Tete a Tete with Angelina Karen Ak. Wilfred an Information Resource Officer from Swinburne Sarawak Institute of Technology. She has a Bachelor Degree in Information Studies from Mara University of Technology (UiTM). She has been working with Swinburne Sarawak since August 2000 and she will talk about her involvement with The Friends of The Library (Rakan Pustaka), its  objectives and activities.

Dayang Zarina Ismail (DZAI): Tell us what is The Friends of The and how did you get involved?
Angelina Karen (AKW): The Friends of The Library is a non-profit organization established to facilitate community involvement with the library, to receive gifts of materials including grant requests, endowments, to conduct fundraisers activities and other support as prescribed by the Association. It is our hope The Friends of The Library will stimulate the use of Pustaka Negeri Sarawak’s resources and services. I got involved when I did my practical training at Dewan Bandaraya Kuching Utara and had attachment training at Pustaka Negeri Sarawak in the end of 1999.  It was formally launched at the launching of Pustaka on 31December 1999 and now it is known as Rakan Pustaka, Pustaka Negeri Sarawak.

DZAI: I was informed that you were the first few to be in The Friends of the Library.
AKW: Yes, I was the first few to be appointed  and it is a great pleasure to be the first five. The others were Encik Johnny Kueh, Chief Librarian of KASKA, Tuan Haji Ali b. Haji Man, Managing Director of Telekom, Encik Haja Muhaideen b. Mohd. Yosuf  of UiTM, and Encik Abdul Taib bin Mohammad Kolek of UNIMAS.
At the moment we have 16 members and myself as the Secretary, while the President is Encik Wan Kamarulazhar and our treasurer is Puan Rohani Uni.

DZAI: You had your first meeting early this year. What are your other plans and activities?
AKW: Our first plan is to register this association., so that we would be able to promote it in bigger scale as we have found out The Friends of The Library in Sarawak could be the first in Malaysia. This is quite an achievement and we really do hope to plan for activities that will benefit all the community in the city.

DZAI: What motivated and what have you enjoyed the most being in The Friends of The Library?
AKW: Basically, everything has to come down to doing things you love the most. You heard about it in the international scene especially in the United States and Europe where they have extensive drive to promote users to learn and know what libraries can offer to the society.
I am also into meeting new people, that will give me more challenge in dealing with the public and in other words to build your self-image and good communication skills.
I also hope to give something back to the community by doing some charity work that will benefit everybody and some sense of pleasure of helping others.

DZAI: Who can be the member of this Association?
AKW: Anybody at the age of 16 and above, people from all walks of life who are interested in getting to learn new things, new development and able to take the challenge to contribute to the development of our library.

DZAI: How do you see The Friends of The Library in the future?
AKW: I think the future is great. At the moment we have lots of help and support from  Pustaka, and I do hope with their great support we will be able to contribute with all our zest and enthusiasm.

DZAI: Thank you for your time and it is indeed a great pleasure to learn about the Association.
AKW: You’re most welcome.