The Savelugu Municipal Library has taken delivery of 1,000 children’s books as part of efforts to restock and revamp it to remain a preferred place for children to seek knowledge after school.
The Northern Regional Office of the Ghana Library Authority (GhLA) presented the books to the Savelugu Municipal Library as part of a broader national goal to have a functional library in each district of the country.
The presentation of the books to the Savelugu Municipal Library was also in fulfilment of an advocacy campaign by YEFL-Ghana, a youth-centred NGO, with support from OXFAM in Ghana, which lobbied the GhLA-Ghana to ensure that libraries are made available in every district with dormant ones revamped.
Mr Aaron Kuwornu, Northern Regional Librarian, who presented the books, said they were to augment the stock of the library to better serve the area.
Mr Kuwornu said in this era of COVID-19 pandemic, when basic schools remain closed, the library would help children to keep pace with academics until schools are reopened in January.
The library
The Savelugu Municipal Library, until the presentation of the 1,000 books, had only few books on its shelves, and the furniture in the hall was not child-friendly.
The facility is manned by a NABCO person, while some public agencies such as the Electoral Commission and the National Identification Authority took advantage of the poor patronage of the library to pack their items in the hall.
Mr Kuwornu appealed to the Savelugu Municipal Assembly and community members to maintain the facility and put it in a good shape.
Hajia Ayishetu Seidu, Savelugu Municipal Chief Executive, expressed happiness that the library had been restocked, saying she was also working to get more books to revamp the facility.
Hajia Seidu urged parents to release their children to patronise the library and make good use of the books for improved reading culture in the area.
Easy access
Mr Iddrisu Kofi Abdulai, Director of Human Resource Management and Development at the Savelugu Municipal Directorate of Education, said the restocking of the library would ensure that children had access to reading materials to help improve education outcome in the area.
Mr Abdulai said head teachers in the area would be encouraged to urge their pupils and students to borrow books from the library to read regularly to instil in them the habit of reading.
