Inquiry Blog #4 – Libraries & Developing Countries

Inquiry Blog #4 – Libraries & Developing Countries

Library Projects in Developing Nations

John Woods, an executive at Microsoft and founder of Room to Read, has taken on library projects across several developing countries (Bernard, 2008). His non-profit organization builds bilingual libraries, schools, and computer labs (Bernard, 2008). Since its start in 2000, Room to Read has established programs in India, Nepal, South Africa, and Sri Lanka (Bernard, 2008). Woods gave much credit to the students who volunteered their time towards programs such as Students Helping Students (Bernard, 2008). This program started as a fundraiser for Sri Lanka and raised $400, 000 for the countries rebuilding efforts (Bernard, 2008). The movement has since spread with other school libraries hosting their own fundraisers to create global citizens out of their students and support developing nations in need (Bernard, 2008).  Since the time of its existence the organization has opened 5, 000 libraries, about 400 schools, donated more than 1.4 million English language books, published 146 local language tittles, and touched the lives of about 1.5 million students of developing countries (Bernard, 2008).

Supporting Local Needs of Community

Room to Read is addressing many of the community needs. It starts big with the creation of schools for students to attend and libraries for students to read in. It then goes more specific into resources. For instance, on the Room to Read website, it is clear that the Literacy Program high qualities materials of various types (n.d). In many countries there is a lack of books in the mother tongue and so the organization has developed its own set of language books (Room to Read, n.d). In 2006, it developed 92 books in 13 languages (Room to Read, n.d).

                                 Literacy Program Information from Room to Read Website

Access to internet and databases

Many of the countries discussed on the Room to Read website are without schools let alone internet (n.d.). The organization does however, also build computer labs in developing countries (Room to Read, n.d). It is hard however, to say how the internet access for those computers may be (Room to Read, n.d).

According to authors Ogunsola and T.O Okusaga however, the digital library state is sad (n.d). In their article, “Developing Countries and the Need for Virtual Libraries: Problems and Prospects,” the authors stated that a survey of the University of Libraries revealed that digital libraries in developing countries were  in deplorable conditions (Ogunsola & Okusaga, n.d.). This was due to inadequate funding caused by acute inflation and depression (Ogunsola & Okusaga, n.d.). Many students did not have effective information services, and found it difficult to embark on meaningful bibliographic awareness services (Ogunsola & Okusaga, n.d.). Developing countries were standing isolated from global information systems and the internet (Ogunsola & Okusaga, n.d.).

More Democratic Access to Information using Phones

On a recent trip to India, I was surprised to see just how widely adopted the cell phone had become. Almost every-one I saw had a phone, regardless of if they had a job or not. You could easily buy a cheap cell phone and load it up with minutes, or a balance as they called it in India. Some people had more than one cell phone, since they were not operating on a monthly bill. Even the beggars on the street had a cell phone. This makes sense considering what Simon Sharwood stated in his business report (2018). According to Sharwood, in the developing world more than 200 million more people came online in 2017 (2018). Sharwood is however, quick to also not that just because there are more subscriptions does not automatically mean more people will use the internet (2018).

Work Cited

Bernard, S. (2008, January 11). Room to Read: Building Libraries, Schools, and Computer Labs in Developing Countries. Retrieved February 21, 2019, from https://www.edutopia.org/global-education-libraries-developing-countries

Ogunsola, L., & Okusaga, T. (n.d.). Developing Countries and the Need for Virtual Libraries: Problems and Prospects. Retrieved February 22, 2019, from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.87.8922&rep=rep1&type=pdf

Room to Read. (n.d.). Literacy Program. Retrieved February 23, 2019, from https://www.roomtoread.org/impact-reach/toward-systemic-change/literacy-program/?tab=how we work

Sharwood, S. (2018, March 02). Developing world hits 98.7 per cent mobile phone adoption. Retrieved February 23, 2019, from https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/08/03/itu_facts_and_figures_2017/