Md. Nazrul Islam :
Bangladesh is a rural and agro based country. About 85% of the population lives at rural areas. Among the least developed countries, people of this country are far away from their basic information needs. Especially in the rural areas, people still cannot distinguish between a library and a book stall. So to develop the larger portion of human resources and to create knowledge based society, rural library or community learning centre is very important.
The analysis of Community Learning Centers included in the in-depth analysis of the Thailand study demonstrates that local communities have significantly benefited in their way of living. CLC participants utilize the new skills they gain in a wide range of occupational pursuits: diversified forestry management, management of local crops and animals, revival of local cultural values and wisdom, and application of agricultural and information technology adapted to suit local conditions. (Community Learning Centers: country report from Asia. Bangkok: UNESCO Bangkok, 2008.) In China, study reports that Community Learning Centers and its activities have demonstrated clear benefits to participants in the rural communities in terms of increased literacy skills; positive outlook; and level of increased awareness about the value of literacy and education for adults, youth and children. (Community Learning Centers: country report from Asia. Bangkok: UNESCO Bangkok, 2008.) The information society is where everyone can create, access, utilize and share information and knowledge, enabling individuals, communities and peoples to achieve their full potential in promoting their sustainable development and improving their quality of life (Olorunda, 2004).
The rural people are remained as unexploited national resources and the whole nation would be benefited if they are properly involved in the development activities in a planned way (Agriculture Information Service [AIS], 2004). Library or information centers can mitigate information needs of rural people through access to relevant information and can enable rural women of Bangladesh participating in the national economic development.
Bangladesh has rural libraries since the beginning of nineteenth century. But the number is insufficient comparing to the 90,000 number of villages. So, in this situation, to promote and articulate continuing education in the rural areas, from 1995, BRAC (a Bangladeshi NGO) started to establish with the financing of both BRAC and the Community, a unique concept of rural libraries. Beside library services, these centers are operating different kind of services for human resource development.
The main purpose of these Libraries is to create a knowledge based and technologically oriented learning society. BRAC Community Libraries are serving a wider range of rural people across the country – children, student, men and women of different ages, elderly, differently able and poor, literate, neo-literate, semi-literate and illiterate people by providing them with various printed materials and opportunity to participate in different activities. Besides creating reading habits among people, the learning centres try to promote liberal ideas, social accountability, higher consciousness and human values.
It aims to lay the foundation of a knowledge based and technologically oriented learning society.
Objectives
· To create access to a wider range of printed electronic and other types of continuing education materials to the rural community;
· To develop the reading habits of the children from a very early age (To build up reading habits among the rural people of Bangladesh for the development of human resources, especially to meet the demand of extra books (other than the text books) of secondary school students.)
· To give rural citizens information technology access in order to develop their capacity and increase competency;
· To improve the socio-economic condition of the rural communities by empowering youths;
· To develop financially sustainable Continuing Education centers with the active involvement of the rural community;
· Enhance community participation in various socio-cultural activities;
· To ensure participation of women in different kind of activities.
BRAC Community Libraries are community learning centers, which create access to a wider range of learning, skill development and cultural activities to address the needs of rural people who have limited access to these services.
These are opened with the financing of both BRAC and the community in secondary school premises or at the centre of a union near other important rural institutions (e.g. banks, rural market, post office etc.). They are located at the union level and space is donated by the community. community learning centers remain open 5-6 hours per day, 6 days a week and is operated by a part-time librarian (usually a woman).
Within two years of establishment, they are transformed into full-fledged trusts and become self-financed.
The major characteristics of Community Learning Centers are as follows:
· located at the union level;
· are located in a space donated by the community;
· have an average of 400-500 members;
· are open for 5-6 hours per day, 6 days a week;
· provide reading materials including books, newspapers and magazines. There are 1,000 books and 1-2 dailies;
· have a separate corner (known as Children’s Corner) for children with 150 books and 2 magazines;
· are operated by a part-time librarian (usually a woman);
· host educational, socio-cultural, and sporting activities as well as skill development training courses for the youth;
· become self-financing within 2 years by forming trusts.
An important feature of a BRAC Community Library is its self- sustainability. Within two years of establishment, BRAC Community Libraries become trust managed and all of its expenses are managed by the trust.
