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What's Past Is Prologue AAM.PDF This is a repository copy of What’s past is prologue: history, current status and future prospects of library development in Bhutan. White Rose Research Online URL for this paper: https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/167092/ Version: Accepted Version Article: Wangdi, S, LeGrand, C orcid.org/0000-0003-2473-1353, Norbu, P et al. (1 more author) (2020) What’s past is prologue: history, current status and future prospects of library development in Bhutan. Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication, ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print). ISSN 2514-9342 https://doi.org/10.1108/gkmc-12-2019-0153 © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited. This is an author produced version of an article published in Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. Reuse Items deposited in White Rose Research Online are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved unless indicated otherwise. 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[email protected] https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/ Global Knowledge, MemoryGKMC and Communication What’s past is prologue: History, current status and future prospects of library development in Bhutan Journal: Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication Manuscript ID GKMC-12-2019-0153.R3 Manuscript Type: Article Keywords: Libraries, Bhutan, Higher education, Schools, Resources, Service http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/lr GlobalPage 1 of 25 Knowledge, MemoryGKMC and Communication 1 2 3 4 Introduction 5 The nation of Bhutan holds a place in the global imagination as an obscure, exotic realm in 6 7 the mist-shrouded Himalaya (Phuntsho, 2013). Its history is notable for the absence of 8 9 colonial occupation that highly influenced many of its South Asian neighbors (Denman and 10 11 Namgyel, 2008). Bhutan is a mountainous kingdom, traversed by a small number of winding 12 roads frequently at risk of being rendered impassable by landslide. Many villages are located 13 14 beyond the reach of the road network, attainable only on foot. The terrain makes for sharp 15 16 divisions between regions and renders movement and transportation challenging. The rugged 17 landscape poses barriers to the provision of educational and social services and, for much of 18 19 its history, to its territorial unity. Bhutan made its first connection to the Internet in 1999. 20 21 Internet access in Bhutan has grown slowly, also challenged by the nation's formidable 22 23 geography. 24 25 26 The founder of the nation, Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel (1594-c.1651) unified the disparate 27 28 regions of Bhutan into a single nation state in the seventeenth century. He served as both a 29 political and spiritual ruler--“the King and at the same time the chief lama” (Aris, 1979, p. 30 31 217)--until his death in 1651. His death was kept secret for 54 years to forestall returning to 32 33 warlordism by different religion sects within the country and external invasion by Tibetans 34 35 and British Indians. With the gradual disclose of his death, the government plunged into a 36 state of anarchy and civil strife for about two centuries. 37 38 39 40 Since 1907, Bhutan has been ruled by a secular monarchy, the five Druk Gyalpo (Dragon 41 42 Kings). The Third and Fourth Kings (Jigme Dorji Wangchuk [reigned 1952-1972] and Jigme 43 Singye Wangchuk [reigned 1972-2006] oversaw years of progress in Bhutan. In perhaps his 44 45 ultimate act of transformation, the Fourth King offered democracy to his kingdom. The first 46 47 Constitution named the King as the titular head of state and put control of the government 48 squarely in the hands of democratically elected officials (Phuntsho, 2013). The First 49 50 Parliament of Bhutan was elected in 2008. 51 52 53 54 The most pressing challenges facing Bhutan are well outlined in the Eleventh Five-Year Plan 55 (Gross National Happiness Commission, 2013). The Plan articulates priorities and goals for 56 57 the short term and a national vision for development for the long term. Among the challenges 58 59 noted in the Plan is the dire need to build human and institutional capacity, spelled out in the 60 1 http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/lr Global Knowledge, MemoryGKMC and CommunicationPage 2 of 25 1 2 3 Plan’s recommendation for improvements in the delivery of education and the dissemination 4 5 of information and knowledge (Gross National Happiness Commission, 2013). 