Library Makes Khmer Book Haul

Susan (left) and Lydia, a Khmer librarian, in the Twain library.

By Sivon Brahm, VOA Khmer

Original report from Washington

03 March 2008

Khmer audio aired February 22 ( 1.77 MB) - Download (MP3)

Khmer audio aired February 22 ( 1.77 MB) - Listen (MP3)

The Mark Twain Library, in Long Beach, recently brought in more than 1,000 books from Cambodia and has been working feverishly to have them catalogued and ready to check out by Cambodian New Year, in April.
"We have about around 50,000 Cambodian people in our area," said librarian Susan Taylor. "And we need to serve them like we serve all the other population with the reading materials. And we are here as a public library to please, and offer information to the community, whether they are English speaking, or Spanish speaking, or Vietnamese speaking or whatever."
The library bought the books after two librarians made a foray into Cambodia.
Sam Sothea, a community leader in Long Beach and president of the neighborhood's "Cambodia Town," said the library would work to make the books available by Khmer New Year, in April.
"So the Cambodians can borrow them and read at home," she said.