Investigating libraries in the developing world and the use of mobile devices (LIBE 477B)

After I graduated from teachers college, I spent two years teaching in Guatemala. I taught at a private International School located in Guatemala City and taught students who were part of the wealthy elite in the city.  My school was organized differently than Canadian schools and had less technology than I expected, but on a whole was a progressive building with access to the internet.  We had a school library and access to computers in labs.  In contrast, on my weekends I volunteered at a local elementary school teaching English to students, many whom might not continue on with their education after grade six. Their school and classroom was drastically different in every way from my school.  To start, the rooms were dirty.  They did not have staff who cleaned the classrooms each day. Secondly, space was tight and in disrepair. Many students were assigned to each class and squished in and many desks and physical structures were dilapidated. Thirdly, they had no real resources for their learning.  The classroom had a white board at the front of the room and desks in rows, but beyond that nothing that we would come to expect in a classroom.  No library in sight, either.  

My School -- Colegio Interamericano

Local school -- preparing to paint the walls

This experience has impacted me profoundly and I always tell my students that the best way to learn is to travel.  I truly believe that by learning about other cultures and countries, we can better understand ourselves and become more empathic individuals.  But, what of those students in developing countries who don't have the resources travel?  How can they learn? How can they access information?

Example of rural living conditions.

I think it is first important to note that in most developing countries there are social classes that exist.  This is definitely true of Guatemala. While on a whole the country is considered a developing country because of the standards of living that most people in the country inhabit—according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) “more than 70 per cent of the total population lives in rural areas and is considered poor, [and] 63.2 per cent are indigenous” – there is certainly an elite and middle class population that exists.  These people generally reside in the larger and more populous cities within the country such as Guatemala City, Antigua, and Quetzaltenango and have access to standards of living much like a developed country. A quick search of the internet tells me that in Guatemala City (the capital) there are three libraries with impressive collections as well as a number of Institutes which maintain collections in specific topics such as industrial research or public health documents (Nations Encyclopedia).  I also know from personal experience that there are many universities in Guatemala City and would imagine that they have libraries on campus for their students.  

In Quetzaltenango there are three different libraries which citizens can access.  Two of the libraries operate with closed stacks where patrons must ask the librarian to access the books and are not allowed to remove them from the premises and one allows school children to sign out books if they need them overnight for an assignment (Purvis 2015).  According to an article on Librarians without Borders, most libraries in Guatemala operate on a closed stacks model. 

So, there are certainly resources available in the bigger cities for those who can access them.

However, what of those people who do not live in the larger cities? How do they access information?  

From my experience volunteering at a local school and also volunteering with an NGO as a translator, I know that many people reside in remote locations and live a subsistence lifestyle.  Guatemala is a beautiful country with a varied landscape, but is not one that is easily traversed by someone who is focusing on day-to-day living.   In this regard I think that mobile devices can really play a role in shaping access to information.  Mobile devices are relatively cheap in Guatemala and the network is fairly well developed.  Despite the mountainous terrain, many people have access to the mobile network.  I have first-hand experience with this, as I was surprised that my phone worked in many remote locations. However, that is not to say that the network reaches everywhere in the country – there are certainly places with no access and many articles that I read online spoke of the need for a more developed network in Guatemala. Despite this, TheWorld Fact Book states that 19,208,673 people have cell phones and that per 100 inhabitants there are 130 subscriptions (data from 2016).   As a result, I would argue that a digital library using mobile devices would be an excellent way to increase literacy and access to information.   

In my research online I found examples of library initiatives which were trying to increase access to information and books by providing a physical library.  Probigua, a non-profit, developed a mobile library entitled Bibliobus.  The idea is to take the bus full of books to local, rural communities to provide access.  They also developed a further initiative which was to equip local schools with libraries. Librarians without Borders is also working on developing physical libraries in Guatemala.  So far, they have helped develop libraries in two locations: Xela (Quetzeltango) and Chajul. Global Giving is focused on creating community libraries which provide access to technology and hands on experience with using this technology. 

Toy versions of the Guatemalan "Chicken Bus"

Although these three organizations are doing great things to bring access to some communities, I think that in order to vastly change the educational landscape in Guatemala and provide access to information that they need to harness the power of mobile devices.  In the UNESCO document entitled “Reading in the Mobile Era” it outlines the many benefits of using mobile devices to encourage literacy. Most importantly it states that “they are plentiful in places where books are scarce” and that “this capacity [to access books] is not restricted to smartphones: today even the least expensive mobile handsets allow users to access and read books” (pg 13).  This does not mean that there aren’t places where access is limited, but that a large population of people in developing countries can potentially have access to books and information.

Not only are mobile devices relatively cheap and easy to access, they also can provide texts in various languages.  Guatemala is a country which has many languages.  The primary and official language across the country is Spanish, but there are many indigenous communities who speak different languages.  World Fact Book lists 23 different Amerindian languages with speakers totalling 40%. Some of these languages are Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna, and Xinca.   Using a mobile device to access information would allow people to choose information in a language of their choice.

The UNESCO document, “Reading in a Mobile Era” released several key findings from their reading survey.  They found that:

1. Mobile reading opens up new pathways to literacy for marginalized groups, particularly women and girls, and others who may not have access to paper books.
2. People use mobile devices to read to children, thereby supporting literacy acquisition and other forms of learning.
3. People seem to enjoy reading more and read more often when they use mobile devices to access text.
4. People read on mobile devices for identifiable reasons that can be promoted to encourage mobile reading.
5. Most mobile readers are young, yet people of various ages are capable of using mobile technology to access long-form reading material. More can be done to encourage older people to use technology as a portal to text.
6. Current mobile readers tend to have completed more schooling than is typical.
7. There appears to be a demand for mobile reading platforms with text in local languages, level-appropriate text and text written by local authors.

Reading in the Mobile Era, UNESCO 2014

Based on these findings, it is clear that mobile devices are the way forward for increasing access to information.  With a more expansive cellular network, Guatemala could really harness the power of information in our digital age and potentially provide the most vulnerable citizens with literacy and technology skills.   

All photos used are personal images or are from Pixabay and used under the CCO Creative Commons.

Bibliography

Director, P. A., & Manager, P. A. (n.d.). Girls, Women and Tech in Guatemala. Retrieved October 28, 2017, from https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/girls-women-and-tech-in-guatemala-14768/reports/

Guatemala - Libraries and museums. (2017). Retrieved October 28, 2017, from http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Americas/Guatemala-LIBRARIES-AND-MUSEUMS.html

Indigenous girls on a clear path to become leaders in Guatemala. (2016, October 11). Retrieved October 28, 2017, from http://www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/single-view/news/indigenous_girls_on_a_clear_path_to_become_leaders_in_guatem/

PROJECTS. (n.d.). Retrieved October 28, 2017, from http://www.probigua.com/projects.html

Purvis, K. (2015, October 25). Libraries in Xela, Guatemala. Retrieved October 28, 2017, from http://lwb-online.org/libraries-in-xela-guatemala/

Reading in the mobile era: a study of mobile reading in developing countries. (2014). Retrieved October 28, 2017, from http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002274/227436e.pdf

The World Factbook: GUATEMALA. (2017, October 26). Retrieved October 28, 2017, from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gt.html

Trucano, M. (2014, September 12). What we are learning about reading on mobile phones and devices in developing countries. Retrieved October 28, 2017, from http://blogs.worldbank.org/edutech/reading-mobile-phones