My Hopes for the Library

July 16th, 2007
The day we visited the Osu Children's Library in Accra was the day I began to really appreciate how much potential we have to shape the success of the Sumbrungu library. As we sat with Johana, the head librarian at Osu, and listened to her explain how their library works, what programs they offered, how they are organized, etc. my mind began to flood with ideas and I could not put my pen and notebook down. We could do a pen pals program, a storytelling hour, a coding system to keep track of the books,, reading to the elderly- the possibilities are endless. And it was this inspired realization that made me appreciate just how blessed I am to have a college education. Even though Christi and I have no background 0r experience working with libraries, the simple fact that we have a college education presents us with so many skills that I was not as easily aware of surrounded by so many others in the US with the same educational opportunities. But everything from the way the librarians look to us to our own ability to recognize solutions and improvements to the library demonstrates just how poweverfully an education works to allow an individual to make strides in society.

Appreciating this bliessing, I became more determined than ever to do something wonderful for Sumbrungu. And after meeting and experiencin the people here and their genuine thoughtfulness and hospitality towards us, this desire to give something to the community was all the more determined in me. These were my reflections from our time spent exploring the libraries in Accra. Now that we are in Sumbrungu and have settled in and have had more time to reflect, we have been developing a vision for what we realistically hope to accomplish while we are here, and what we hope the librarians will continue and accomplish after we leave.

I hope that when we leave, there will be a general sense that we have stimulated and contributed to a reading culture- that we create a positive energy around reading and education in a way that the library becomes more than a place with books but a place of community , a place where kids and adults can be challenged and supported to think about the world and how to make it a better place. Through my own sustained enthusiasm for reading, for education, and for creative expression, I hope that we might make more people excited about coming to the library. I think achieving this goal relies mostly on our attitude, and so I pray for enduring faith and confidence in our abilities and willingness to really animate the library.

More specifically, I hope we will initiate several projects that the libraries may develop and continue over time. We hope to start an effective coding system based on a simplified dewey decimal system, which will include number and color labeling as well as keeping a catalogue of all of the books. We also hope to add more structure to the story telling hour (depending on how it already is- Lucas tells us kids aren't as engaged as they could be). We have already begun a pen-pals program which we hope will continue back and forth between kids in the US and Ghana long after we leave. We have also started a new book registration system which willl hopefully simplify book checkout for the librarians. These are just a few of our hopes thus far, and daily we are coming up with more ideas.