Promoting a culture of reading in the Democratic Republic of Congo
LIBRARIAN CAPACITY BUILDING
LIBRARIAN TRAINING
Books for Congo trains librarians with the skills and knowledge they need to run their libraries and provide great service to their patrons. This training was an essential initial component to our approach, as most of the people stepping up to be librarians love books but had never had the opportunity to go to libraries themselves. Participants learn about libraries, what libraries can be, and how to organize their library in a way that meets the needs of their communities.
ONGOING TECHNICAL SUPPORT
Books for Congo staff regularly visit the partner libraries to monitor and provide support as needed. Support is provided on a range of aspects including initial setup, library administration and activities.
LIBRARIAN NETWORK
Books for Congo initiated a librarian network that meets monthly in Goma. Each meeting is an opportunity for the librarians to share experiences and learn from each other. The librarian network also has a Whatsapp group where librarians can share information and photos of their activities, ask questions to other librarians, find out if another library has a requested book and encourage each other.