African Library Project
{{Short description|U.S.-based non-profit organization}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = African Library Project
| formation = 2005
| logo = AfricanLibraryProjectLogo.png
| type =
| founder = Chris Bradshaw
| location =
| origins =
| key_people =
| area_served = Sub-Saharan Africa
| product =
| focus = Literacy
| method =
| revenue =
| endowment =
| owner =
| dissolved =
| website = {{URL|https://www.africanlibraryproject.org/}}
| footnotes =
}}
The African Library Project (ALP) is a non-profit organization that starts libraries in rural Africa. U.S. volunteers organize book drives and ship books to a library in Africa. ALP partners with governmental and non-governmental organizations in sub-Saharan Africa. The partners process applications from schools and communities that want libraries, distribute the books, and provide training. Schools and communities that receive books provide the library space and staffing. ALP works in Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Sierra Leone, and Uganda.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=22 September 2019|title=African Libraries|url=https://www.africanlibraryproject.org/african-libraries/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=January 21, 2021|website=African Library Project|language=en-US}}
ALP is a US 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2005 by Chris Bradshaw.{{cite news|last1=Moody|first1=Shelah|title=JEFFERSON AWARD: Presented to Chris Bradshaw / Trip to Africa planted seed that blossomed into library project|url=http://www.sfgate.com/living/article/JEFFERSON-AWARD-Presented-to-Chris-Bradshaw-2493310.php|publisher=San Francisco Chronicle|date=July 9, 2006}} In the first eleven years of operation, ALP started over 1,900 libraries in sub-Saharan Africa.{{cite web|last1=Risley|first1=Michealene|title=The African Library Project Goal: Eradicate Illiteracy in Africa|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michealene-cristini-risley/the-african-library-proje_b_784535.html|website=Huffington Post|date=17 November 2010 }} To date, ALP has managed the creation of 4,143 libraries containing a total of 4,315,274 books. {{Cite web|last=|first=|date=August 2020|title=About ALP|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=October 15, 2024|website=|page=1|url=https://www.africanlibraryproject.org/}}
Methods of operation
ALP volunteers in the United States collect used, donated books for later shipment to affiliated libraries in Africa. The volunteers then sort, pack, and ship the books via sea container, for eventual delivery to a designated African school or community.{{cite news|last1=ElKorchi|first1=Miriam|title=Chris Bradshaw ships books to Africa to help make the impossible possible|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Making-a-difference/Change-Agent/2013/0507/Chris-Bradshaw-ships-books-to-Africa-to-help-make-the-impossible-possible|publisher=Christian Science Monitor|date=May 7, 2013}}
A typical small library is one thousand (mostly paperback) books. As of August 2020, the cost of shipping the books to Africa is about $500: $250 in U.S. domestic postage to mail the books to a consolidation point in New Orleans, Louisiana, and $250 sent to ALP to defray the costs of container shipping.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=August 2020|title=Book Drive Guidelines|url=https://www.africanlibraryproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/BDO-Guidelines.pdf|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=January 21, 2021|website=|page=4}}
Volunteers and Partners
ALP volunteers are often high school students or full elementary/middle school classes that work together to collect sufficient books and funds for a library. Volunteers often participate in multiple libraries over longer periods of time.
ALP partner organizations are large governmental and non-governmental organizations that vet schools and communities that want libraries. When the containers arrive, they contain books for 30–60 libraries. The partners distribute them and also provide training and oversight of the libraries.{{cite news|title=Reading Initiative Salone (RISE) Network trains 50 librarians|url=http://www.sierraexpressmedia.com/?p=74491|publisher=Sierra Express Media|date=July 21, 2015}}
| class="wikitable"
|+African Library Partnerships |
| Botswana
|2006 |
| Ghana
|2001 |Michael Lapsley Foundation |
| Kenya
|2017 |
| Lesotho
|2004 |US Peace Corps Lesotho, Lesotho Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) |
| Malawi
|2009 |Development Aid from People to People (DAPP Malawi), Wungwero Book Foundation (WBF), Malawi Institute of Education (MIE), University of Malawi |
| Sierra Leone
|2013 |Reading Initiative Salone (RISE) Network |
| Uganda
|2019 |Enjuba, Firm Foundation Education Trust (FFET) |
Teachers and administrators of the target schools are given a manual on managing a library based on one developed by Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO). Librarians collect data on usage and attend training provided by the partners and ALP. Librarians from all the countries where ALP is working meet at the biannual Library Summit to share best practices.
Each library requests the specific types of books they need. In addition to the donated books, ALP purchases supplemental books for the libraries: the Junior African Writers Series (JAWS), HIV/AIDS readers (published by Pearson), and Hesperian Health Guides.
References
External links
- [https://www.africanlibraryproject.org African Library Project Home Page]
Category:Philanthropic organizations based in the United States
Category:Non-profit organizations based in San Francisco