Trust formation and sustainability: Within two years of BRAC Community Library establishment, the community has to collect a minimum 75,000 BDT. Then BRAC provides 75,000 BDT as a matching fund. This total 1, 50,000 BDT (total amount of money) is then invested in a financial institution for a fixed term, and BRAC Community Libraries are registered as trust at a government institution. The interest of this money is used to pay the regular expenses of the library such as- salary of librarian, newspaper bill, electricity bill etc. After formation of the trust, BRAC Community Libraries become self sustainable. A trustee board is formed to maintain and manage the activities of the BRAC Community Library.
These are the common places where people of different age, status, and religion come and interact with each other. Various activities are organized by BRAC Community Libraries to respond to the different needs of the different segments of people of such communities.
The regular activities of a BRAC Community Library include: community library service, reader’s forum, mobile library service, training on information technology, skill development training, organising different socio-cultural activities, special corner for children, micro museum, popular theatre for awareness building, involving local resource persons.
Users of BRAC Community Learning Center: Avenue for girls and women accessing information
CLCs are reaching to a wider range of rural people across the country and satisfying need of different age group of library users- children, student, women, youths, adults, literate, illiterate people by providing various printed materials and opportunity to participate in different activities.
Figure 2 and 3 shows the percentage of male and female member, and percentage of studentS and general member respectively. It is showing that the percentage of female user is greater than the male. Moreover, student use CLC more than the general member.
Thus, through all the educational, social and cultural activities are making significant contribution in the development of rural communities. The libraries give people access to a wider range of reading materials, livelihood skill development training, information technology and cultural activities that are important for human creativity and cognitive development. At present BRAC operating 2910 Community Learning Centers and a total of 1,230,604 members have been using these libraries, among whom 50.21% are female.
Over the years, Community Learning Centers emerged as places that encourage and facilitate the practice of liberal thinking. These libraries are multipurpose learning centres that are liberal in nature and are institutions of mass people.
These centers primarily create an opportunity to develop a habit of reading from a very early age, which facilitates higher consciousness, humanity, and self-awareness among these people and eventually transform the society into an enlightened one. The Community Learning Centers give people access to a wider range of learning, skill development training, information technology, and cultural activities that discover human creativity and help in their cognitive development. Thus, Community Learning Centers are making major qualitative impact in the scenario of rural society and making significant contributions in the development of rural communities.
(Md. Nazrul Islam is Senior Manager, BRAC Education Program, Email: [email protected])
Bangladesh is a rural and agro based country. About 85% of the population lives at rural areas. Among the least developed countries, people of this country are far away from their basic information needs. Especially in the rural areas, people still cannot distinguish between a library and a book stall. So to develop the larger portion of human resources and to create knowledge based society, rural library or community learning centre is very important.
The analysis of Community Learning Centers included in the in-depth analysis of the Thailand study demonstrates that local communities have significantly benefited in their way of living. CLC participants utilize the new skills they gain in a wide range of occupational pursuits: diversified forestry management, management of local crops and animals, revival of local cultural values and wisdom, and application of agricultural and information technology adapted to suit local conditions. (Community Learning Centers: country report from Asia. Bangkok: UNESCO Bangkok, 2008.) In China, study reports that Community Learning Centers and its activities have demonstrated clear benefits to participants in the rural communities in terms of increased literacy skills; positive outlook; and level of increased awareness about the value of literacy and education for adults, youth and children. (Community Learning Centers: country report from Asia. Bangkok: UNESCO Bangkok, 2008.) The information society is where everyone can create, access, utilize and share information and knowledge, enabling individuals, communities and peoples to achieve their full potential in promoting their sustainable development and improving their quality of life (Olorunda, 2004).
The rural people are remained as unexploited national resources and the whole nation would be benefited if they are properly involved in the development activities in a planned way (Agriculture Information Service [AIS], 2004). Library or information centers can mitigate information needs of rural people through access to relevant information and can enable rural women of Bangladesh participating in the national economic development.
Bangladesh has rural libraries since the beginning of nineteenth century. But the number is insufficient comparing to the 90,000 number of villages. So, in this situation, to promote and articulate continuing education in the rural areas, from 1995, BRAC (a Bangladeshi NGO) started to establish with the financing of both BRAC and the Community, a unique concept of rural libraries. Beside library services, these centers are operating different kind of services for human resource development.
The main purpose of these Libraries is to create a knowledge based and technologically oriented learning society. BRAC Community Libraries are serving a wider range of rural people across the country – children, student, men and women of different ages, elderly, differently able and poor, literate, neo-literate, semi-literate and illiterate people by providing them with various printed materials and opportunity to participate in different activities. Besides creating reading habits among people, the learning centres try to promote liberal ideas, social accountability, higher consciousness and human values.
