User:Obachi/BlogEntry: 2008 March 13 12:19:45 EAT

From KLAMediaWiki

Community libraries as Public Libraries

The comment about the public library by Mika is very good and needs to be discussed futher. Ideally, a public library should be free and accessible by all. In Kenya, we should work hard towards this achivement. Denmark has achieved this by entrenching the public libraris Act in their legislation. According to Neils Ole Pors, all munincipalities are required by law to run a library service with free servises for their citizens. This includes internet services. In Kenya, we are still charging fees for services rendered. Even our children pay a registration fee to use the public library which is not even well stocked. Internet services are not even available. If they are, they are offered on a fee. The McMillan Library, which is run by the City Council of Nairobi has never purchased even one book for as long as they can remember. They depend on donated books. The donated books are often discards from other libraries. With the just launched digital villages in Kenya, the city library should not be left out. It should have internet connectivity and try to establish an online library. Let us all think on how we can help our Nairobi city serve its residents in this area of information provision.

The community libraries should also be accessible and less commercial. Almost all community libraries in Kenya have been established by NGOs or some organizations that have felt that there is need for one in a sertain area. However, they often charge some fee for sustainability purposses. This locks out the poor people who can not afford to pay. Hence, the poor are denied information as a basic human right. It is my opinion that Kenyans should loby each constituency to build and run a library through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).Esther