Our Impact

At Bibliothèques Sans Frontières (Libraries Without Borders), we place impact at the heart of our actions. Each project is thought out to respond concretely to the needs of the populations we support. Together with our partners, we constantly evaluate our actions to learn, progress, and improve our effectiveness.

Innovative Tools

We design innovative tools to reach populations in even the most complex environments. We leverage technology and design to achieve social impact by breaking down physical and economic barriers to accessing knowledge.

Adapted Content

We maintain a library of 60,000 physical and digital assets in 27 languages to respond to the diverse needs of the populations we support, as well as the contexts and objectives of our partners.

Trained Mediators

We identify and train “champions of information.” Librarians, teachers, and facilitators–we support our operational partners in mastering our tools and content, so they can bring our projects to life independently and in the long term.

DISCOVER 10 YEARS OF IDEAS BOX IMPACT

Reports & Summaries

The Ideas Box in New York: 2015 Impact Report

10 August 2016

During the summer of 2015, BSF created pop-up libraries and media centers throughout Morris Heights, a community in the South Bronx of New York. These programs allowed children and parents to enjoy safe and welcoming spaces where they could access books, computers, tablets, arts and craft supplies, and participate in educational programs led by expert facilitators.

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The Ideas Box: Improving the Quality of Education in Emergency Situations

16 June 2016
This quantitative study examines the impact of Ideas Box classes on the academic performance of students who participated in the program at the Burundese refugee camp of Bwagiriza. The report demonstrates that students who attended Math and French classes in the Ideas Box experienced a 23% increase in their academic performance when compared to students taking the same courses in a classical school setting.
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The Ideas Box: Initial Findings and Perspectives from Burundi

25 April 2015

This report outlines the initial trends observed during the first six months of the Ideas Box program in the Musasa and Kavumu camps. Particular attention is paid to the program’s impact on the quality of education delivered, improvements to child protection, and efficacy in strengthening community ties.

 

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The Ideas Box: An Innovative Psycho-Social Tool in Emergency Situations

16 November 2015

This report assesses the impact of the Ideas Box on individuals suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, promoting peace and reducing community tensions in post-conflict settings, and circulating accurate information to combat rumors and misinformation.

 

 

 

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Over the last few years, Bibliothèques Sans Frontières (Libraries Without Borders) has received
numerous international prizes and rewards in recognition
of the positive impact of its actions.

Discover all our awards