I've been thinking about the future of my own library in Lagos.
I once used it as a public access library in the ground floor flat of my house in Benin, employed in it a library attendant and a computer operator when computers were still new in Nigeria but my current space is more private and security is now a more serious issue in Nigeria.
I later tried to replicate something similar through building what I understood as a research centre in Histon, near Cambridge UK, an expensive enterprise since I was renting the space.
I also aspired to set up something similar in the Ogba sacred forest in Benin only to return to Nigeria to find the forest has given way to intense urbanization.
Truth is, I wonder how much reading I do these days, and what percentage of that is from print texts. I hope to enter again into intensive reading and the print books would be priceless, being intimate companions whose presence around me is like living in a wonderful palace vibrating with achievement and aspiration from fellow travellers across time and space.
I have Falola, Wariboko and Kenneth Harrow sections in my library, specifically Harrow's work on Islam, the latter very inspiring, and his book on change in African literature, among other writers and fields of study.
Thanks
toyin
--I might be interested in such a project. I am retired and have to consider where many of my books are to go. I want a reliable, secure library or its equivalent where it would be needed and do the most good.Ken
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From: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Cornelius Hamelberg <corneliushamelberg@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 13, 2023 8:07:09 AM
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Re: Library Philanthropy in Africa
--On Thu, 13 Apr 2023, 13:34 Cornelius Hamelberg, <corneliushamelberg@gmail.com> wrote:
Augustine Togonu-Bickersteth,
Such a big word: Philanthropy
Here's a definition of Philanthropist according to the Devil's Dictionary
As it has been written, "Your elders shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions"
Here's something, a kind of vision of how it could be in Nigeria, a vision that should move you deeply as it did me.
I might be going off on a limb here, but I think that we ( august members of this series) can all contribute our widow's mite to the essentially non-reading generation that's nonetheless hungry, and thirsting for knowledge!
How many hundreds of books have we not bought, read, thrown away, or discarded? Collectively, enough to fill a few libraries. Yet, how many of us have read all of Ojogbon Falola's works, and the vast output of so many other essential books, in the departments of poetry, philosophy, facts, and fiction? Apart from the limited time at our disposal, and a lack of inclination, another reason could be that we are not all billionaires like Elder Obi the leader of the Nigerian Labour Party, and this means that some of the book prices / our heart's desires and all that music that's not available at "affordable prices" are simply out of reach for us the common folk, the lumpenproletariat. But all these essential works could be made freely available in libraries scattered throughout Nigeria, like mosques, churches, schools, petrol stations, restaurants, drinking parlours, banks…
N.B., I say " Elder Obi" considering that the retirement age in France is 62, which means that if he was a Frenchman, he should be looking forward to retiring as a youth leader by the 19th of July this year…
Always a valuable resource: https://www.britannica.com/
--On Thursday, 13 April 2023 at 10:53:43 UTC+2 Augustine Togonu-Bickersteth wrote:
The Top Library Philanthropists in inAfrica;, Emeka Offor, Tony Elumelu,, Buratai et al
Chief Emeka Offor the andrew carnegie of Africa, donated a staggering 30 milion dollars worth of books to higjher education in nigeria. chief Afe babalola the father of Africa ,recently donated 10 milion pounds to Kings college London for the Afe Babalola transformation centre. is is believe a bulk of the sum would be going to library development.
then we have Tony elumelu, chairman of UBA, united bank for Africa, you have the UBA foundation, donating books, Lt General Tukur Buratai ex chief of army staff donated 1000 books to his primary school and then set up a Think Tank which is believed to have an extensive library
from wikipedia we learn john Wood co-founded Room to Read in 2001 with Dinesh Shrestha and Erin Ganju. Operating in 20 low-income countries, the organization focuses on increasing literacy and gender equality in education. Its programs develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children, and support girls to complete secondary school with the relevant life skills to succeed in school and beyond. Over 25 million children have benefitted from the organization's programs.[1 #london #development #education #transformation #bank #africa #nigeria #school
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