There’s considerable momentum behind e-government in the country now, and the e-government center is getting ready to roll out nearly two hundred new online services. The challenge is ensuring demand for these services so that they become institutionalized – streamlining government and making it more transparent and responsive, while strengthening the sustainability and viability of e-government as an approach for Moldova. While there was discussion of hiccups with past efforts, the group was optimistic about the viability of libraries as a delivery mechanism. Much of the focus in the past has been on supply – the creation of services – and there is recognition that it’s equally important at this point to consider the demand side of the equation.

There was discussion around ideas on the types of services that would serve as ‘easy wins’ on both sides – both easy to create and sustain from the e-government side, but also easy to explain and use from the user side. There was acknowledgement that such early services must be carefully considered to fill a gap in information and deliver a tangible benefit. Paul-Andre Baran, the director of the Biblionet program in Romania, shared the example of libraries’ cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture in his country, which is connecting farmers to online subsidy applications through libraries. Whereas this application process used to take up at least two days of a farmer’s time in travel to the local government office to get information and then return with a completed application, the online version completed at libraries saved Romanian farmers more than 34,000 days in 2011. More than 20,000 farmers collected more than €15m in subsidies by visiting their libraries.

Participants in the salon related to this example as illustrative of the efforts that need to be made in Moldova and thought agriculture might be a good place to start. The Ministry of Agriculture has a wide-reaching extension service as well as a payments agency similar to the one in Romania, but access to information for farmers is still a challenge. With agriculture making up a significant part of the Moldovan economy, services that can improve farmers’ lives are high on the agenda when considering public support and uptake. Other services prioritized by the group included online access to documentation and registration, broader tax filing services (limited online tax filing is already available), communication with local government and education information. One point made was that the most important services are the ones currently most captured by corruption. With Moldova currently in 112^th place on the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index, this is a salient issue.

A representative from the Moldovan Library Association expressed that Moldova’s libraries are ready to step up to the challenge. Previous projects have brought computers and new services to libraries based on the initiative of librarians, though in many cases, equipment has languished due to lack of local government support. In the upcoming program, she believed that government support was the key to sustainability – an aspect that’s baked into the Global Libraries approach.

Participants shared anecdotes about recent or current development projects that involve partnerships with public libraries. Ibrahim Inusah, from the Ghana Information Network for Knowledge Sharing (GINKS) spoke of a project where GINKS and a library collaborated to develop an in-library resource center for fisherman. Unfortunately, GINKS is no longer in regular contact with the library and could not say if the resource center continues to operate.

Aaron Kuwornu shared his experience implementing a Public Library Innovation Project (PLIP) in partnership with NGO Savannah Signatures at his library in Tamale, located in the northern region of Ghana. The project focuses on ICT training and leadership skills for youth. Implementing the project and partnering with an NGO was a learning process, according to Kuwornu. In fact, they had to switch implementing partners. But the relationship with Savannah Signatures has led to rapid implementation of program activities, as well as spin-off activities. Savannah Signatures now hosts monthly technology salon discussions at the library, each one focusing on a different emerging technology and open to all community members.

The most common theme of the discussion was the need to reorient that status of the library, to make it reflective of the times. The technologists and NGO representatives readily offered their service for libraries, saying “just ask us for ways to make it relevant.”

An ongoing challenge in Ghana is the need for repackaged information. High illiteracy rates and linguistic diversity mean that any one information product has to be adapted for different audiences. Community radio stations are frequently employed to work around these issues, but libraries can also have a place in helping citizens access and understand information from a wider variety of sources.

Everyone agreed that, if modernized, public libraries can act as hubs for information related to livelihoods, health, and could even become centers of distance learning. All participants expressed concern, though, that many public libraries may not have the capacity to go into partnership. There was also agreement that NGOs can sometimes be difficult partners, as evidenced by the PLIP experience in Tamale.

The participating NGO representatives and technologists clearly saw opportunities for partnership and the potential value of public libraries. Kafui Prebbie from TechAIDE shared his organization’s approach to working with NGOs and partners: start with a stakeholder analysis and move to clearly outlined objectives. Understanding stakeholder needs and then making sure stakeholders understand how an initiative will meet those needs are keys to success for tech programs, a strategy that Prebbie said is transferable to libraries.

The representative of Esoko, a software company that has developed a mobile platform for disseminating agricultural information to farmers, spoke about the similar concept of information dissemination between the Esoko platform and public libraries: using networks and contacts to get to thousands of people. As he said, the infrastructure exists in public libraries, libraries just need to be linked together with development projects. “At the end of the day, it’s the country that benefits.”

One participant went so far as to suggest that donor agencies should require that certain projects partner with libraries. In a follow-up discussion about whether or not participants felt that was a realistic expectation, some felt that some donors are interested in partnership but a library partnership requirement might limit projects. Others said that instead of waiting for donors to specifically include libraries in solicitations, libraries themselves must reach out to donors so they understand the value of public libraries and the role they have and can continue to play in connecting citizens with the information they need to improve their lives.

