Annual Review 2013
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Annual Review 2013 Book Aid International in 2013 Book Aid International and our partners medical books and over 16,000 vocational skills books, achieved a great deal in 2013. Thanks to from books on business development to carpentry and UK publishers we were able to provide hairdressing manuals. These categories of books are our partner library services in sub-Saharan particularly in demand and are rarely available or affordable Africa with 563,310 new books with an for our partners. estimated value of £6.8 million. We also Library services for children are at the heart of our work. supported 113 library development projects, provided Throughout 2013 we worked with partners to create six training in librarianship to 142 librarians and teachers and new Children’s Corners in public libraries in Uganda and to supplied grants for the refurbishment of 54 libraries and for provide a School Library in a Box for children in 20 schools the purchase of over 21,000 locally published books. in Tanzania. For both these projects we provided training The generosity of supporters makes all our work possible. in the delivery of library services for children to librarians In 2013 we raised over £1.4m, with individuals generating and teachers. more than half of this amount. Trusts and corporate In 2013 we began working with Kenya National Library funders, community fundraising and income from events Service (KNLS) on a children’s books and e-learning contributed the balance. pilot project. We supplied selected libraries with tablets Volunteers remain essential to the success of Book Aid uploaded with content relevant to the interests of the International and over half of the books we sent in 2013 children and training for both librarians and children in how were stamped or packed by a volunteer. Our Community to use the tablets. This pilot project will help us to evaluate Ambassadors represented us at literary festivals and how children can benefit from digital resources in libraries organised fundraising activities. Thousands of schools and how we may extend access to digital materials to more across the country celebrated World Book Day in March partner libraries in future. by fundraising for Book Aid International, raising a We worked with partners to develop services for users of record £78,353. community libraries in Ethiopia, Uganda and Cameroon. Over two-thirds of the books we provided to partners in We began working with the African Prisons Project to 2013 were for children and ranged from pre-school picture develop library services for prison communities in Uganda, books to textbooks and teenage fiction. We also shipped and we completed a three-year project with KNLS to 60,548 higher education books to universities, polytechnics improve access to medical information for health service and public libraries. We provided partners with 30,071 providers in Kenya. Nsobe Delopment Trust Campus, Zambia 2 In 2013 we: • provided 563,310 new books to more than 3,000 libraries in sub-Saharan Africa • supported projects benefiting113 public, school and community libraries • provided training for 142 librarians and teachers • supported the refurbishment of 54 libraries • funded the purchase of over 21,000 locally published books Training for librarians was a key component of all our On behalf of library users across sub-Saharan Africa, our projects in 2013, ensuring that library users can make the partners and all of us in London, I would like to thank best use of their library services. Monitoring and evaluation everyone who makes this invaluable work possible. I hope of both project work and book provision was undertaken you enjoy finding out more about what you helped us to by partners and by Book Aid International staff; the shared achieve in 2013 over the following pages. learning contributes to improvements in our project delivery and book provision programmes. In 2013 we published Talking to users: a review of our work in five countries, which helped shape our strategy for 2014-2016. Our new strategy focuses on children’s library services, school libraries, community and public libraries Alison Hubert and health information provision and we aim to increase Director the number of books we provide to partners to 700,000 every year by 2016. We will also seek to create greater project sustainability through more local training initiatives and by strengthening relationships with national publishers in countries where we work. Books from Book Aid International arrive at MA Ali Secondary School in Somaliland A Human Rights student in the National Library of Uganda 3 Libraries for children For so many children in Africa, a public or community Children’s Corners: Open Doors library may be the only place to study or read for To mark our 60th anniversary, we aim to create 60 pleasure or to find books other than in schools, and Children’s Corners in public libraries in six sub-Saharan even there they may be in very short supply. However, African countries by 2017, so that hundreds of thousands libraries are underfunded and many do not have much of children can read and enjoy books in English and local in the way of books, resources or librarians trained to languages suitable for their age and reading ability. work with children. This is why we are working so hard with partners to improve children’s library services, creating child-friendly spaces - Children’s Corners - in I come to the library every day after public libraries. school and even during holidays with my “brother to read, play, make friends and Children’s Corners in Uganda grow up as a child with lots of great ideas. In 2013, in partnership with the National Library Service Victor, Meru Library Children’s Corner, Kenya ” of Uganda (NLU), we created new Children’s Corners in six public libraries. Librarians from each library have taken Training for librarians part in training to give them the skills and confidence to work effectively with children. Training for librarians is integral to the creation of each Children’s Corner and is a key component of our work to Each library has received new books from the UK, small improve services for children. grants from Book Aid International to purchase locally In 2013 we created a Children’s Corner in Okahandja, published books and for library renovations, toys and Namibia, in partnership with Namibia Library and Archive children’s furniture. The Children’s Corners are now bright Services. Few librarians in Namibia have had specialised and welcoming, with staff engaging well with children and training in working with children, so in November 2013 we enthusiastically delivering a range of activities with local provided training for 29 school and community librarians schools. The libraries are already seeing significantly more to build their confidence when working with children and children visiting and joining the library. to develop new activities that encourage parents, carers We are very grateful to the Headley Trust for their support and teachers to bring children to the library. for this project. We are very grateful to Aggreko Plc for their support Case Study: for this training. Paidha Children’s Corner Paidha lies in the Northern Region of Uganda on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, a particularly hard to access area of the country. Mercy Nikuma Mercy Nikuma has been running the library for the past three years and has been delighted with the changes made through the project. She used a grant from Book Aid International to buy desks, chairs, shelving, mats, games and toys for children. Mercy also commissioned a local artist to paint a large mural on the wall, taken from a picture in a book within the library collection. Children’s librarian training in Namibia 4 Introducing digital technology for The kids require only children in libraries the basic training. They Book Aid International and Kenya National Library Service “navigate and explore (KNLS) began working together in 2013 on a three-year better than us! We are project piloting the use of hand-held computers (tablets) in three selected libraries. The project is giving children training 20 children the opportunity to use technology for reading and for from Kaaga School for educational games and activities. The library runs activities the Deaf who are so for children with special needs which are benefitting local gifted in understanding children and schools. how the tablets operate. We also have 10 children with autism who We were delighted to work with Kenyan NGO e-Limu, visit the library every day… it’s a joy to which is providing educational digital content for the tablets, including curriculum material, supplementary watch them navigate the tablets without reading from local authors and educational games. e-Limu much assistance! facilitated the first digital training workshop at Meru Computers are not readily available at Library in December 2013. This workshop gave project home or school so the library has become librarians and a group of 29 children the opportunity to a digital centre where children can gain learn how the computers worked, how they can use them to help with their homework, and the different learning computer skills and also explore and games they can play on them. access information of their choice. At present, many of the areas where we work cannot access Books are still essential to our users digital content; despite rapid technological advances in because they are romantic, you can fall sub-Saharan Africa, internet access is largely restricted in love with a book, hold it, caress it and to cities while vast rural areas do not have electricity, let share it with friends. The books in the alone reliable access to the internet.