Stories about Libraries
Read, Write, Create, and Communicate With the Ideas Box
A new project by Libraries without Borders and the UNHCR called Ideas Box seeks to engage refugees by providing the necessary tools, content, and resources to read, write, create, and communicate. The first deployment took place in refugee camps in Burundi.
A Second Living Room: the Public Library Zavidovići's Youth Corner
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, many students commute from rural communities every day by bus to attend school in town. For young students, this often means long hours waiting for buses with nothing to do. Located just next to a bus station, the librarians at the Zavidovići Public Library created a program where students could be trained in new technologies and use their formerly empty time productively.
The Facebook Story of the Librarian
Rising Voices applauds the recognition received by Israel Quic and the Rija'tzuul Na'ooj Community Library in San Juan La Laguna in Guatemala by being featured as one of the Ten Facebook Stories about the work of revitalizing the T'zutujil language and culture through citizen media.
Connect Uganda, a Rural Library Project for Local Farmers
In rural Uganda, local libraries have installed solar panels to power tablets for internet access, allowing farmers to learn about new crops, farming methods, and changing market prices for their goods.
20 Years of Post-Soviet Reconstruction: Libraries in Kazakhstan
With the fall of the Soviet Union, many of its formerly dependent states gained independence but also experienced a drop in living standards - including the closing of many public services. In Kazakhstan, the Pushkin Library is working to reinstate library programs around the country.
One Year Later: Stories from Xela Civic Libraries
Following the project summary of the Rising Voices grantee project Xela Civic Libraries, we take a look at some of the content created in each of the three community libraries in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. These blog posts are snapshots of daily life taking place at the library and in the surrounding community.
One Year Later: Xela Civic Libraries
We look back at the past year in the work of Xela Civic Libraries, a 2012 Rising Voices grantee. The project took place in three community libraries in rural municipalities in the Quetzaltenango Department in Guatemala. Focusing on access to information and the sharing of news and activities on the community library blog, the project helped bring attention to local issues facing these communities.
Finding a Spark: Libraries in the 21st Century
The Spark Telecentre Conference brought together people from around the world working for digital inclusion, whether it was in a library, through a cell phone, or via technological development. For two days in Granada, Rising Voices met participants and speakers from around the world.
Dominican Republic's Community Technology Centers Fight Digital Poverty
In the Dominican Republic, there are 93 community technology centers and counting, part of a nationwide effort to bring computer and Internet access to some of the most remote corners of the country.
Library as a Starting Point to Revitalize Tz'utujil Language
The Library Rija'tzuul Na'ooj in San Juan la Laguna, Guatemala has been promoting activities that encourage the use of the Tz'utujil language by the local community. The library's director Israel Quic has built upon these activities, and added a complementary focus on the web, through blogs and social media in order to encourage more speakers of this Mayan language to revitalize its written use.
