Developing Digital Libraries for All

 How can mobile devices help libraries, both in developed and developing nations? Your task this week is to explore online and learn about specific library projects in a developing nation. How are they creating new literacy opportunities and expanding access to the internet and information databases? How can they best move forward to support the local needs of their communities? Also explore how mobile devices might assist in this endeavour and what new affordances they bring to the developing world that will allow them to provide greater and more democratic access to information, unfiltered and uncensored?


I read through a few websites of NPOs who have missions related to developing literacy in developing nations, but none of these seemed to be as digitally focused as Library for All (LFA).

LFA is an Australian non-profit organisation whose mission is to provide equitable access to knowledge via digital-first libraries in local languages.  Inspired by classrooms in post-earthquake Haiti that had eager students but no books, LFA is focused on providing culturally relevant and digitally accessible libraries.  They have multiple projects, three of which are outlined below.

Spark is a classroom kit of 40 tablets that are pre-loaded with LFA’s digital library application.  All of the books are culturally appropriate and in the language of the locale the Spark kit is being used.  Spark kits have their own Wi-Fi network so tablets can update and gather usage information which is sent to the teacher’s tablet for data collection.



Elevate is LFA's learning app for literacy and numeracy.  Like the Spark Kits, it is an offline and tablet-based app and its intention is to address the issues of large class sizes, teacher shortages and limited access in developing nations.  LFA claims that an hour of learning every day on the Elevate app will result in learning the equivalent of a full year of in-person school.  The app targeted audience is children ages 3-10, and utilizes games and challenges to motivate users to continue towards to the next learning level.


The LFA program that I found the most impactful is their soon to be released Our Yarning.  Our Yarning will follow the same principles as the Spark Kits and Elevate, but will contain culturally relevant education resources for Australian Aboriginal people.  Our Yarning hopes to have a library of 500 books, which will be written and illustrated by Aboriginal adults in order to reflect the cultural values and identities of Aboriginal peoples.
Australian Aboriginal people are subject to institutionalized racism and discrimination as a result of European colonization, and one of the consequences is low education literacy levels among Aboriginal peoples.
Our Yarning is led by a Cultural Advisor named Dr. Julie Owen who is of Aboriginal descent (Nurrunga and Ngarrendjeri).  
https://libraryforall.org/our-yarning/


Works Cited:

Homepage. (n.d.). Retrieved June 17, 2018, from http://www.libraryforall.org/



Comments

  1. D.McNeeJune 16, 2022 at 9:21 PM

    This post is a good synthesis of LFA programs. I agree that the Our Yearning has impactful design elements. I wonder if there are elements of these programs that might be adopted for underserved communities in Canada?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Natalie RobinsonJune 21, 2022 at 9:13 AM

    Since beginning the Diploma for Teacher-Librarianship I have come across more and more examples of the innovative and exemplary things being done in Australia to further literacy for all. It is surprising to me and I realize I have a very "Eurocentric" view of who is championing literacy accessibility, diversity and inclusion. Thank-you for highlighting more examples of the important work done in Australia!

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  3. Mrs. St-AmourJune 21, 2022 at 12:53 PM

    Hi Amy! Thanks for sharing! I came across a lot of the same resources in my research about literacy for developing nations too, including Libraries for All, although I didn't come across Our Yarning. I wondered what "Yarning" meant so looked it up - it means 'to tell a long or implausible story'. I love the weaving of aboriginal oral storytelling with the inclusion of relevant educational resources for Australian children in need of literacy. I hope this is a successful program that receives the support and funding it requires. It sure sounds great!

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