Communities throughout the developing world are creating their own unique ways to preserve and share information. Their successes have traditionally been overshadowed by discussions of the “book famine” and the “digital divide.” Although vast inequities in global information access must be redressed, these grass-roots projectors show that many communities are not simply waiting for change. They are starting libraries with homemade books, creating museums about local culture, and using donkeys to bring books to remote areas. The World Library Partnership’s training and volunteer programs have helped communities develop their unique information resources. From starting one of the only lending programs in Honduras to teaching writing workshops in South Africa, The WLP shows communities how to use the resources they have available now to create sustainable information centers for the future. The session will include a short film and discussion about grassroots library development. This North Carolina organization has globally reached out to affirm the value of libraries in enriching communities.

Join Executive Director, Laura Wendell, as she discusses her experiences and the success of the WLP. After graduating Phi Beta Kappa from Oberlin College, she spent 2 years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the West African country of Togo. She assisted her host community in beginning the first public library in the district. In 1996 she founded the WLP to support rural libraries in developing countries. Under her leadership the organization has grown to 72 volunteers who have invested in 35 libraries in 3 countries. WLP has purchased $30,000 in new books for these libraries, established a training center in Honduras and created online, film, and print resources for people worldwide. She is an outspoken advocate for rural libraries as essential tools for lifelong learning and community development.