The NRN ‘Build a Library in Your Village’ Campaign

The NLF was officially recognised by the Non Resident Nepali organisation (NRN) in 2007 as a partner in fulfilling one of the NRN’s goals—that of promoting libraries and literacy, The NLF has positioned itself to provide cost effective project development and management services to schools and communities wishing to build and run libraries.

Taking up this challenge, NRN Europe Deputy Regional Coordinator Mr Som Nath Sapkota started the ‘Build a Library in your Village’ campaign to inspire Nepali living overseas to contribute to the funding of libraries in their home towns and villages.. A number of library projects have now been completed with the input of the NLF as a result of this initiative. Mr Sapkota raised funds to build a library at Janjagriti Higher Secondary School, Kandebas, Baglung District from which he graduated with his Senior Leaving Certificate. The library was inaugurated on 2 October 2015. He also coordinated fund raising for the expansion and updating of libraries in the Shree Laxmi Higher Secondary School Chitwan which is is now complete. Eighteen computers were installed and networked to an e-Pustakalaya server. NRN groups raised $14,000 for the project.

Jana Jagriti School Library, Kadebas, Baglung was expanded with a number of networked computers along with an e-Pustakalaya server. The budget of $24,000 was raised with the help of NRN groups.

A key element in the upgrading of libraries has been the integration of libraries into the teaching and learning activities of schools. Nepali schools have traditionally relied on directive ‘chalk and talk’ teaching atrategies. The e-Pustakalaya gives the opportunity to both engage students in the interactive learning activities which the e-Pustakalaya’s developer Open Learning Exchange Nepal has developed for elementary grade core subject areas fully aligned with the government curriculum learning outcomes. The NLF actively encourages creative and active use of the library resources it helps install and would like to hear from teachers how they are are using libraries to engage their students in learning.