Florina Barbu called the Tech Camp, "an eye opener."

The second day of Tech Camp Bucharest demonstrated the power of NGOs, librarians and technologists working together to help disadvantaged groups. Fourteen groups gathered together to find solutions to the issues selected the day before and created action plans to be implemented as soon as possible. Among the most debated topics were data collection about Roma (see here an interesting article by Eric Gundersen, one of the international trainers), solutions for reaching remote communities using a combination of mobile and radio technology, and the various tiers of involvement for teachers, librarians and NGOs in preventing students from dropping out of school.

The librarians’ experiences with Tech Camp are best described in the message below, sent by Florina Barbu of the Ciocanesti, Dambovita County library: “Because I took part in the Tech Camp, I discussed important issues with trainers, other librarians and NGOs dealing with the Roma and other disadvantaged groups. We shared our experiences working with the various groups in our communities, identified problems and tried to find solutions. We made friends and exchanged contacts to stay in touch and implement our plans. This was an eye-opener for me.”

IREX was happy to take part in the camp and looks forward to seeing the action plans come to life in the new year.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Teodor Baconschi recognized the importance of social networks that, throughout the past couple of years, were used to organize protests and helped marginalized groups express their views. “Two billion people have Internet access,” Mr. Baconschi emphasized, “but this is still too little for the 7 billion people living on earth. The digital divide creates a duty for the more developed countries to help the less favored. This is why the European Union has a digital agenda.” The minister saluted the idea of organizing a Tech Camp for marginalized groups, and added that some Roma communities in Romania are closed and isolated, with the digital divide adding to their separation and experiences with discrimination.

US Ambassador Mark Gitenstein mentioned the projects supported by the embassy, especially Restart Romania, which was financed by TechSoup. “You have the talent,” the ambassador encouraged participants, “you have the demographics and problems to be solved. You have computers in libraries, so the Roma community will have access to information and a space to meet. And do work together offline as well as online.”

“My personal challenge is to have only one Romania, a digital Romania,” Minister of Communications Valerian Vreme told the audience, explaining that there are communities where access is poor, although Romania ranks among the first in the world in terms of Internet speed. “But we are on the way to covering the last ‘blank spots’ on the internet map. The ministry has an e-learning program, for the least technologically trained, to help e-inclusion and we allocated 55% more funds for research and development next year.”

The day continued with participants working in small groups with tech trainers, discussing the use of social networks, library resources and various applications to help build communities. We will be back tomorrow with solutions to some of the issues identified today and follow-up activities. Apart from providing trainers and inviting librarians to talk about their experience in working with Roma communities, IREX is organizing a competition for three grants of up to $2,000 to be given to partnerships between libraries and NGOs working to develop communities.

A scary sign, via Flickr user @Litandmore

Our colleagues in the GL Poland program have taken a great approach to the oft discussed problem of awful signage in libraries.

In partnership with the association of graphic designers, the Polish team has launched a design contest called “direction: library” to create a “universal and easy to use visual identification system” for libraries. I especially like that there’s a stage of the contest for testing out the designs in libraries to see how well they really work.

This reminded me of Aaron Schmidt’s recent observations on the nationwide system of library signage in Mexico. Like Aaron, I see the benefits of consistent signage across libraries. It’s the same approach chain retailers use to help customers find their way through stores, even if they’re in a physical location that is totally new to them.

Occupied seats, however, do not suffice as an adequate benchmark for measuring the value libraries bring to Kenyan communities. EIFL’s report on the perceptions of Kenyan libraries revealed that users are asking for more IT services and specialized information from their libraries. The challenge for these cash-strapped libraries is to satisfy user demands while also reaching out to Kenyans who are either unaware of library services or unable to take advantage of them. KNLS Director Richard Atuti estimates that the combined total of libraries run between KNLS, local authorities, and local organizations, does not exceed 150. These 150 libraries are not adequate to meet the information service needs of Kenya’s 40 million people.

Arid Lands Information Network (ALIN) Knowledge Center in Kenya, photo by flickr user @Gates Foundation

Last Tuesday, I listened to the experiences of 22 librarians, telecommunications representatives, and development professionals who are intimately aware of the challenges of using limited resources to meet the diverse information needs of the Kenyan population.

Early in our conversation, participants voiced the need for greater partnership and collaboration to provide greater information accessibility to Kenyans- both in terms of the distance they must travel for resources and in the ways in which information is accessed. While some centers are the only accessible public information point for miles, there are instances of competition between information centers that can detract from their common mission. Partnerships can result in at least two critical advantages.

