Book Reviews

Memorable Journey: Commemorating 25 Years of CONSAL (Congress of Southeast Asian Librarians) 1970–95. Edited by Khoo Siew Mun. Kuala Lumpur: CONSAL X, 1996. xxii, 229 p. ISBN 967–99938–2–5. Rm25 plus postage; may be billed in US$. Persatuan Perpustakaan Malaysia, Box 12545, 50782 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

A wonderful book about a wonderful organization! The Congress of Southeast Asian Librarians (CONSAL) originated in informal discussions among librarians who gathered together in 1969 in the cool mountains at the Puncak, south of Jakarta. Only a year later, in Singapore, CONSAL held its first meeting. The success demonstrated that, since the end of the Second World War, the number of capable Asian librarians had grown large enough that they were ready to stand on their own. To celebrate the Silver Anniversary of that beginning, CONSAL&38217;s Executive Board decided to publish a volume reviewing the history of the Congress and to make it available at the time of CONSAL X, held in Kuala Lumpur this past May. Mrs. Khoo Siew Mun, former Chief Librarian of the University of Malaysia, agreed to do the work. And a fine job it is.

Even the obligatory official letters of congratulation contain some personal and enlightening remarks. The opening section is followed by individual accounts of the organizing history of CONSAL and of each of the ten meetings. (The account of the actual events of CONSAL X, of course, had to await publication in three more recent volumes of proceedings.) An album of photographs taken at the meetings personalizes the retrospective look. Six articles by prominent participants offer reminiscences and assessments of the conferences and their contribution to librarianship in the region. A section of obituaries pays tribute to some of the Congress’s leaders who are no longer living. (I should disclose that one of these is a reprint of one I wrote for Third World Libraries.) A large part of the volume consists of a comprehensive list of papers given at ten meetings, and author–title, subject, and geographic indexes to them. And, finally, appendices list the members of the organizing committees and the participants at the first Congress.

The contribution of this volume is especially important because CONSAL itself was organized and has operated in an informal fashion throughout its history, without permanent staff, without continuing publications, and without fixed headquarters. Consequently, documents and records of the meetings are scattered and not easily available. This publication, though it cannot adequately replace official contemporary documents, provides a valuable record of events.

To single out particular parts of so rich a chronicle is difficult. Still, I will say that I find the biographical information in obituaries and in notes on contributors especially welcome. And no one should miss reading the analysis of library development in the region and the prospects for the future by Edward Lim, now University Librarian at Monash University in Melbourne, who demonstrates once again his clear–eyed and tough–minded capacity for accurate and candid assessments.

About the author

W. L. Williamson is Professor Emeritus, School of Library and Information Studies, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Wisconsin.