PURPOSE

The United States continues to diversify and expand to include many different cultures. As we strive to learn and understand the differences in our various backgrounds, it is imperative that students become aware of the value of libraries in establishing a global culture that is respectful of each other’s differences.

Libraries serve as hubs of information, digital exchange centers, exploration

polestars, and hearts of learning for whole communities. They help students

develop an understanding and respect for people from diverse cultural and

linguistic backgrounds through vast resources of books, periodicals, and

computer centers, and through the librarians who work there.

The important work of libraries is not exclusive to the United States.

Literacy heroes all around the world are promoting global literacy, and many

of them are advancing literacy in impoverished and neglected communities by

creating libraries. Their stories offer a powerful learning opportunity for your

students.

Literacy Heroes is a forum-based online community. In order to contribute

to the forum, you must sign up for a FREE account. You can sign up by

either entering your email address or signing up through your Google

or Facebook login. Through the Literacy Heroes online forums, registered

members can share diverse resources that feature those who are endorsing

literacy throughout the world such as news articles, photos, and videos. Other members can comment and share their voices and viewpoints on posts. There are multiple forums where members can post. Each forum represents a different country of the world. The website’s moderators monitor the forums and publish each notable contribution in a FEATURED section of the website. Each notable contribution gets published as a blog post with a built-in feature that allows viewers to share via Facebook, Twitter, G+, or a shareable link.

THE IMPORTANCE OF GLOBAL LIBRARIES

Libraries in many rural, poverty-stricken global areas provide hope to many who long to live in a free nation. Librarians in these areas continue to create ingenious ways of reaching their communities, which are in dire need of literacy support.

Take the following, for example:

In Afghanistan, some schools are hundreds of miles away, and a child’s education is further obstructed by a lack of resources, including print books. Saber Hosseini is a literacy hero who believes in the power of education and brings Afghan children books on his bicycle library, providing them access to a world of knowledge. Saber, a schoolteacher in one of the poorest areas of Afghanistan, attests to the fact that
a library is more than just stacks of books—it is also a
community of individuals willing to learn and discuss
and grow.
Ridwan Sururi, known as the Don Quixote of Literacy,
rides his horse to a remote Indonesian village to bring
books to children.
The Elephant Mobile Library in Laos brings children’s
books and additional educational materials to schools
in the northern province of Xaybouly.
“Bibliomuleros” - mules carrying books and clothes, make
weekly visits to schools in Venezuela.
The Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha library boats in
Bangladesh promote literacy in flood-prone areas.
Dashdondog Jamba is a mobile librarian who travels via camel to bring books to children in the Gobi desert.
Mobile libraries in Thailand provide books for children who reside in remote, impoverished areas.

These are just some examples! Members contribute a great amount of information on literacy heroes throughout the world. Come and explore the global literacy heroes online community!

BENEFITS OF LEARNING ABOUT GLOBAL LIBRARIES

Students will benefit in many ways from learning about the work these literacy heroes are performing. By including this topic in your curriculum, students will practice the following skills:

Analyzing evidence critically and demonstrating an
understanding of how socio-economic factors affect
communities.
Recognizing how cultural differences and factors affect
economies.
Engaging with content-rich informational text to gain a
broader understanding of the world around them.
Experiencing opportunities for reflection, discussion, and
debate.
Writing arguments based on reasoning and offering
evidence-based support.
Constructing cross-cultural interdependence, as well as
developing an appreciation of how impoverished communities
can prosper when literacy and education are brought to them
through library initiatives.
Moving beyond their immediate environment and viewing the lives of others through a global lens to inspire learning about other cultures, and most importantly, to foster global connections.
Gaining comprehension and expectation that no two cultures and no two libraries are alike and that the world continuously changes over time.
Making personal connections to the text that can lead to engaging global discussions about poverty, denial of the right to education, lack of libraries, and social injustice.
Gaining positive role models and understanding of how important promoting literacy is.

INCORPORATING GLOBAL LIBRARIES INTO EDUCATION

Lesson plans should include a variety of informational texts throughout the year that highlight a specific country’s library. This social interaction around complex informational text will lead to rich, structured discussions. You can scaffold informational text about global libraries through close reading and discussion questions. Members have contributed the following activities to get you started.

Introduce a discussion about the availability of library services in other countries. Ask questions such as these: Do other countries have school libraries and free public libraries? How do people in remote places get new books? Why are libraries important? How do you think literacy rates around the world differ for males and females? What does it mean to be a global citizen?
Tell students they will have the opportunity to explore the
availability and types of services provided by school and free
public libraries in specific countries such as Egypt, Iran,
Argentina, etc.
Ask students what they know about the countries they are
reading about in the Featured articles and record their
answers. Then read aloud articles gathered from various
news sources, and follow up with short segments of videos
from broadcasters such as the BBC and CNN.
Have students reflect on the Featured articles and videos in
their journals or discuss what they learned in small groups.
Were their prior perceptions about the countries correct?
What questions do they still have?
In small groups, have students conduct web research on a particular poverty-stricken region of the world and report out to the class in a 5–10 minute presentation. In addition to providing a brief geographical and historical overview of the area affected, each group should address a set of analytical questions.

For example: To what degree does the affected area’s colonial past contribute to lack of libraries for children?
Have students choose three areas of the world they’ve learned about to compare and contrast with the United States. Compare population density, average income, literacy rates, birth and death rates, industries, natural resources, etc. What conclusions can they draw from the comparison?
Assign opposing roles to a critical statement, and have students prepare for and participate in a debate. Statements could include the following:
- The gap in literacy rates around the world is fair.
- Literacy equals power.
- The work of literacy heroes is worthwhile.
- In some places around the world, people don’t need to be literate.
- Improving the lives of a few improves the lives of many.
Skype with different global classrooms, and have students read stories to the students in the classrooms to improve reading skills.