Libraries and Development of Disadvantaged and Marginalized Communities in Namibia

Abstract

This paper will present concepts, methods, and preliminary findings from a study of three regional libraries (i.e. Ohangwena, Omaheke and Oshana) in Namibia. While Omaheke region has the second lowest literacy levels in Namibia and is home to the San people who are also most marginalized community in Namibia, Gobabis - the Omaheke capital, is ranked at number three on the scale of towns with the highest number of street children. Ohangwena region on the other hand leads in teenage pregnancies, and high rates of reported HIV cases as well as drug abuse. Since the HIV problem is affecting mostly the most energetic section of the society, (i.e. the youths), its impact in Ohangwena is mostly felt on the socio-economic development of the region. Oshakati region, also known as the capital city of the North is known to have been the most densely populated of all the regions in Namibia. This population boom has resulted in a number of socio-economic and environmental challenges, which again have direct bearing on the socio-economic development of the country. The Government of Namibia, with funding from the United States Government constructed the libraries in these three cities specifically to address the challenges of low literacy levels and to support development initiatives of the communities in the three regions. The libraries were opened in 2014, and were equipped with the latest state of art technology to ensure maximum efficiency in information delivery to both urban and rural communities alike and to support these communities to address in full the aforementioned challenges. This paper is going to analyze the two years’ operations of these three libraries in relation to the objectives of their establishment. This paper will focus on five key areas: The background to the establishment of the regional libraries; How have these libraries faird in stimulating social networks and addressing community development agenda in the respective towns and regions; Lessons learnt; Key challenges facing these libraries; The way forward for these libraries. Our concept of development comes from Walter Rodney’s book How Europe Underdeveloped Africa. Asset-Based Community Development comes from the Northwestern University scholars John McKnight and John Kretzmann who argue that even a poor community has assets, and development must rely on those insider assets. The paper will look at Glocalization in the same light as was discussed in a study of Evergreen Educational Foundation’s digital divide project in China’s Gansu province (Yan Hui 闫慧 et al) who see glocalization as a process whereby those far from a community collaborate with people inside a community to help with development. Root Shock is the idea that we experience community-wide disorientation and grief when we lose visual and institutional anchors in our community (Mindy Fullilove). Various parties in our study each experienced a degree of Root Shock. We hope to break new ground for the next phase of African library work and African development and provide insights for other developing countries as well. Three of us were/or are managers of the libraries in the study. The methodology of this study will be an Issues Ethnography, in which it will use: 1) repurposed program data, 2) program documents, and 3) the memories of the three librarians.