Provision of Libraries for communities highlighted

Techiman (BA), June 28, GNA - Mr. Omari Mensah Tenkorang, acting executive director of Ghana Library Board (GLB), has called on the government to come out with a defined policy on the provision of community and school libraries in view of the crucial role that libraries play in teaching and learning.

He said such a policy would be a guide to every one concerned with the provision of community and school libraries to ensure the effective collection of information to meet the educational and recreational needs of Ghanaians.

Mr. Tenkorang said this in a keynote address at a two-day workshop for 50 metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDAs), members of library service committees and staff of Ghana Library Board in the country.

The workshop under the theme; "Sustaining mobile library service through effective collaborative with MMDAs and other stakeholders", was organized by

the GLB and sponsored by government of Ghana was aimed at development effective collaboration between MMDA's and GLB towards the re-introduction of mobile library service in the country. Mr. Tenkorang said libraries played an important role in education delivery as it provided a platform for pupils to inculcate the habit of reading therefore removing ignorance and poverty. He noted that the GLB had therefore found it suitable to re-introduce its mobile library service to those who had no access to static school or public libraries to enable them to patronize library service at their doorsteps. He, however, indicated that the success of mobile library service depended on support from stakeholders such as MMDA's and urged MMDCE's to show commitment towards the sustenance of the programme. Mr. Abraham Kwarkye, Brong Ahafo Deputy Regional Minister, expressed the hope that mobile service would meet the needs of the rural communities and bridge the information and education gap between rural and urban communities.

Mr. Kwarkye said the NPP government had recognized the importance of mobile library service to the attainment of the objectives of the new educational reforms and had subsequently provided 10 library vans to enable the GLB to re- introduce the mobile library service. He told the MCE's and DCE's that, the only legacy they could leave behind for their rural communities was a vibrant and sustainable mobile library service that would meet the information, education and cultural needs of the pupils and charged the participants to take stock of the past to sustain the service.

Mr. F.N.N Baada, Brong Ahafo Regional Librarian and National Chairman of mobile library service committee expressed regret about the collapse of a similar service introduced in 1992 due to extenuating factors and expressed optimism that the re-introduction would not be a nine-day wonder.

Mr. Baada hinted that the new programme was being piloted for three years covering 20 districts and would benefit 60 communities throughout the country.

Mr. John Bayuo Tauyire, Techiman Municipal Coordinating Director who presided called on parents, teachers, Ghana Education Service to play a major role towards the sustenance of the project.