Public Libraries in their communities: a catalyst for change Monika Segbert Rima Kupryte

Who we are EIFL is an international not-for-profit organisation with a base in Europe and a global network of partners.

EIFL works in 47 countries in partnership with library consortia

EIFL - Licensing EIFL Programmes EIFL -OA: Open Access EIFL-FOSS: free and open source software EIFL -PLIP: Public Library Innovation Programme EIFL- IP: copyright and libraries

Core initiatives Access to Knowledge for Education, Learning and Research ensuring well-resourced libraries, modern ICT infrastructure and skilled staff to provide essential support to students and scholars. Access to Knowledge for Sustainable Community Development transforming lives through innovative services in public libraries.

The Challenge Technology offers public libraries new opportunities to increase access to knowledge, helping to improve standards of living and transform lives. Yet, in many countries where the need is greatest, public libraries are under-resourced. Public libraries must develop innovative services and embrace technology in response to the needs of their communities. EIFL-PLIP: Public Library Innovation Programme Improving lives and livelihoods through innovative public library services

Stimulate new public library services that are important to the community; test the replicability of new services; and encourage adoption of successful innovation by other public libraries through wide dissemination of the results of the projects. EIFL-PLIP Objectives

Project proposals by or with a public library! Open to 54 countries – EIFL and BMFG GL countries What we asked for in the call for proposals: Needs Assessment – the library had to go out to the community. Innovative services – innovation in the local context. Technology – the most appropriate! Partnership – to bring skills and knowledge to the library. The first PLIP Call for proposals, 2010

324 applications 49 countries 12 projects selected and under way since 1st May. The first PLIP Call for proposals, response

Teaming up libraries and health services to improve community health in Kisumu and Eldoret branch libraries. Kenya National Library Service

New partnership between health workers and librarians; New library users that never came before; Services meet needs of the community and thus demonstrate librarys importance to the society; eHealth programme is leveraging new funding for similar services in other branches or other subjects (eg agriculture). Kenya National Library Service

Information and Communication Technologies to build young leaders in the Tamale region. ICT training for youth. Training young trainers. Aim to alleviate youth unemployment. Ghana Library Board

Encouraging pupils to go back to school. The public library is offering a computer game linked to the school curriculum. Partnership between school and library. Take-up by truant pupils. Utena A. and M. Miskiniai Public Library, Lithuania

Creative space and computer skills for school children who spend hours each week waiting for buses. Project fits in and delivers on towns policy regarding youth and informal education. Zavidovići Public Library, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Using Open Source software to engage children in developing local language reading materials. Supports literacy as well as computer literacy. Lubutu Library Project, Zambia

Mobile phones, the Internet, radio, social networking: making the most of many technologies to bring information to remote farming communities. The library uses a mobile computer laboratory to bring training to the farming community. Panguipulli Public Library, Chile

Developing agriculture and building an online market for local farm products. Library portal AgroLib for information for and by farmers. Project fits into the policies of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Agency for small and medium households to support rural communities. Public Library Jagodina, Serbia

Computer skills and job application training bring new hope to the unemployed. Older people have asked for training. library. Trainees found jobs! Public Library Radoviš, Macedonia

Digitising talking books to create a national network of libraries for the blind. Bringing content to disadvantaged groups across the country. Ulaanbaatar City Public Library, Mongolia

Bringing computers to local artists and craftspeople to generate ideas and build online markets. This community is starting to embrace technology with the help of their public library! Saula Public Library, Nepal

Building the Mayan Digital Library U Kúuchil Naat Using technology to keep the Mayan culture and language alive. Mayans show growing confidence in their own language. Public Libraries Coordination, State of Yucutan, Mexico

Using oral history to break the silence about Cambodia's painful past. conduct oral history interviews and create a digital archive of the communitys history Very active participation by the community - this has never been done before. The Lveate Centrestone Public Library, Cambodia

We can already see that introducing technologies has an impact on staff, space, outreach, interaction with the community, services, but this is early days. We are measuring the impact of the projects; Perceptions are changing! Visibility of the library is changing! We will see if there will be changes to funding; Partnerships can work to the librarys advantage – and in fact the community itself becomes a partner and advocates for the library; Technology enables new services and this makes the library more attractive. Some of the things we are seeing after 6 months

All developing and transition countries are eligible EIFL-PLIP: Public Library Innovation Programme Grant dates Grant Programme Call for Concept PapersApril 2011 Deadline May 2011 Grants AwardedSeptember 2011 Innovations awards Call for ApplicationsJanuary 2012 DeadlineFebruary 2012 Awards PresentedApril 2012

Study to be undertaken in six countries: Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe. We will study the perceptions of various stake-holders actually or potentially involved with public libraries. Target groups: Decision makers / funders, officials at national / regional / local level, librarians, media, users / non-users. Reports according to countries and target groups due in April Study of the perceptions of public libraries.

Thank you for listening.