Patronage at children’s library in Accra increases

Page 17
June 19, 2009

CONTRARY to the perception that children are not reading, patronage at the children’s library at the Ghana Library Board (GLB) in Accra Central has increased drastically.
The increase in patronage is as result of visits to schools by staff of the Library Board to sensitise children on the importance of reading.
According to the Head of the Children’s Library, Mrs Matilda Adjei, from a low figure of about 381 in 2007, the number of children who registered with the library in Accra increased to 769 in 2008 and then to 938 in May this year.
In addition to the sensitisation programme, the authorities of the board introduced a number of programmes including quizzes to whip up interest of the pupils.
The pupils who patronise the library are from the primary to junior high school level.
When the Daily Graphic paid a visit to the Children’s Library in Accra on Wednesday, the place was empty but Mrs Adjei, said the situation was normal during school hours.
However, she said, the place got full in the afternoon when schools had closed for the day, adding that during the vacation periods, the patronage started from the morning through to the evening.
“During the vacation period we get huge patronage from not only students from our catchment area, workers also bring their children for reading and pick them (children) up after work,” she emphsised.
The programme of activities at the library include Story Hour, where both staff and children tell stories.
In the course of the activity opportunity is given for children to ask questions on things they do not understand.
In addition, there is the Reading Clinic where children read on their own and are assisted in areas they find it difficult to understand.
“All these are done to promote reading and learning among children,” Mrs Adjei said, pointing out that games such as Oware, Scrabble, Ludo and Jig-saw Puzzle, went a long way to sustain the interests of the children.
One of the challenges at the library, she said, was the use of outdated books, and said “some of the children complained of reading the same book over and over again”.
Mrs Adjei, therefore, appealed to organisations and individuals to help in any way possible to improve and increase the stock of books with current reading and learning materials.
She said although the major challenge was finance, the authorities intended to provide Information and Communication Technology (ICT) at the library.
A pupil who visits the library regularly, Miss Jennifer Laryea, a form 2 student of the Wesley Junior High School at Palladium in Accra, told the Daily Graphic that going to the library had been of immense benefit to her.
She said she did not only read textbooks, but other story books to improve on her vocabulary and grammar.
She called on the government to put up more community libraries since they went a long way to help improve the academic performance of students and also keep them occupied.
The Executive Director of Child’s Rights International, Mr Bright Appiah, welcomed the news of increase in the number of students that patronised the library.
Apart from pupils using the facility to study, he said, it would equip them with knowledge about issues which affected the growth of children as it would help them to know their rights.
The Chairman of the GLB Board, Mr Kosi Kedem, said at the inauguration of five agencies under the Ministry of Education that the government was committed improving facilities at the GLB.