The Queen Mother Library comprises three archival collections: (1) The complete collection of books (over 3,000) and documents gathered by Ambassador Julio A. Jeldres during many years of work in documenting the Royal Family and the history of Cambodia; (2) The DC-Cam’s archives, which include over 1.7 million pages about the Khmer Rouge, as well as documentary files that have been collected over the past two decades; and (3) DC-Cam’s audio-visual media archive, which consists of over a hundred thousand hours of voice and visual recordings of interviews of Khmer Rouge victims. In addition, during Her Majesty the Queen Mother’s visit, Her Majesty generously donated a number of priceless books, medals, certificates and honoraria of achievement, and other precious personal items for public viewing, study, and appreciation. Without question, the Queen Mother Library is a precious national resource for the education of today’s public and youth, and countless generations in the future.
The establishment of the Queen Mother Library would not have been possible without the generous contribution and support of Ambassador Julio A. Jeldres. Ambassador Jeldres kindly donated this vast collection to the Documentation Center of Cambodia in late 2019. The collection comprises many books on the history of Cambodia, as well as at least 2,800 boxes of documents. In addition to books and documents, there are various other forms of media to include photographs, films, audio recordings in high-quality digitized formatting to ensure reliable preservation and convenient accessibility by the public.
The selection of photos from the collection of Ambassador Julio A. Jeldres, were gathered between 1981 and 2019. Most of the photos originate from the personal collection of His Late Majesty the King Father Norodom Sihanouk covering the period between 1950 and 1991. They portray the different activities undertaken by His Late Majesty the King Father, which includes everything from the King Father’s crusade for independence to diplomatic activities, foreign trips abroad, and the activities and work of His Majesty, Her Majesty the Queen Mother and members of their family.
The Documentation Center of Cambodia is honored to establish the Queen Mother Library, which coincides with its work in establishing the new Sleuk Rith Institute (SRI), which will be the permanent successor to the Center in Phnom Penh. The SRI’s purpose is to honor and commemorate the sacrifice of the victims of the Khmer Rouge Genocide (1975-1979), which will be reflected in SRI’s design. Executive Director, Youk Chhang and the SRI Advisory Board endeavor to break with the traditional model of genocide memorial architecture. Whereas genocide memorial architecture generally emphasizes heavily institutional contours that are dark and angular, deploying stone, metal, and glass, DC-Cam’s vision is to honor the past, with a more positive, uplifting, and future-oriented experience, which will allow visitors to place the events precipitated by the Khmer Rouge regime into the larger context of Cambodia’s lengthy history and why the importance of that context should inspire a positive outlook for the future.
The Queen Mother Library is more than simply a space for learning about the history of Cambodia. The DC-Cam is proud to dedicate this Library to the legacy of the Queen Mother and ALL women in Cambodia. Through their tireless struggle to rebuild, inspire, and recreate the country, through raising families, conceiving and expanding upon economic opportunities, or preserving, protecting, and rekindling their communities, culture and Nation, Cambodian women represent the spirit of Cambodia. The Queen Mother Library is dedicated to this spirit in the past, present, and future.
CONTACT:
ROS SAMPEOU
Director of Archives
e: truthsampeou.r@dccam.org
t: +855 012 882 505