Using libraries to promote literacy

Libraries are one of the institutions that serve as depositories of knowledge and information, and in this task they also play an important role in disseminating information, creating awareness on issues, and organizing activities that provide educational opportunities such as literacy programmes.

In 1990, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) set up the UNESCO Network of Associated Libraries (UNAL). The aim is to bring together and support a number of libraries from all regions of the world which will work in association with UNESCO to promote dialogue between different cultures, encourage multicultural initiatives, foster public awareness of international issues and spread knowledge of the Organization's main activities.

The Public Library Association of Latin America and the Caribbean (ABIPALC) was founded in 1989, and its purpose is to bring together individuals and institutions interested in the research work, development, co-operation and promotion of the region's public libraries.

Venezuela started an experiment entitled Boxes of Books in the Classroom, whereby public libraries provided schools that had no library of their own and no resources with a collection of specially selected books accompanied by a teacher's guide suggesting a range of innovative activities to help to stimulate curiosity and interest in reading. Children from poor backgrounds in the first and third level of basic education were targeted. Venezuela hopes to consolidate the experiment to nationwide coverage in 1992.