In the current technology era, mobile libraries are becoming increasingly important because youngsters are moving away from reading books in favour of simply looking at displays on their phones and the internet.
Libraries used to be so important that children would go there frequently, sometimes with their parents or friends, to read books and other materials, then they would borrow books to read at home.
Due to social media’s dominance, library visits are on the decline in modern society.
Although using the internet or social media in general is not a terrible thing, some children abuse it and use it for a variety of purposes that are not in their best interests.
The Spectator is happy that the newly inaugurated “National Children and Mobile Library” has been stocked with over 23,500 books on various age group classifications to support early child development and reading skills in children.
According to the Ghana Library Authority (GLA), the library, currently located at the Airport residential area, is fully stocked with 22,000 books, 24 tablets, and free WiFi. Its auxiliary mobile library is also stocked with about 1,500 books and 20 laptops for children in remote areas who might not be able to access the National Children’s Library at its current location.
It is particularly reassuring to learn that the comprehensive facility was also planned with a training centre and conference rooms for the training of librarians for schools, as well as with assistive equipment for those with vision and hearing issues.
We think this programme is a fantastic opportunity to help children build the habit of reading so they can learn new things, hone their literary skills across a range of subjects, excel in school, expand their vocabulary, and even read for enjoyment.
Even when reading is not particularly related to a subject, research shows that reading improves students’ performance in a variety of subjects.
This means that by utilising the mobile library effectively, children will also be able to advance their academic skills rather than relying solely on social media.
It is vital to emphasise that using a library is still useful today, even if users of libraries today tend to use computers instead of book shelves to find knowledge to solve problems.
So, it is essential that children read books, and parents should be urged to read to their children from an early age in order to provide them a strong foundation in literacy.
As a nation, we must instill a love of reading in young children since reading helps people increase their vocabulary and makes it easier for them to pronounce and comprehend complex words in context.
Spelling bee competitions for schools have been organised by several organisations, and the victors have benefitted from financial assistance to travel abroad to compete against pupils internationally, bringing honour to the country.
Such programmes should be made available in local areas as this will motivate more children to take part and compete.
Children should be allowed to visit the Logos Ship Library anytime it docks in Tema, as well as the Ghana Library Authority, British Council, George Padmore Research Library, Balme Library, and other libraries.
We hope that the mobile library will be made available to more localities so that children in isolated locations can easily reach it and take advantage of the resource.
The Spectator appeals to charitable individuals, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), private institutions, school administrators, parents, and all other interested parties to fund this mobile library facility in order to guarantee that library services and resources are accessible around-the-clock.
Let’s encourage the use of mobile libraries to teach children to read and help them expand their vocabulary.