Book Mobile Spreading Literacy in Rural China

06/24/09

Watch the Book Mobile in action as it helps to support children's literacy among the Nosu people in China.

In the “Great Cold Mountains” area of Southern Sichuan Province, China, many small elementary schools have almost no access to books other than their basic textbooks. The Nosu Book Mobile project will enable isolated rural schools to be visited on regular bases by a mobile library and enable the students to borrow books for up to five weeks at a time.

Books that are purchased through donations will be used in a book mobile program, loaning books to elementary school students at township level schools. These students have minimal or no access to books other than their textbooks for several reasons. First, many are too poor to afford additional books. Second, most of their schools are far from any book store. Third, recreational reading is not encouraged.

Scott Grandi, IDEAS' Regional Director of South and East Asia comments, "We know that reading a variety of books opens up many worlds of information and improves a student’s ability to learn." This program will loan books to students in township level elementary schools using first a rented vehicle and later a vehicle provided under a separate project fund.

The goal is to contact as many townships in the county as possible, visiting one different school each week or more often as more schools participate. Students will check out up to 3 books until the bookmobile returns again to their school. Depending on the number of participating schools, students may have the books for as many as 3-5 weeks.

The purpose of the program is not only to provide students with access to books, but to help the IDEAS community development team build and strengthen relationships with students, parents, teachers, and government administrators. This will help open doors to further community development work in new areas.

To give to the Nosu Book Mobile project, please visit our GIVE page and insert this project into the "comments" box.