Volta Library Board breaking the ICT divide

The Volta Regional Directorate of Ghana Library Board (GLB), is using a mobile library van to break through the Information Communication Technology (ICT) divide between the rural and urban areas.

Under the scheme, the van visit communities often the outlandish areas carrying computers and an instructor who takes at least 25 pupils through introductory lessons on computer use, especially the huge interconnectivity capacity.

Mr Alikem Tamakloe, Regional Director of the GBL made this known to the Ghana News Agency at Juapong on Wednesday, where the GBL pitched camp for two-days to lend books to students under its Mobile Library Programme.

Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications had facilitated the scheme by providing five computers to the GLB.

Mr Tamakloe expressed the hope that the programme would sharpen the interest of the pupils and teachers in ICT to increase the pressure on stakeholders in education to provide computers in the rural areas.

He said the GBL team had so far visited Aveyime, Battor, Adidome, Adaklu-Waya, Adaklu-Abuadi and Agortime-Kpetoe, where he said public interest had been positive.

Togbe Kumi IV, a Divisional Chief of Battor, who represent the traditional council on the GBL Mobile Library Committee, suggested the need for the appointment of teachers as librarians to serve as link between the pupils and the GBL.

Mr Fred Agbele, GBL Officer in charge of the Mobile Library Scheme said a total of 1,500 books, including novels and textbooks have been lent to students.

He said the scheme, which is running as a pilot programme, in the North Tongu and the Adaklu Anyigbe Districts, needs publicity to hype public interest.

Under the scheme, which started in February 2009, primary pupils pay a registration fee of 50 pesewas while those from junior high schools offer
GH¢ 1.00.

Source: GNA