The people keeping public libraries alive

A library is a strange and wonderful thing. It is a room where you can travel to Mars, argue with a philosopher who died 2,000 years ago, learn to fix a bicycle, and meet a talking spider named Anansi — all for free, and all before lunch.

But libraries do not keep themselves open. Behind every library is someone who unlocks the door, fixes the torn pages, chases the borrowers who "forgot" to return the book for eight months, and reads stories aloud to children on Saturday mornings.

In many African countries, public libraries face real challenges: small budgets, old books, few staff, unreliable electricity. Yet libraries survive — and some thrive — because of determined people.

Who are the people keeping libraries alive in Africa, and what can we learn from them?

Why libraries still matter in a phone world

"Why do we need libraries when we have smartphones?" It's a fair question. Here are some answers:

• Not everyone has internet. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) estimates that only around 36–38% of people in Africa use the internet. Libraries can offer books, Wi-Fi and computers to people who don't have them at home.
• Children need books to learn to read. The World Bank estimates that around 9 in 10 children aged 10 in Sub-Saharan Africa cannot read and understand a simple text — a problem it calls "learning poverty."
• Libraries are safe, quiet places to study, especially for young people who share small homes.
• Librarians help people find reliable information — a big deal in the age of fake news. See How to read a health claim shared online.

About 89% of 10-year-olds in Sub-Saharan Africa cannot read and understand a simple text. (World Bank, The State of Global Learning Poverty, 2022 update) Access to books — at home, in school or in a library — is one part of the solution.

The manuscript savers of Timbuktu

One of the most dramatic library stories in the world comes from Mali.

Timbuktu has been a centre of learning for centuries. Families kept hundreds of thousands of old manuscripts — about astronomy, mathematics, medicine, law, poetry and religion — some written as early as the 13th century.

In 2012, armed groups occupied Timbuktu. Many feared the manuscripts would be destroyed. A librarian and collector named Abdel Kader Haidara organised a secret rescue. With a network of volunteers, the manuscripts were packed into metal trunks and moved, often hidden in cars and boats, to Bamako. Hundreds of thousands of manuscripts were saved. Some manuscripts at one library were burned, but the vast majority survived.

The story was told in the book "The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu" by journalist Joshua Hammer. The title is a bit cheeky, but the message is serious: librarians can be heroes.

"These manuscripts show that Africa had a written culture long before colonisation." — the core message repeated by Timbuktu's manuscript keepers (paraphrase)

The everyday librarian

Most library heroes don't have dramatic stories. They have Tuesdays.

Consider an illustrative librarian we'll call Mme. Adjovi (illustrative), who runs a small municipal library in a Beninese town. Her day includes:

• Opening at 8:00 and checking whether the electricity is on.
• Registering new members, mostly secondary-school students.
• Repairing torn books with tape and patience.
• Running a reading hour for primary children.
• Helping an old man find a book about farming.
• Writing a request letter for new books — again.

She earns a modest salary. Her shelves are half full. Many books are old French editions. But every day, 30 to 50 young people come to study, because it's quiet, there are tables, and she is there.

Joke break: Mme. Adjovi's golden rule is simple: "You can talk to the books in your head, but not out loud." A 12-year-old once asked what happens if a book talks to you first. She said, "Then you are reading it correctly."

Creative libraries that go to people

When people can't come to the library, some libraries go to people:

• Book boxes and "little free libraries" in shops, schools and markets.
• Mobile libraries: In Kenya, the Kenya National Library Service famously used camels to carry books to remote communities in the north-east. Donkey-cart libraries have also served rural Zimbabwe.
• Digital libraries: Free apps like Worldreader bring e-books to phones. Projects like African Storybook offer free, openly licensed picture books in many African languages.
• Classroom libraries: a shelf of 50 books in every classroom can make a big difference.

These ideas show that the most important part of a library is not the building. It's the connection between readers and books.

Libraries in local languages

In many African countries, children learn to read in a language they rarely speak at home. UNESCO estimates that about 40% of the world's population does not have access to education in a language they speak or understand.

Libraries and publishers that offer books in local languages — Fon, Yoruba, Wolof, Swahili, Hausa, Lingala and others — help children learn to read faster and enjoy it more. The African Storybook project, for example, hosts thousands of free stories in dozens of African languages.

We look at this in more detail in The value of keeping African stories in local languages.

What keeps library heroes going

When librarians and volunteers are asked why they continue, similar reasons come up:

• "I see a child who couldn't read last year now reading to her little brother."
• "Students pass exams because they had a quiet place to study."
• "Books are the only place some children can see a different life."

"A library is not a luxury but one of the necessities of life." — Henry Ward Beecher

These motivations matter. But passion alone can't pay for books, roofs and electricity. Libraries also need budgets, partnerships and public support.

How communities can support their library

You don't need to be a librarian to help. Here are practical actions:

• Donate good books — especially children's books, science books and books by African authors. Not old phone directories.
• Volunteer for a reading hour. Reading aloud to children is simple and powerful.
• Organise a book drive at your school, church, mosque or business.
• Fix something: a shelf, a fan, a leaking roof.
• Speak up at local meetings about library budgets. See How young people can join local decisions.
• Use the library. Libraries with more visitors are easier to defend.

How to start a mini library

If there's no library near you, start small:

• Find a safe space: a shop corner, a classroom, a church hall.
• Collect 50–100 books. Ask friends, schools and organisations.
• Make a simple borrowing notebook: name, book, date out, date back.
• Choose two or three regular volunteers.
• Set opening hours — even if it's just Saturday mornings.
• Add a reading activity for children to bring families in.

Many famous libraries started as someone's shelf. For a step-by-step guide to growing a small idea, read How one small community action grows.

The library of the future looks different

Libraries around the world are changing, and African libraries are part of that change. Many now offer:

• Wi-Fi and computer access for job applications, school research and online courses.
• Maker corners with simple electronics kits, sewing machines or craft materials. (See African makers who teach what they know.)
• Homework clubs with volunteer tutors.
• Community events: book launches, debates, film screenings, poetry nights.
• Digital collections of local newspapers, photos and oral histories — so a town's memory is saved for the future.

Organisations like the African Library and Information Associations and Institutions (AfLIA) support librarians across the continent with training and networking. The idea is simple: a library should be the most useful building in town, not the quietest.

What young readers can do

Young people are not just library users — they can be library builders:

• Start a book club at school and meet in the library.
• Write short reviews of books and pin them to the shelf: "If you liked this, try that."
• Record older people telling stories and give copies to the library.
• Teach older visitors how to use the library computers.
• Challenge friends: who can read the most books this term?

Joke break: A student once returned a book about procrastination six months late. The librarian simply said, "Well, at least you understood it."

The keepers of the future

Libraries hold the past, but they are really about the future. Every book borrowed is a small bet that someone will grow, learn or change their mind.

The next time you walk into a library, say thank you to the person at the desk. They may be quietly doing one of the most important jobs in your town.

More stories: African makers who teach what they know (William Kamkwamba built his windmill from a library book), What stories should African children grow up hearing?, and our People section.

Questions

Why are libraries important in Africa?

They give free access to books, study space, computers and reliable information — especially important where many people lack internet or books at home.

Who saved the Timbuktu manuscripts?

Librarian and collector Abdel Kader Haidara led a network that secretly moved hundreds of thousands of manuscripts from Timbuktu to Bamako in 2012–2013.

How can I start a community library?

Find a safe space, collect 50–100 good books, set up a simple borrowing notebook, recruit volunteers and set regular opening hours.