Developing World Libraries/Mobile Devices

Anyone with a personal device and internet access has tremendous potential to gain access to information quickly, easily, anywhere, anytime and at their convenience.  This is a good thing for libraries as it allows for more people to access, develop and maintain their literacy skills.  With advances in technology, and with many people owning personal mobile devices, libraries in developed and developing nations are forced to keep up in meeting the technological needs of the users in their community. In developed nations, most of our libraries are equipped with a fair amount of print material, infrastructure to support technology and equipment, and it is an open, active, and inviting environment.

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(Retrieved from Google Image)

However, the picture is very different in libraries of developing nations, if there is even a library at all depending on the locale.  Most libraries in places such as Africa exist as a small room with a limited number of old books, which may have been donated, and have no or limited technological equipment such as laptops or desktops etc. These equipment, books, and other printed materials are too expensive and thus not affordable (Flood, 2014).  It is not a buzzing hub as the library we, in the developed nations, know and are accustomed to.

(Retreived from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/30/africa-a-day-in-the-digital-life#img-8)

In my research for this week's blog, I came across several articles that made mention of mobile phones as the device that is most accessible and ubiquitous in developing nations such Africa.  Barreto Da Rosa & Lamas, (2013) and the article by Flood (2014), both highlighted that mobile cellphone were the devices that were not only most accessible but also developing nations have more cellphones than books. Many are using it as their main source for reading and accessing information. It would make sense then for libraries to look at making the content of their website and databases compatible with cell phones. Barreto Da Rosa & Lamas suggest in the conclusion of their paper to develop  "mobile interfaces for open source digital library system" to enhance cellphone access to library services.

Specific library projects in developing nations I found in my research include Beyond Access, which is initiated by the organization called International Research & Exchanges Board https://www.irex.org/, which is also supported by the Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation.  Beyond Access along with the National Library of the Philippines (NLP) work together under the Philippine Digital Strategy (PDS) with 50 libraries to provide ICT service, digital skills training, promote literacy at the community level and build a partnership at the community and national level.  
https://www.flickr.com/photos/93652735@N05/sets/72157641662936795/

Another initiative backed by IREX was in Myanmar where along with the Myanmar Book Aid and Preservation Fund (MBPF), within 2 years, they transformed 90 libraries into a community technology hub where people can access the internet and develop digital skills.  This initiative was quite impressive, see more here  http://beyondaccess.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/MyanmarEvaluationSummary.pdf.  In their efforts to raise the status of girls, the TAG (Tech Age Girls) program was also implemented, where one hundred girls and young women used technology to develop leadership and community development skills.  But throughout my research, the issue of inequality is a common thread, as in the article by Barreto Da Rosa & Lamas (2013), boys and men were the main users of technology, not girls or women.  I gather socio-cultural factors are at play here as well as economic factors.  Another common thread was the issue of consistent access to the internet, in the Myanmar initiative, it was noted that even though many people had cell phones, they still went to the library to access the internet citing the cost of data was too expensive.  This was also mentioned in Barreto Da Rosa & Lamas (2013), and he suggests that the development of an open source for digital library system was necessary for the sustainability of cellphones and other mobile devices to be used as a source of information and literacy development.

On a personal note, this week's blog topic was challenging and required more research and time than I initially thought, so it is a bit late, I apologize for this.






References
 Barreto Da Rosa, I. and Lamas, D. (2013). Mobile access to digital libraries in developing countries; a reflection on motives, options, and sustainability. In: Guangzhou, China. [online] Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259485595_Mobile_access_to_digital_libraries_in_developing_countries_a_reflection_on_motives_options_and_sustainability [Accessed 27 Oct. 2017].
Flood, A. (2013). 'Mobile reading revolution' takes off in developing world. The Guardian. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/23/mobile-reading-revolution-unesco-study-phones-africa-subcontinent [Accessed 26 Oct. 2017].
 Jackson, R. (2017). “Mobile Academic Libraries: A Snapshot.”. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 52(3), pp.174–178.
Beyondaccess.net. (2017). Maximizing Digital Access in the Philippines | Beyond Access. [online] Available at: http://beyondaccess.net/projects/philippines/ [Accessed 26 Oct. 2017].
Trucano, M. (2014). “What We Are Learning about Reading on Mobile Phones and Devices in Developing Countries.”. [Blog] Edutech. Available at: http://blogs.worldbank.org/edutech/reading-mobile-phones [Accessed 26 Oct. 2017].
 Beyond Access. (2017). What we learned from 3 years of connecting communities to technology. [online] Available at: http://beyondaccess.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/MyanmarEvaluationSummary.pdf [Accessed 26 Oct. 2017].


Comments

  1. I also came across a Gates foundation program and was slightly disappointed in the way the foundation rolled out the support, it was very Americanized and lacked a variety supports. It almost assumed that these nations had electricity or literate community members, the programs offered were more advanced, which is great but lacked variety. Do you know if IREX is more well rounded supports offered?

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  2. A good post that shares many of the realities and challenges of information access in the developing world. I am glad you mentioned the topic of male/female access and how young girls are usually getting the least amount of support and access. Good description of the solutions, mobile strategies and organizations working hard to support this important aspect of health, knowledge and access to the internet.

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