African Library Project

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The African Library Project (ALP) is a non-profit organization that sets up lending libraries in rural, southern Africa . Volunteers from the United States organize book collections and ship books to libraries in Africa. ALP works with government and non-government organizations. The partners process applications from schools and communities that want to set up libraries, distribute the books and offer training courses. Schools and communities that receive books provide space and look after employees. The ALP works in Africa south of the Sahara, mainly in Botswana , Ghana , Kenya , Lesotho , Malawi , Sierra Leone and Swaziland .

organization

ALP is a "US 501 (c) 3 organization". It was founded in 2005 by Chris Bradshaw. Since then, more than 1,900 lending libraries have been set up in sub-Saharan Africa.

Working method

ALP volunteers in the United States collect used books as donations and prepare them for shipping to participating lending libraries in Africa.

A typical small library contains around a thousand books. The books are initially collected centrally in New Orleans , Louisiana and forwarded for a cost of approximately $ 250 per container . Each container holds the books of 30 to 60 libraries.

ALP works with partner organizations, which can be state or non-state. It looks after schools and communities that want to build libraries. The partner organizations distribute these and also offer training and supervision of the libraries for the employees on site.

School teachers and administrators receive a manual on how to run a library, modeled on Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO). The librarians collect data on usage and attend courses offered by the ALP partners. A library summit is held every two years.

Every library gets the books it wants. ALP also purchases additional books such as the Junior African Writers Series (JAWS), HIV / AIDS educational material (Pearson) and Hesperian Health Guides .

Partner organizations

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Shelah Moody: JEFFERSON AWARD: Presented to Chris Bradshaw. Trip to Africa planted seed that blossomed into library project. [1] In: San Francisco Chronicle. July 9, 2006
  2. ↑ Michealene Risley: The African Library Project Goal: Eradicate Illiteracy in Africa .
  3. ↑ Miriam ElKorchi: Chris Bradshaw ships books to Africa to help make the impossible possible. [2] In: Christian Science Monitor. May 7, 2013
  4. ^ Reading Initiative Salone (RISE) Network trains 50 librarians. [3] Sierra Express Media, July 21, 2015.
  5. ^ Michael Lapsley Foundation .
  6. ^ Project Humanity .
  7. ^ Rongo University College .
  8. ↑ DAPP Malawi .
  9. ^ Malawi Institute of Education .

Web links