A team from the Library Services of Fiji is in the Northern Division carrying out a massive audit of library resources distributed under the government’s library services provision and delivery to schools and public library programmes.
The audit assesses the progress of the mini libraries programme set up by library services in four communities early this year.
These communities include Korotari Mother’s Club, Shivanjali Mother’s Club in Vuniika, Boubale Mother’s Club in Bulileka and Valebasoga Muslim Community in Labasa.
Community members were educated on ways they could generate income through book-based knowledge such as flower arrangements, sewing and food preservation for example pickles, chutney and jam.
The library services team will determine whether these communities are applying skills acquired from books and the training they had undergone to generate an income.
The team will also audit books donated by the European Union to secondary schools in 2008 and the collection of all books from schools, supplied under the ‘Book Box Scheme’.
The ‘Book Box Scheme’ was initiated in 2009 to enhance literacy and ignite students’ interest in reading, especially for those in the rural schools and is collected towards the end of every term or as requested by schools.
Meanwhile, the team that is now on Rabi Island in Cakaudrove is surveying groundwork for the establishment of a history corner and teacher’s resources centre to be located at the Rabi Island’s Council of Elders building.
Library Services director Sokoveti Tuimoala said the history corner would benefit the younger generations of Banabans.
“We are calling on Banabans to give us artifacts or any other historical Banaban resources that we can place in the resource centre that will educate young Banabans of their roots, their ancestors and their homeland Banaba,” Ms Tuimoala said.
“The teachers’ resource centre will have books on the curriculum and even library books and other reading material that teachers and students can easily access because as it is the distance from Rabi to mainland Vanua Levu is far.”
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