Small Bits in Namibia

6/29 We have accomplished a lot, but still have so much to do! All the fiction books are on the shelves, ready to be used. It took some time to type borrower cards for over 500 books. I will now start preparing the non-fiction books, as well as reference books, and teacher resources. We have set the opening date for Monday July 6th. We will make an announcement at an all school assembly before the school day begins. We will arrange a schedule to allow each class time to come into the library and browse the books for the first time. It will be exciting. They have been waiting anxiously. The next week after the opening, we will start to allow learners to borrow books.
Rachel has been bringing in some classes to begin instruction on the computers and she will help me with doing some library orientation sessions.
6/19 I can't believe I have already been here for 5 weeks! Tremendous progress has been made on organizing the library, but there is still so much to be done. My goal is to officially open the library by July 1st. All of the 500+ donated books now have pockets inside them, thanks to my very helpful library assistants. Now I need to type all the borrower cards for each book. As I sit at the computer in the library typing, I always have an audience of learners peeking in the windows behind me. They are amazed at how quickly I can type on the keyboard. Rachel has started to bring in groups of learners to introduce them to the computers. Many of the learners don't even know how to use the mouse and are very tentative about using the computers. You can see the pride in their faces when they push the correct keys and the word processing program opens. There were many sounds of amazement when they learned how to change the size, style, and color of the font!

6/16 After an exciting 3 days in Etosha Wildlife Park, this week my plans are to record books, make cards, and finish preparing the donated books so that they can be made available to the learners. Everyday learners knock on the door of the library asking to come and see the books. I let them come in and look at books while they are there, but they are not ready to be borrowed yet. All the learners are very anxious!
After the amazing time Rachel and I had at Etosha Wildlife Park, we are brainstorming now trying to think of how we can organize a school field trip with some of the learners. Very few learners from Ogongo School have ever been to Etosha. It is such a shame! The $3.00 entrance fee is not affordable for them.

6/9 Today a great example of the hunger for reading material at Ogongo Combined School. The janitor came to the library to get some old newspapers to take to the pit toilets to use as toilet paper. A half an hour later, I look out the window to see two 4th grade learners leaving the toilets, each reading a page of the newspaper! I guess they have their priorities straight... Printed materials to read rather than wiping their butts!