NARGIS LIBRARY RECOVERY NEWSLETTER #13 MARCH 2010
My last newsletter described the global context within which our library recovery effort is sustained. This month I want to delve more deeply into our book distribution. While our project is directed to library recovery in the Irrawaddy Delta, librarians in other parts of the country have appealed for help. When feasible, we have responded. I asked Dr. Thant Thaw Kaung, director of our partner NGO, Myanmar Book Aid and Preservation Foundation, to gather data on our book distribution. His file is attached to this newsletter.
Highlights of the attached MBAPF report:
1] Our books have reached 80 libraries with circulation responsibilities for many others in seven Divisions: Yangon, Irrawaddy, Bago, Magway, Mandalay, Shan, and Rakhine.
2] Of the 150,000 books sorted as of January, 47,000 were sold at charity book fairs in Yangon and Mandalay, which raised 45 million kyats, over half used to buy 30,000 new Burmese language texts distributed along with 103,000 English language books. These are mainly children’s or adolescent readers. Another container of childrens books will reach Yangon around March 10th, also donated by Thrift Books from their Dallas, Texas warehouse.
3] We also contributed 15 million kyats to three private libraries, enabling them to rent more space & operate most of each week: Information Cooperation and Education [ICE]-Youth opened a second branch in Latha township of Yangon, Knowledge Bank Library opened in the heart of Yangon on the Anawratha Road, and Kanbawza Youth Library expanded its mobile offerings to 15 village libraries in the Shan States.
4] Delta village and town libraries are mostly in Irrawaddy and Yangon Divisions, where we operate through library boards still functioning after the cyclone. Many people were killed in the storm, so local leaders need to recruit new boards and committees to rebuild destroyed libraries. This is a significant challenge requiring far more funds than we currently have. Our proposals are under consideration by private and public organizations, if successful, we can move forward with this vital phase in our project.
We have 800,000 books waiting in warehouses around the U.S. to be packed and shipped in 16 containers, one every other month by 2012. This remains our main task. But we need additional funding to insure this process continues as planned. American Presidents Lines contributed berths for six containers, for which we are deeply grateful; however the company was recently bought out by a Singapore corporation which has not yet indicated interest in extending this charitable act. We will continue landing books in the MBAPF container-warehouse at 10 cents each even if APL does not extend their donation, but we must raise $80,000 to reach our goal. Your individual contributions have made this project possible, please continue to support it.Summary of donated books
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