1. Better service of information needs: A center is most attractive when it offers a wide range of topical information through a variety of mediums. An illiterate person may think they have no place in a library unless it offers options such as audio materials, paired assistance from librarians or experienced users, or community events. Furthermore, people prefer consuming information in different ways. A story was shared about a community’s weekly radio program that was produced by reading a script aloud over the air. One community member, despite having radio access, would come into the station every week after the program so that he could borrow the script. He simply preferred reading information instead of listening to the radio. When organizations partner to provide information access, they may be able to offer more information channels and greater specialized technical expertise.

2. Sustainability: All informational centers struggle with limited resources- whether it is an IT center started by a Member of Parliament, a KNLS community library in building donated by local authorities, or a community organization that secured a one-time grant. Partnerships are the best hope for creating vibrant sustainable centers. Pooling resources, maintaining community support, advocating to government officials, and pursuing a diversity of financial support extends the life of a center.

Kenya has a vibrant national library system but there are also impressive organizations providing library-like centers in areas beyond the reach of the KNLS system. As the efforts to expand and strengthen information access opportunities for Kenyans continue, how can these forms of expertise come together?

This week, I’m in Kenya for discussions about libraries and what role they can play in an environment with little of a reading culture, low computer literacy, and 99% of internet traffic taking place through mobile devices. I’ll be blogging about the release of EIFL’s report on perceptions of Kenyan public libraries as well as discussions with members of the Kenyan government, development, technology, and library communities involved in lowering barriers for accessing information.

Somewhere along an aimless amble around Nairobi yesterday, I found myself walking in stride next to James. James is attending university to become a tour director and was eager to speak to someone who appeared to be connected to Kenya’s tourism industry. After we played the guessing game about where I’m from, I explained that I’m here not for a safari, but to study Kenyan libraries. He was perplexed why I would want to go to a library if I was not a student, but he proudly explained that his home village does have a library. He has visited his town library once.

In the context of EIFL’s report, James demonstrated common attitudes towards libraries but does not represent the 72% of Kenyan males who are library users.  Furthermore, 87% of library users visit the library at least weekly.  James associates libraries with students, just as over 90% of Kenyans see educational purposes as the primary reason for visiting a library. Perhaps he was being eager to please someone who clearly had a connection to libraries, but James’s pride over his town’s library would be typical as well. Libraries are considered essential or important to the community by 98% of users and 93% of nonusers, but nonusers see the library as less essential to them as an individual.

The fact that James’s town does have a community library is fairly significant if it is one of the 58 libraries associated with the Kenya National Library Service (KNLS). To compensate for the limited reach of KNLS, libraries and community centres have sprung up across Kenya thanks to the dedication of local organizations. The total number of Kenyan libraries, including those not networked with KNLS, is unknown.

I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s event – a discussion of the EIFL findings – to learn more about libraries in Kenya.  And to make sure I’m interpreting the statistics correctly!

(November 7 @ 1:15 PM EST Updated with corrected statistics.)

From the event description:

Access to information has been part of the development discussion since the Internet arrived. Previously, many saw community telecenters as the way to bring technology to the developing world. Yet telecenters are not sustainable without donor funding and the concept of public access hasn’t kept pace with advancing technology.

The global penetration of mobile phones calls into question the need for public Internet access at all. Until you realize that mobile devices are limited in functionality and there is more development information than is convenient for a phone screen – such as government open data and transparency initiatives.

So the question remains: how can people participate? It is time to reconsider the question of public access. What works today? What makes most sense for the future?

Full details and RSVP information.

Our colleague Anna Taranenko from the Bibliomist program in Ukraine recently attended the Open Government Data camp in Warsaw, where she networked with activists from around the world on the issues and challenges surrounding open government. At the camp, she encountered amazing people from around the world working to help governments become more transparent and engage more with citizens. She noted some common challenges, however, especially in developing countries. Uptake is an issue. Despite the resources being put into public data and websites that give unprecedented visibility to government spending and statistics, there’s some disappointment and confusion about how to get people beyond the few activists making use of the new tools.

This matches what we’ve been noticing about much of the discussion around open government. It focuses on technology, on tools, and on data. Governments often see releasing public data as the final step, or hackathons and tech camps as a solution for the question of how information is used. There’s no questions all these pieces have their place, but there’s a gap in the discussion. What about access? If we’re talking about developing countries, where most people don’t have their own computers or smartphones, how are they being included in these efforts?

Opening a new public access point at Plebanivka library in Ukraine. Young patrons and a local official surf the internet.

We’re thinking about how libraries belong in this discussion. In countries with public library systems, institutions dedicated to the idea of access to information already exist. With the right technology and training, we’ve seen how libraries can become community centers where those otherwise excluded can become aware of, access, and learn how to use the information that’s available. They get a chance to participate in development process that they’ve never had before. If you’re talking about open government, you can’t just be talking about the hackers and the data. You have to be talking about access.