The First Public Library in Kigali

BSF is participating in a large-scale project to construct Kigali’s first public library and assemble a library collection consisting of 15,000 French- and English-language books.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

In 1994, genocide violently struck this country and its great, age-old culture, with lasting consequences. Despite the influx of international aid, the country remains one of the poorest in the world (ranked 167th on the human development index).

With support from a broad array of international partners, in 2000 the Rotary Club of Kigali-Virunga initiated the project of constructing a public library in Kigali (the country’s first) that would meet international standards. Nearly 2 million dollars have already been raised to allow construction of a building in conformity with international standards. The building is to open in the course of 2010.

The success of this great project will represent a turning point in the history of Rwanda by providing access to knowledge and know-how to a population of nearly eight million inhabitants. In doing so, this long-term initiative seeks to replace death and destruction with knowledge and the fight against ignorance.

OBJECTIVES

1. To promote access to knowledge and the fight against ignorance in a society that is still traumatized by the events of 1994.
2. To support the economic and human development of Rwanda in order to promote peace.
3. To promote a feeling of national belonging and help preserve the memories of the Rwandan people via a first-rate cultural structure.
4. To encourage the emergence of a public reading policy in Rwanda.

ACTIVITIES

1. Collecting, selecting and dispatching 15,000 French- and English-language books and other documents to the Kigali Public Library.
2. Supporting the African book supply chain via the acquisition of 4000 locally published books and documents and transporting them to the Kigali Public Library.
3. Ensuring library client access to electronic resources in partnership with the CAIRN.info group.

BENEFICIARIES

- More than 200,000 children, adolescents and adults will be able to benefit from the library’s direct services.
- The entire population of Rwanda will be able to identify with this first-rate cultural structure, a symbol of hope, sharing and education.

PARTNERS

Kigali Public Library
Rotary Club of Kigali-Virunga
French Ministry of Foreign Affairs
CAIRN.info
Shakespeare & co