Music For Life Skills Africa and Destitution Alleviation (M-LISADA) community library in Nsambya on 15th March, 2023 gathered 30 children both boys and girls to come and get a book of their choice and read, for the celebration of the D. E. A. R Day. The children were given opportunity to explore the library resources and share what they have best learnt. Most of the children were street children from the slums of Katwe, Kampala. Space is still a challenge and the outside tent will be organized to accommodate more participants over time.
The librarians at Kitengesa, Moses and Muhammad, are excited to be participating in a project called Learning Circles. The project is supported by the National Library of Uganda in partnership with EIFL (Electronic Information for Libraries), the Maendeleo Foundation (which promotes the use of computers in Uganda), Peer To Peer Uganda (which works with Uganda Youth, particularly to promote health), and Wehubit (, a European-funded NGO, which aims to boost digital social innovation). The purpose of the project is to teach participants to access and use information from the internet, using either their smartphones, if they have them, or computers, which the Kitengesa Community Library is now better placed to provide, having purchased two new ones last year.
The first step for our librarians was to attend a workshop in July 2022, which was organized by the National Library in Kampala. There they learnt how to access appropriate information on the internet and how to explain it to a group of up to twenty village participants. Then they returned home, found and downloaded appropriate material (it was a YouTube video about how to make paper bags), and organized a group of people to come in to the library for three days in one week in December to access the video and follow it to make paper bags themselves. Moses and Muhammad helped each participant to open a Google account and find the URL; then everyone made their first paper bags using newspaper; once they got it right made the final products with they went on to make the final products with sugar paper, which the librarians provided. Everyone went home with a bag, and one was given to me when I visited just over a week ago.
In November the two returned to Kampala to report on their success and learn about what had been done in other libraries. The organizers were evidently pleased with their report, for they are now planning three more Learning Circles at which participants will learn how to make note books, charcoal stoves, and liquid soap, for all of which Muhammad has already downloaded all the information from the internet. Participants will be asked to contribute to the cost of materials; those for the books will cost 300 shillings each, and once the participants have them, they can sell them for 500 shillings apiece; the idea is to show them how to make things that they can either sell or use themselves. All the participants were fully engaged, I hear, and certainly the bag that I have is quite nice (it is decorated with a nice picture of a bird, and would do well for wrapping small items).
From Emmanuel Anguyo, trained librarian and Coordinator, COLAU: In this world where information is required by everyone at all levels, community libraries in Uganda have gone ahead to serve all categories of persons in different communities including children, youth, adults, and the elderly. Majority of these community libraries are managed by non-professional librarians. Need identification becomes a challenge and therefore teachers, users and parents have to be involved in the selection and acquisition process to help identify the best information resources for use. Library services are offered to schools, business communities, women’s groups, farmers, refugees and many more. Community libraries are a haven for most people and the Community Libraries Association of Uganda (COLAU) continues to coordinate resources or activities on behalf or together with the members. With now 150 registered members (COLAU annual report, 2022), COLAU continues to offer support through identifying partners that can support the works of members, administer grants from donors to members, mobilise and allocate information resources to members, monitor and evaluate performance of projects being implemented through the Association as well as create networks and linkages. COLAU does not work independently while doing its work. It partners with like-minded organizations and individuals to perform its duties to meet goals and objectives.
Community libraries scattered all over the country do offer free services while some charge a minimum fee of 500 shillings and a maximum of about 1,000 Shillings as a daily membership to support the maintenance of these spaces. People flock to the libraries to get access to information from books, Newspapers, Magazines and the internet. Libraries serve 3 to 10 schools near and far, and receive about 40 to 80 users per visit from schools. The highest peak of users depends on the location of each library and the target groups. The community libraries have a unique niche in the category of people they serve. Most users are reached through outreach programs using mobile libraries; book banks, books on bikes, books in backpacks, books in vans among others. One way of fighting illiteracy. However, there is much need for training of community librarians in basic library management skills, provision of relevant information materials which best suit the needs and wants of users, creating awareness about the importance of libraries and their services, equipping libraries with user friendly furniture; chairs, tables, storage cabinets and shelves for convenience while using the library and also refurbishing the library spaces to make them more attractive for users.
An example is the Centre For Children And Library Foundation (CECLIF) Community Libraryin Abwanget village, Osukuru Town Council, Tororo district, Eastern Uganda with currently 2,000 books in stock serves 4 schools and over 6 villages.
Photo by Denis Okir, Founder CECLIF, ceclifoundation2020@gmail.com
Update by Latiffah Nakanwagi, Community Librarian, Mummy Foundation Community Library in Uganda: Mummy Foundation Community Library has resumed reading sessions and outreach activities to embrace literacy and reading among the young ones.
Using the mountain bikes library, Lucky reaches out to those far away from the library and reads to them. Lucky is a volunteer at Marko Lukooya Memorial Community Library and his area of specialization is graphic designing.
Agnes Peninah, Librarian, reports that the community library located in Buduuda district Eastern Uganda organised a literacy week were parents and teachers were invited to take part. The library resources were brought out to accommodate all users during the week.
Nambi Ssepuuya Community Resource Centre in Jinja district, Eastern Uganda conducted reading with 89 primary five pupils of Winds of Hope Christian school. Activities included read through plays, read Aloud, gestures and comprehension. “I do this on a weekly basis, like in a week I dedicate one day to a particular school” Issa Maganda, a trained Librarian at Nambi Ssepuuya Community Resource Centre. Issa goes to 3 schools on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays using the mobile library.
Namanya Memorial community Library Uganda is located in Nansana, Katooke A, Wakiso district. The decision to start the library was inspired by their late father to help vulnerable communities and give back to the community. Starting the library was a way of honouring his legacy. Serving between 10 to 20 children in a day, the library welcomes everyone from the community. Libraries are most active in holidays and weekends with regular and un regular users.
“Community libraries are very important especially in communities with very low literacy levels” Amy Ampaire, Community Librarian at Namanya Memorial Community Library. Having community libraries is one way we can reach out to different communities in order to impart the literacy skills to them to contribute to fighting illiteracy. At Namanya community library they have story books for children, fiction for both teenage and adults, curriculum. They are in the process of adding educative games to the collection.
The major challenge in community libraries today is the lack of space, lack of training in library management and financial challenges to acquire skilled man power and run the library consistently. Imagine a community library with skilled personnel to carry out outreach with books, read to children, ability to communicate effectively and efficiently with local leaders, teachers and parents to encourage more library usage – the illiteracy gaps would easily be covered and more numbers reached through different reading programs.
Article by: Emmanuel Anguyo, Coordinator Community Libraries Association of Uganda
Lutex Community Library located in Mukono municipality 50 meters on Kayunga/Bugerere road is houses a total of 1,600 books mostly vocational and leisure reading books for children. It opens from Monday to Saturday starting 7:30am-5:30pm. It is run by its founder, Fred Lukyamuzi Musoke, a determined, skilled and professional vocational trainer. The library is managed by 2 staff and 1 volunteer. “The library is going to grow over time and is a place where you can get all information, you go places because of the library and the information we access,” says Fred Lukyamuzi Musoke. Lukyamuzi mentions that they shall be expanding the library to the new site since they are still in the rented space. Their target is to be able to accommodate all types of users of the library. Currently the adults share the space with the kids and emphasis are to design a children’s corner specifically to children. They participated in the recently concluded UgCLA conference and learnt from their colleagues running community libraries.
