Books for development – a workshop to link
stakeholders in the book chain
Kampala, 27th–29th September 2002
Sara Harrity
Sara Harrity is Director, Book Aid International, 39 - 41 Coldharbour
Lane, London SE5 9NR, UK +44 (0)20 7733 3577 (tel), 020 7978 8006 (fax),
email: info@bookaid.org, www.bookaid.org
Before the workshop began, warm tributes were
paid to Chief Victor Nwankwo and a minute’s silence was observed.
The goal of the workshop was to increase mutual
understanding and collaboration between booksellers, librarians and
publishers in order to develop the book chain and to give books and
access to information greater prominence on the policy agenda at national
level.
The workshop was facilitated by Sara Harrity and
Cath Nicholson of Book Aid International (BAI), Akin Fasemore and Alice
Mouko of the African Publishers Network (APNET) and Oluronke Orimalade
of the Pan African Booksellers’ Association (PABA). It was hosted
by the National Book Trust of Uganda (NABOTU) and funded by ADEA and
the Rockefeller Foundation. There were over 20 participants representing
library organizations and the booksellers and publishers associations
of Ghana, Uganda and Zambia. The methodology of the workshop was participatory,
and everyone played a full and lively part in group work and discussions.
The opening speeches emphasized the importance
of books to life-long education, literacy and overall development, and
drew attention to the challenges posed by the rapid increase in educational
provision through Universal Primary Education (UPE). There is great
pressure to maintain quality, and supplementary reading materials and
libraries have a crucial role to play.
On the first day, common objectives were identified,
as well as challenges and problems. The three professional groups had
much that they agreed on, including the need to inculcate a reading
culture; make relevant and affordable books available and accessible;
lobby government for positive book policies; and develop effective working
relationships. It was agreed that it was necessary to adopt a common
approach.
The second day was devoted to planning BAI’s
local purchase project, which will operate in the three countries represented
in 2003. Grants will be provided to four library organizations to purchase
books, ideally in local languages, through booksellers. The project
aims specifically to target the needs of poor and disadvantaged groups,
e.g., women, in ways that improve collaboration across the book chain.
This session gave participants a chance to consider some of the problems
and challenges they had identified on the first day in a concrete practical
context and work together on how to overcome them. Group feedback included
the importance of transparency in procurement processes; the need to
involve users in book selection; gender considerations in selection
and in access; and the need for practical and collaborative steps to
take forward reading promotion and advocacy work.
These last two themes were taken up on the third
and final day. Case studies were presented by participants from Uganda
on their experience of successful collaboration and by the Ghana Book
Trust on their work to promote reading. Librarians, publishers and booksellers
in each country came up with a range of ideas they could work on together
to promote reading. Finally, the group considered key areas they could
advocate on collectively. These included changing the attitude of policy
makers by creating awareness of the importance of access to supplementary
reading materials to support government goals for quality education;
making books available, accessible and affordable to advance the cause
of literacy; the need for local language publications; and capacity
building across the book chain. The workshop helped to build personal
and professional relationships which will be further cemented as the
three groups continue to work together in-country.
The workshop immediately preceded the Uganda National
Book Week Festival (30th September–6th October 2002). In order
to link the two events and to share experience further, an Open Forum
was held on Monday, 30th September on the subject of ‘Working
together to advocate for the role of books and information for development’,
and other visitors to the Book Week were invited. Oluronke Orimalade
(PABA), Chris Chirwa (Booksellers and Publishers Association of Zambia)
and Phenny Birungi (Public Library Board of Uganda) gave a bookseller’s,
publisher’s and librarian’s perspective on the workshop
and discussion followed on the link between access to information and
poverty alleviation, the role of indigenous tertiary publishing and
local languages in development. [end] [BPN, no 31, 2002, p. 12.]
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