6 7 8 National development requires “access to knowledge, primarily in agriculture, medicine, and 9 10 technology, [that] can help to create stronger social, economic, and technical infrastructures” 11 12 (Chan and Costa, 2005, p. 141). Developing nations, in particular, need high-quality and 13 14 current information for scientists, researchers, scholars, academics, practitioners, and 15 entrepreneurs. Bhutan is no exception and must respond to the demands of national 16 17 development by creating and supporting an environment for generating new knowledge, 18 19 fostering innovation, and developing the professional competencies of the modern 20 21 knowledge-based economy (Ministry of Education, 2010). Resources and services offered by 22 libraries play a critical role in education and in the creation and effective use of knowledge. 23 24 Ensuring the existence of effective libraries will help Bhutan to achieve its national 25 26 development goals. 27 28 29 If access to knowledge is required to meet its goals, it is worth investigating whether 30 31 conditions for success exist in Bhutan. The experience of Bhutan can depict the challenges 32 33 that still face the Global South with regard to information access, human capacity, and 34 national development. 35 36 37 38 There is a growing body of knowledge about library services and their impact and an 39 40 evolving landscape of digital information and open access. The authors hope to add Bhutan to 41 the discussion and contribute to a greater understanding of libraries and literacy in the Global 42 43 South. 44 45 46 The goals of this paper are to document the development of libraries in Bhutan, describe their 47 48 current status, and offer strategies to improve libraries and their services. Libraries have both 49 50 material and human components. This paper will focus in particular on the professionals who 51 52 provide library services. The authors specifically wish to examine the extent to which 53 Bhutan’s library systems can deliver information and its library professionals can support 54 55 research and literacy. 56 57 58 59 60 2 http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/lr GlobalPage 3 of 25 Knowledge, MemoryGKMC and Communication 1 2 3 4 Literature Review 5 The Virtues of the Library 6 7 Much has been written about the value of libraries to human and national development and 8 9 the role libraries play in the creation of sustainable societies (Aabø, 2005a, 2005b). The role 10 11 of the library in reducing poverty and enhancing social justice has been examined in the 12 Global South, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (Abubakar, 2013; Mnkeni-Saurombe and 13 14 Zimu, 2013). De Lemos (1981) documents the history of the obstacles to the development of 15 16 print culture, literacy, libraries and a publishing industry across the Global South; many of 17 those obstacles have not yet been overcome. 18 19 20 21 The value of education, its power as a tool to change the world, is widely understood. 22 23 Libraries make strong contributions to this change by fostering literacy skills and 24 disseminating knowledge (Chan and Costa, 2005). 25 26 27 28 Development of Libraries in Bhutan 29 Much of the literature documenting the history and status of libraries in Bhutan is derived 30 31 from the methodical work of two researchers. Shaw (2005a; 2005b; 2005c) paid multiple 32 33 visits to Bhutan from 1984 to 2005, during which she collected data that let her track the 34 35 progress of certain schools over time. Her close examination of the development of school 36 libraries over 20 years recounts many changes to policy and curriculum and the impact of 37 38 those changes on library practices. Shaw also reports the growing role of international 39 40 organizations and actors to help improve library collections, facilities, and services in Bhutan 41 42 (2005b; 2005c). 43 44 45 Shaw’s (2005a; 2005b; 2005c) research provides a tool for comparing policy and practice 46 47 over time. She documents haphazard development of school libraries and the general 48 unpreparedness of those assigned to work in libraries. 49 50 51 52 A second researcher provides a portrait of academic libraries in Bhutan. Ransom (2011a; 53 54 2011b) was invited to spend half of 2010 at Royal University of Bhutan (RUB) to conduct an 55 assessment of their libraries. She found that RUB’s libraries did not meet the university’s 56 57 aspirations. Among the factors contributing to the problems in RUB’s libraries are low 58 59 60 3 http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/lr Global Knowledge, MemoryGKMC and CommunicationPage 4 of 25 1 2 3 funding and a lack of expertise among library staff. Innovative and knowledgeable library 4 5 staff can add value to even a rudimentary library collection.
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