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- Convenor:
-
Michael Kevane
(Santa Clara University)
- Stream:
- Books, writing and education
- Location:
- G60
- Start time:
- 11 September, 2006 at
Time zone: Europe/London
- Session slots:
- 1
Short Abstract:
Public and school libraries, long neglected, are experiencing a resurgence of local and international interest.
Long Abstract:
Public and school libraries are often the only source of reading material for people in communities where the first generation of young persons is achieving high rates of schooling. For example, in Burkina Faso, purchasing a book is simply out of reach for most village parents. School children share classroom textbooks and have little access to books outside of the classroom. Appropriate reading materials in local libraries can enhance and deepen acquisition of literacy. Sustained development of literacy skills and reading habits is widely considered to be intrinsically worthwhile, and also has a number of well-documented valuable spillover effects. This panel will examine the performance and impact of public and school libraries in African settings.
Space for possibly 1 extra paper on reading/libraries.
Accepted papers:
Session 1Michael Kevane (Santa Clara University)
Paper long abstract:
Estimates of the impact of libraries on reading in eight villages in Burkina Faso and costs of running libraries enable us to suggest that the cost of getting an extra book read a year varies from $.74 to $1.30,
according to the size of the school in the village, and the cost of an extra school year equivalent likewise varies from $43.42 to $75.98 per year. These costs are comparable to the costs of increasing schooling, and suggest more careful assessment of the choice between schooling and book availability.
Alain Sissao (INSS/CNRST)
Paper long abstract:
A survey of secondary students in 10 secondary schools in Ouagadougou was conducted to measure reading habits, access to books, schooling aspirations and attitudes, and school performance. This paper reports the results of prelimnary analysis of the data.
Kate Parry (CUNY)
Paper long abstract:
The Kitengesa Community Library began in 1999 as a box containing some 200 books. Now it is a building, lit by solar electricity, that houses well over 2000 books; it also functions as a community centre and as a focus for several research studies and development projects. This paper will describe the library's growth and will analyze the reasons for its success.