Rotary Club gifts National Library $23M book mobile

The Rotary Club of Georgetown on Wednesday handed over a brand-new book mobile to the National Library, which will service communities on the outskirts of the city, where library access is limited.
The book mobile, which was acquired at a cost of some $23 million, features over 3000 books which will be made available to students at the primary and nursery level.
Georgetown Rotary Club President Ralph Persaud related that this project was as

a result of over two years of dedication from Rotarians to raise funds. The project was executed in two phases – the first was a raffle to garner funds while the second involved acquiring the vehicle and outfitting it.
For now, plans are on stream to visit a number of locations where libraries are scarce and promote reading among youths within these communities. Every month, children from different areas will be exposed to the mobile and the many books which it offers.
“The plan is to visit 12 locations each month with allowances for additional visits based upon requests. This new book mobile will have a mobile hotspot. We’ll be offering Wi-Fi and there will be four state-of the-art computers, which will allow students to access information,” Persaud said.
This year, the Club, considered one of the oldest in the country, will be celebrating its 60th anniversary.
Meanwhile, Education Minister Nicolette Henry, who was amid the gathering, noted that this initiative provided support to the Library and extended the reach of its services.
“This mobile unit that will be moving from community to community is important, because I believe it is aligned also to the process of access and equity. We’re taking service to the people and that is really important, because we live in a society where the further you get from Georgetown, the greater the disparity is,” the Minister said.
National Library Committee Chairman Petamber Persaud noted, “Although the reach of the Library is far and wide, there are areas that are still to be serviced and this book mobile will be instrumental in this desire to empower the nation through literacy.”
The mobile will be in close proximity to the Graham Hall Primary, Better Hope Primary, Enmore Hope Primary, Mon Repos Primary, Chateau Margot Primary, Cummings Lodge Primary, La Bonne Intention Primary, St Paul’s Primary, the Lusignan Nursery, Better Hope Nursery and West Road Nursery.
The Club reminded that some 17 per cent of persons over the age of 15 are illiterate.