Public Library Transforming Communities: Innovative Projects through Partnerships for Sustainable Developments

Kenneth Dike State Central e- Library (KDL) Awka, Anambra state library Board, South- Eastern Nigeria, introduced wide range innovative activities and programs between 2016 -2018. Its objective was to transform the communities by creating fun, sociocultural inclusion, improving the quality of life, facilitating lifelong learning and enhancing economic empowerment through collaboration, partnerships with corporate bodies and Higher Education Institutions. KDPL as an educational and cultural institution projected on meeting the communities’ needs. This proactive stance align with IFLA WLIC’s 2019 theme ‘Dialogue for change’, and the SDGs. KDPL developed diverse unique participatory programs as described by the poster which include: (i) Diverse reading activities for attracting children/young adults to print books –‘Spelling B’, reading programs ,schools outreach from and readership promotion campaign (ii) cultural heritage space- collecting and preserving communities’ artefacts, collection of oral history research documented resources of various topics/themes from collaboration with LIS Department , Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. (iii).Fun- filled social activities for children- hosting Christmas parties featuring dance and puppet shows.(iv).Skill acquisition programmes which include maker space for making bags/hats/hand fans ,sewing, arts and crafts such as painting, collage, lettering, drawing and tie and dye of fabrics.(v).Community services featuring cancer awareness talks , visit to orphanages /prisons and advocacy meetings with President Generals of town unions. (vi)ICTs involving Internet/automated services for training users and staff. (vii). Democratization programs for creating political awareness and sensitization of members of the community such as ‘vote not fight’, ‘my vote, my power’, Anambra Budget Team (ABUT). Methodology: the research is case study. Data was collected through participant observation. Photographs and text were used. These multifaceted projects resulted in increased library’s visibility, user base and the receipt of BEST PUBLIC LIBRARY AWARD 2018, from the Nigerian Library Association.

尼日利亚东南部阿南布拉州图书馆委员会所辖的肯尼思·戴克州立中央电子图书馆（Kenneth Dike State Central e-Library，简称KDL）坐落于奥卡市，于2016至2018年间推出了一系列创新活动与项目。该馆的宗旨是通过与企业团体及高等教育机构开展协作与伙伴合作，打造兼具趣味性与社会文化包容性的社区环境，提升居民生活品质、推动终身学习并强化经济赋能，以此实现社区转型。作为教育与文化机构，KDPL始终以契合社区需求为发展导向，这一前瞻性定位与国际图书馆协会联合会（IFLA）世界图书馆与信息大会（WLIC）2019年主题“变革之对话”以及联合国可持续发展目标（SDGs）高度契合。

KDPL开发了多项独具特色的参与式项目，据该馆宣传海报介绍，具体包括：(i) 多元阅读推广活动：旨在吸引儿童与青少年接触纸质图书，涵盖“Spelling B”拼字大赛、主题阅读项目、校园外展服务及阅读推广运动；(ii) 文化遗产保护空间：收藏并保护社区本土文物，同时与纳姆迪·阿齐基韦大学奥卡分校图书馆与信息科学系开展合作，收集整理各主题的口述历史研究文献资源；(iii) 儿童趣味社交活动：举办以歌舞表演与木偶戏为核心内容的圣诞派对；(iv) 技能培训项目：设立创客空间（maker space）开展手工制作教学，涵盖包袋、帽子、手持折扇等布艺品制作，同时开设缝纫、绘画、拼贴、字体设计、素描等艺术手工课程，以及织物扎染工艺培训；(v) 社区公益服务：开展癌症科普讲座、探访孤儿院与监狱，以及与城镇联盟主席开展政策倡导会议；(vi) 信息通信技术（ICTs）赋能服务：依托互联网与自动化服务体系，为馆内用户及工作人员提供相关技能培训；(vii) 民主素养培育项目：面向社区成员开展政治意识启蒙与宣传活动，例如“投票而非抗争”“我的选票，我的力量”主题活动，以及阿南布拉州预算小组（Anambra Budget Team，ABUT）相关推广工作。

本研究采用案例研究范式，通过参与式观察法收集研究数据，并辅以照片与文本资料作为研究素材。

上述多维度的项目使该馆的公众知名度、用户基数均实现显著增长，并成功斩获尼日利亚图书馆协会颁发的“2018年度最佳公共图书馆奖”。