Rural Library Project

The libraries provide the access point for outside volunteer and material resources to reach communities in remote rural areas.

Summary

Volunteers also organize learning programs for both local children and adults, with the intent of turning the library into a public space for the local community that will motivate the children to pursue reading and learning outside of the classroom.

The work includes donating books, purchasing basic equipment, formulating library operation plans and developing student-participating library management.

The library also serves as a public space for local residents to participate in self-taught courses and community-building activities.

Library Profile

Projects completed at Lingfang Township (舲舫乡):

Library Project feasibility research at seven schools (six elementary school and one middle school)

Visited seven schools and analyzed the possibility of opening school library in each.

Pilot Library Project at Lingfang Central Elementary School (舲舫乡中心小学)

Opened a school library that was previously closed.
Developed a student-run management structure for the library that is adopted by the school (in order to promote leadership and responsibility in the students by minimizing teachers’ involvement).
Organized a prized teacher essay contest (recognized by the County Education Bureau) to motivate teachers’ enthusiasm of utilizing the library for teaching.
Motivated the opening of a reading room.

Book Donating at Lingfang Elementary School

Total of 284 books donated (carefully picked book brought from Beijing).
Initiated further book donation from one of the volunteer’s network in Beijing.

Book Donating at other six schools

Book prize donated to encourage selected students.

Teaching and Training at Lingfang Elementary School
Each volunteer taught a class.
Conducted multimedia-training sessions for teachers.
Donated a digital library of over 50 educational videos, several digital encyclopedia, educational software, and e-books.

Library Profile [doc]

Library Profile

Through our Dream Corps member Jiang Hongsheng, we got in touch with Tu Xiaohua (涂晓华), a Post-Doctoral Fellow who is now currently in Japan. After hearing about our successful result on the Library Project in Hunan Province, she convinced her family member in her hometown Lichuan, Jiangxi Province (黎川) to open a community library for local children and youths.

With the help from her brother who donated a store space and the start-up funding of 400 dollars from Dream Corps, the library was opened on October 20, 2004 in two connected rooms with a total space of 52 square meters and with a collection of 1412 books.

The library was named after Dream Corps –“Lichuan Dream Library” (黎川梦想图书室). The library is running with an average of 8 visitors a day, opening 32 hours a week. Dream Corps plans to send a team of volunteer to this site in the summer of 2005 to help the library to expand and gain more local support.

Library Profile [doc]

Library Profile

Library Project feasibility research at two elementary schools

Analyzed the possibility of opening school library in the two schools.
Written a comprehensive report on the feasibility of the Library Project at the two schools.

Libraries as a resort of books and learning are absent in the life of rural children.

Facts at a Glance:

While 100% of the urban children survey owned over 20 copies of extra- curriculum readings, only 3.2% of rural students surveyed own that many books.

Reading lies in the center of learning, and books and information are the gateway to a better material and spiritual life.

Rural Library Project Photo Collection