Mobile Book Truck

Monday morning I joined the Public Library's Mobile Library team as they visited 4 schools. I was surprised when they drove to my neighborhood, one of the richest in the city. Similar to other places in the world- the rich people send their kids to private school. This school is all black, many of the students are the kids of the caretakers and cooks. Most if not all homes have a shed where the help live.

The mobile library's offerings are meager. The books are organized sort of by grade level, but each time the truck moves books fall off the shelves. A single red string holds the books in place on one shelf.

The students must pay $4 per term (3 mos.) to check out 1 book for a fortnight. If they checked out more, there would not be enough books for all. Hence <50 borrow books out of 1000 students. We parked in the yard and the kids seemed to be going in the opposite direction, but soon they started appearing, with books in hand. The librarian spends his time checking out books and only advises kids when he spots a young child check out a difficult book. Then he instructs him to go choose another book.

I think the kids were rather surprised to see me, but they told me a bit about the books they had read and the subjects they like to read about.

The kids wearing the blue sweaters were situated just 20 min. from the city, but quite a rural area. Goats wandered into the school yard. I saw kids around some tables outside, thinking it's a nice day, the teacher decided to hold class outside. When I chatted with the headmistress, she said due to overcrowding, some classes are held outside. Class size is 35-45 students.

The last picture with the thatched roofs is a school for the disabled. The picture after the bookmobile is the teacher helping her students select a book. Teachers were surprised to hear that they could check out books for free.

It's too bad that Nozipho does not have time for some programming. He desires to fix up the bus and get better materials. Still, all the kids were smiling, happy to have books to read. But, seems like he needs more time to market this service. I've been invited back next week to go to the High-Density suburbs (aka: the slums.)