It aims to lay the foundation of a knowledge based and technologically oriented learning society.
Objectives
· To create access to a wider range of printed electronic and other types of continuing education materials to the rural community;
· To develop the reading habits of the children from a very early age (To build up reading habits among the rural people of Bangladesh for the development of human resources, especially to meet the demand of extra books (other than the text books) of secondary school students.)
· To give rural citizens information technology access in order to develop their capacity and increase competency;
· To improve the socio-economic condition of the rural communities by empowering youths;
· To develop financially sustainable Continuing Education centers with the active involvement of the rural community;
· Enhance community participation in various socio-cultural activities;
· To ensure participation of women in different kind of activities.
BRAC Community Libraries are community learning centers, which create access to a wider range of learning, skill development and cultural activities to address the needs of rural people who have limited access to these services.
These are opened with the financing of both BRAC and the community in secondary school premises or at the centre of a union near other important rural institutions (e.g. banks, rural market, post office etc.). They are located at the union level and space is donated by the community. community learning centers remain open 5-6 hours per day, 6 days a week and is operated by a part-time librarian (usually a woman).
Within two years of establishment, they are transformed into full-fledged trusts and become self-financed.
The major characteristics of Community Learning Centers are as follows:
· located at the union level;
· are located in a space donated by the community;
· have an average of 400-500 members;
· are open for 5-6 hours per day, 6 days a week;
· provide reading materials including books, newspapers and magazines. There are 1,000 books and 1-2 dailies;
· have a separate corner (known as Children’s Corner) for children with 150 books and 2 magazines;
· are operated by a part-time librarian (usually a woman);
· host educational, socio-cultural, and sporting activities as well as skill development training courses for the youth;
· become self-financing within 2 years by forming trusts.
An important feature of a BRAC Community Library is its self- sustainability. Within two years of establishment, BRAC Community Libraries become trust managed and all of its expenses are managed by the trust.
Trust formation and sustainability: Within two years of BRAC Community Library establishment, the community has to collect a minimum 75,000 BDT. Then BRAC provides 75,000 BDT as a matching fund. This total 1, 50,000 BDT (total amount of money) is then invested in a financial institution for a fixed term, and BRAC Community Libraries are registered as trust at a government institution. The interest of this money is used to pay the regular expenses of the library such as- salary of librarian, newspaper bill, electricity bill etc. After formation of the trust, BRAC Community Libraries become self sustainable. A trustee board is formed to maintain and manage the activities of the BRAC Community Library.
These are the common places where people of different age, status, and religion come and interact with each other. Various activities are organized by BRAC Community Libraries to respond to the different needs of the different segments of people of such communities.
The regular activities of a BRAC Community Library include: community library service, reader’s forum, mobile library service, training on information technology, skill development training, organising different socio-cultural activities, special corner for children, micro museum, popular theatre for awareness building, involving local resource persons.
Users of BRAC Community Learning Center: Avenue for girls and women accessing information
CLCs are reaching to a wider range of rural people across the country and satisfying need of different age group of library users- children, student, women, youths, adults, literate, illiterate people by providing various printed materials and opportunity to participate in different activities.
Figure 2 and 3 shows the percentage of male and female member, and percentage of studentS and general member respectively. It is showing that the percentage of female user is greater than the male. Moreover, student use CLC more than the general member.
Thus, through all the educational, social and cultural activities are making significant contribution in the development of rural communities. The libraries give people access to a wider range of reading materials, livelihood skill development training, information technology and cultural activities that are important for human creativity and cognitive development. At present BRAC operating 2910 Community Learning Centers and a total of 1,230,604 members have been using these libraries, among whom 50.21% are female.
Over the years, Community Learning Centers emerged as places that encourage and facilitate the practice of liberal thinking. These libraries are multipurpose learning centres that are liberal in nature and are institutions of mass people.
These centers primarily create an opportunity to develop a habit of reading from a very early age, which facilitates higher consciousness, humanity, and self-awareness among these people and eventually transform the society into an enlightened one. The Community Learning Centers give people access to a wider range of learning, skill development training, information technology, and cultural activities that discover human creativity and help in their cognitive development. Thus, Community Learning Centers are making major qualitative impact in the scenario of rural society and making significant contributions in the development of rural communities.
(Md. Nazrul Islam is Senior Manager, BRAC Education Program, Email: [email protected])
