I picked Argentina.
Turns out most Argentinian libraries don’t have English on their websites… so, back to square one, or perhaps a whole new plan.
On my internet travels for plan B, I came across LWB, Librarians Without Borders. Now, we’ve all heard of Doctors Without Borders, but who knew there were librarians doing the literacy equivalent.
To give a little bit of information, I’ve pulled the LWB mission statement from their website. “Librarians Without Borders (LWB) is a non-profit organization that strives to improve access to information resources regardless of language, geography, or religion, by forming partnerships with community organizations in developing regions.”
BINGO!
The biggest challenge often faced by libraries in developing nations is the access to information inequity. Access to information is important for “supporting learning and literacy, reducing poverty, empowering citizens, and building healthy, strong communities.” Nations like Ghana do not have the same access to information as Canada or the USA. So how can we level the playing field and make information accessible? How do we make information accessible to those in nations where the literacy rates are sometimes less than 50%!? These were questions I pondered while reading through various programs, and organizations in Ghana through LWB.
My first literacy program I came across with the goal of creating access to literacy was WorldReader. WorldReader is an organization that gives free e readers, and mobile phones to children and families to improve lives through learning and empowerment. WorldReader builds a reading program library designed for the specific region (even trying to use local authors and stories), then distributes the appropriate technology to access the library, and finally supporting the communities with training. They create reading communities where education is valued and can be transformative to the people.
