Creating literate environments: the role of libraries Sara Harrity, Book Aid International

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Creating literate environments the role of
libraries Sara Harrity, Book Aid International
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Introducing Book Aid International

• 50 years experience supporting readers and
  learners
• Support for community libraries, schools,
  universities, local books / info sector
• Partnerships in 17 countries in sub Saharan
  Africa and Palestine
• Programmes incorporate books / info support,
  capacity building and advocacy

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Commonwealth Links

• Majority of programmes in the Commonwealth
• Joint project with Commonwealth Pharmaceutical
  Association - up to date pharmaceutical
  information for health workers
• Commonwealth Secretariat sponsorship and
  distribution of a recent research paper
• Association of Commonwealth Universities and
  Commonwealth Foundation funds Exchanges and
  Training Programme
• COMLA connections, planned CCEM attendance

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Literacy challenges

• 2006 EFA GMR highlights
• One billion illiterate adults worldwide, majority
  are women
• Need to scale up youth and adult literacy
  programmes
• Poor literate environments

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Literate environments

• 2006 EFA GMR investment in literacy as a human
  right
• Need to create an environment that helps sustain
  and develop literacy
• Whats needed? reading materials, newspapers,
  posters, a range of simple and accessible written
  information

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The challenge of creating literate environments

• Significant investment needed to create literate
  environments
• Greater policy engagement to look at literate
  environments and enhancing educational quality,
  both of which are central to education policy
• Wider sharing of learning about projects that are
  already strengthening literate environments

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What is the role of libraries?

• Libraries are valuable throughout our lives, for
  research, for news, for practical information and
  for leisure
• Value of libraries perhaps even stronger in
  developing countries where access to information
  is much more limited
• Evidence shows libraries support literacy and
  learning

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Libraries need more support

• A UNESCO/ADEA report for the 2000 Education For
  All assessment found a majority of schools in
  Africa do not have a school library and where one
  exists it is often no more than a few shelves
  of outdated and worn out material, inadequately
  staffed
• Public libraries are similarly neglected there
  are just 36 branches in Kenyas national library
  network, to serve a population of 32 million

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The evidence for libraries in schools

• SACMEQ 2000-1 surveys of reading ability in seven
  countries in sub-Saharan Africa identify poor
  reading ability among a majority of learners
• The researchers link this problem to book
  shortages for instance in Tanzania just 20 of
  primary schools have any kind of school library
• The reports recommendations include improving
  pupils access to books through better school and
  classroom libraries, increased book borrowing and
  encouraging pupils reading

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The evidence for libraries in the community

• To maintain literacy people must be able to
  continue to access reading materials libraries
  provide a cost-effective solution, offering free
  and open access
• Popularity of libraries is a good measure of
  their usefulness to communities on a recent
  visit to Kenya BAI staff noted several libraries
  with 200 visitors a day and one which had nearly
  500 users each day
• Community libraries have wide-ranging impact
  across social, cultural and educational fields
  this can be difficult to measure

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Community information

• Chiwamba Community Information Centre
• Rural resource centre in Malawi
• Makes use of two-way information flows to ensure
  that both external information resources and
  local knowledge are shared and exchanged within
  the community
• Engages with the community to provide appropriate
  resources and to ensure high levels of
  participation and use
• Wide range of services on offer including
  audio-visual, training, events and support for
  adult literacy groups

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Chiwamba Community Information Centre
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Promoting access

• Mobile services such as motorbike book boxes, the
  camel mobile library
• Special services eg for blind, HIV/AIDs sections,
  opening times dedicated female readers
• Community links most teacher-librarians have
  had little or no training, community librarians
  can offer support through linking with local
  schools and offering training in reading
  promotion

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Relevant resources

• Libraries can offer good access to resources that
  support formal education and help improve
  learning outcomes
• Supplementary materials help to equip learners
  to be critical readers and acquire
  information-age literacy
• Need for basic and locally relevant information
  materials and books and pamphlets in local
  languages as well as in English
• Resources in print and electronic form enhance
  knowledge and skills development

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Benefits for library users

• Maintain and develop literacy skills learnt in
  the classroom
• Access knowledge to improve lives and livelihoods
• Learn about health issues and be better able to
  protect families from sickness
• Become aware of democratic rights
• Acquire skills to help gain employment
• Reinforcing cultural identity
• Route to self development - independent critical
  thinking

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The way forward

• We believe libraries have a crucial role to play
  in creating and sustaining literate environments
• In a context where strong literate environments
  are created there is much greater opportunity for
  i) enhancing educational quality and ii) creating
  opportunities for lifelong learning
• Need to work together to influence policy