African libraries are discovering new roles in society being centres of community relevance where the youth can learn the habits of good citizenship.
"The modern library is not just a place to store books: it is a place to host author readings, a quiet place with all the necessary study tools at hand for students to do research and homework; it is a social centre, a bulletin board, and an institution to promote the growth of the individual," said Simangele Mmema, the president of the Swaziland Reading Association.
New community libraries are mushrooming in Uganda, with local people playing a direct role, even to the extent of helping with their construction.
Uganda's community libraries, like many other new ones in Africa, are bringing a reading culture to thousands who do not have access to national libraries located in the major cities.
In Onukaogu's native Nigeria, the World Bank is funding secure, fireproof cabinets for new libraries' most valuable assets - books, which remain the preferred type of reading material even in the internet age.
"Each class has its own box of 200 books, with an available library of 2,800 books. Since we started the library, we have had an improvement in scholarship. There have been no failures in 7th grade eternal exams, and English grades have improved in all levels," Mmema reported.
Most experts in library science feel that primary schools are the most important part of any African nation's library system.In Swaziland's two main libraries - in the capital, Mbabane, and the central commercial hub of Manzini - the most active sections are the children's rooms.
The country's main libraries and 13 smaller regional libraries also host adult literacy courses and, until they recently ran out of space, Distance Education courses for adults.
"Adult use has required us to extend our operating hours well into the evenings," said Mabuza. "But that's good, because an African library should be the new community centre, where all generations can fulfil their needs."
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