The potential of community libraries in supporting literate environments and sustaining literacy skills

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Web End = Int Rev Educ (2015) 61:399418

DOI 10.1007/s11159-014-9462-9

ORIGINAL PAPER

Sanjana Shrestha Lisa Krolak

Published online: 19 December 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht and UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning 2014

Abstract This article shows how community libraries can create and support literate environments, which are essential for building and sustaining literacy skills in local communities. The paper begins with a subject analysis reviewing available background materials and literature on the topic. Next, relevant issues are considered based on experiences and impact evaluations from specic community libraries, namely Nepals Rural Education and Development (READ) Centres. The ndings indicate that since their foundation in 1991, READ Centres have evolved from traditional libraries to effective community development centres with a strong focus on social empowerment, economic development and lifelong learning, based on a library concept which is needs-based, community-owned and sustainable.

Keywords Community libraries Literate environment Adult literacy Womens

empowerment Community development READ Nepal

Rsum Potentiel des bibliothques communautaires pour promouvoir les environnements lettrs et consolider lalphabtisme Cet article dmontre comment les bibliothques communautaires peuvent crer et favoriser les environnements lettrs, indispensables pour introduire et consolider lalphabtisme dans les communauts locales. Les auteures procdent tout dabord une analyse en recensant la documentation de rfrence disponible en la matire. Elles examinent ensuite des questions dcisives partir des expriences et valuations dimpact de bibliothques communautaires particulires, savoir les centres dducation et de dveloppement

S. Shrestha

READ Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal e-mail: [email protected]

L. Krolak (&)

UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL), Hamburg, Germanye-mail: [email protected]

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rural au Npal (Rural Education and Development, READ). Leurs conclusions indiquent que depuis leur cration en 1991, les bibliothques traditionnelles READ sont devenues des centres efcaces de dveloppement local fortement axs sur lautonomisation sociale, le dveloppement conomique et lapprentissage tout au long de la vie, sur la base dun concept de bibliothque durable, rpondant aux besoins et appartenant la communaut.

Introduction

Over recent decades, the nature and scope of literacy have expanded and...