“For Poor Nations a Library Service Is Vital”: Establishing a National Public Library Service in Tanzania in the 1960s

Abstract

The Tanganyika Library Service (TLS) was the national public library service set up in Tanzania, East Africa, in the 1960s. By the end of the decade, it was generally regarded as a model of Western‐style public library development in Africa. This is an account of its establishment and early years based on accessible documentary sources in Tanzania and the United Kingdom, on printed sources, and on interviews with 1960s staff members in the two countries. Topics include the background of educational and library underdevelopment during the colonial era; the African Socialist philosophy of Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere; TLS readers and what they wanted to read in English or Kiswahili; the link with adult education and with literacy education in particular; the attempts to reach as many as possible with books and service in spite of resource constraints; the urban/rural debate; staffing and staff development; the contribution of E. M. Broome, TLS founding director; and the issue of overseas aid and cultural imperialism.