Transcript How To Make A Library Without Really Planning It”

Area:
Approx. 284.000 square kilometres (Norway: 324.000)
Population:
Approx. 14.5 millions . –
Inhabitants:
Approx. 65% mestizos, 25 % indigenous, 7 % European,
3 % African origin.
Languages:
Mainly Spanish, + quechua and other indigenous languages
Capital:
Quito (altitude 2800 m), 1,8 mill. inhabitants
Analphabetism:
Approx. 9 %
Economía:
GDP per cápita, 2009:
Approx. 4.000 $ (Norway: approx. $ 77.000)
Exports:
Petroleum, flowers, bananas, shrimps, canned seafood
1999 - Who was I?
Experienced librarian (research library)
Some small experience from public
libraries
A 50 years old backpacker
Norwegian = rich, Ecuadorian = poor
Volunteering --
The library idea
Basic considerations
Enlightening and bringing delight -Why learn to read if you’ve got nothing to read?
One single book may mean a lot to one or several
persons
A library, however small, may mean the world to the
community sharing it
… …………
Domestic loans for free?
Preparations
(Oct.-Dec. 1999)
Language studies
Making contacts
Looking for …
 libraries

supporting organisations
Necessary for success:
GOOD SUPPORTERS
Someone local willing to give practical support and advice
from the beginning. (Local Rotary club)
Someone prepared to take the economic and practical
responsibility for conducting the library on a permanent basis
after your departure (same club)
A reliable, stable and interested day-to-day manager (A
woman from the village)
One or more local professional librarian(-s) ready to mentor
that person, helping develop library skills (2, in the course of
10 years)
+
SOME MONEY
Useful contacts
The Norwegian consul
A local Rotary club
An elderly German woman
The mother of my temporary “family” in
Ecuador
The chairperson of the city library
organisation
Friends and relatives at home
Collection at the end of my stay
300 books, mostly bought secondhand,
organised according to Dewey system.
Traditional cards used for catalog and lending system
Categories:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
All 10 Dewey categories represented, the local interest in agriculture
weighing a little more than others.
Fiction books for adults
Poetry
Theatre
Youth books
Childrens’ books
A multi-volume encyclopaedic dictionary
A multi-volume history work of South America
A globe and a local map
THE BIG DEAL
KEEPING THE LIBRARY
RUNNING
Nono library
8 years later
Anno 2008
Challenges
PROBLEM
# 1: The organisation supporting
No budget for buying books. Very little money for
keeping the library running. Low salary, long hours
The library filled up with gifts from people’s private
bookshelves.
Interest in electronic equipment
… dreams of setting up an Internet café in the
library, making it run by means of money paid by
local Internet users
... leading to dumping the card catalogue without the
employee knowing how to handle a PC
PROBLEM
# 2: Scarce economy
OUTLINE OF AN “IDEAL” ANNUAL BUDGET 2002 - amounting to $ 6300 (NOK 50.000)
Startup expenses 2000: $ 900 (NOK 6500) . Budget 2002: $ 1900
Salario mínimo de ley – total de 55 horas semanal - $ 165x12
(Salario de $ 120 mensual por un trabajo de 40 h. semanal)
(NOK 14.000)
$ 1.980
Seguro social – 2 personas - $ 30 /mes (¿?) x 12
$
Materiales $ 60/mes x 12
$ 720
Movilización (2 veces/mes á $ 7,50) x 24
$ 180
Teléfono (3 veces/mes, celular, á $ 6) x 36
$ 216
Limpieza del área fuera de la bibl. $ 1/mes x 12
$
Libros
$ 1.500
Revistas – 6 á $ 60
$
360
Periódico
$
140
Capacitación (Cursos)
$
400
Supervisión
$
400
TOTAL – 1 año
$ 6.268
360
12
To keep the library going…
Possible part of solution
Look for economic support in Norway for
the library.
Requirement: Ability to present information
(statistics, reports…) on a regular bases
But alas …PROBLEM # 3:
Communicating
Internet and PCs in the library unstable
Little understanding of the need for regular
information.
Not prepared to discuss practical solutions
aiming at better communication / better
economy
IMPROVING THE COMMUNICATION?
Possible solution…
Since 2008: An amount of $ 100 per month transferred
from Norway once a year, to cover:



Extra monthly payment $ 30 for the day-to-day manager of the
library, on the condition that information is supplied regularly
Newspaper and a few books
Some minor education (courses)
The money sent is payed via a professional librarian
… who is also well informed about the library world of
Ecuador, and therefore an important contact to “open the
doors” to that world
SUCCESSES
A basic library with an acceptable library system set
up during 7 weeks’ stay.
Still going strong after 10 years
Full shelves, many books of all kinds, a newspaper
subscription, and 2-3 PCs and Internet access, - an
important part of a general upgrading of the village
carried through since 2000.
Children and adults borrow books for reading at
home
Important for the local school
Used for studies and homework, with assistance of
the library day-to-day manager .
I’m not the only one
Others in Ecuador
Other Norwegian library projects in
developing countries…