Public Libraries
Build Public Libraries Nationwide
Supporting academic achievement, lifelong learning and intellectual growth
OUR MISSION
The National Builders Party will build a Nationwide Network of Public Libraries to Promote Education, Literacy and Community Development
The NBP recognizes the vital role that access to information, reading material and quiet learning spaces plays in shaping an educated and empowered population. In line with our commitment to education and national development, the NBP is committed to building public libraries across The Gambia with the first phase of the initiative involving the construction of over 50 community libraries in both urban centers and remote villages.
This bold and much needed undertaking will be a cornerstone of the NBP’s educational modernization agenda to ensure that students, teachers, researchers and everyday citizens have access to resources that support academic achievement, lifelong learning and intellectual growth.
OUR PLAN
Key Objectives of the Public Library Development Program
- Provide Equitable Access to Educational Resources
- Ensure every child regardless of location or economic background has access to books, study materials and quiet structured learning environments.
- Bridge the rural-urban educational divide by establishing libraries even in the most underserved regions.
- Support National Literacy and Academic Excellence
- Promote a culture of reading and literacy by making books and digital learning tools available in some major local languages as well as English.
- Offer learning materials tailored to various educational levels.
- Create Safe and Inspiring Study Spaces
- Build facilities that serve as after-school sanctuaries for students to study, research and access the internet in a supervised and safe environment.
- Include quiet zones, group discussion areas and tutoring rooms to serve diverse student needs.
Sustainability and Partnerships
- Staffing and Management of these Public Libraries will be powered with trained librarians and support staff, with hiring prioritized from local communities.
- Local Government Involvement at the Municipal level will be empowered to oversee library maintenance and programming in partnership with the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education and the Ministry of Higher Education.
- The NBP will seek technical assistance and book donations from international organizations such as UNESCO, Worldreader, Book Aid International as well as our own Gambian communities and friends in the diaspora.
- Teacher Resource Centers: Teachers will have access to professional development resources, teaching materials, and training opportunities.
Phased Implementation Plan
Structure of the Library Project
Phase 1: Nationwide Rollout of 50 Libraries
Site Selection and Strategic placement of libraries across the country to cover all major districts with priority given to areas with large youth populations and weak access to educational infrastructure.
- Construction planning will be based on modern, durable buildings with natural lighting and energy-efficient designs.
- Each library will have a reading hall, book storage, computer lab, children’s reading room, and administrative office.
- Technology Integration will be provided in the form of Internet-connected computer labs to support digital literacy and research.
- Digital library portals that will eventually be linked to a national e-library network.
Phase 2: Expansion and Integration
Develop larger Regional Resource Libraries in major town centers like Banjul, Brikama, Farafenni, Bansang, Brikama ba, Kerewan, Barra, Gambisara, Bwiam, Basse and Soma.
IMPORTANCE
The NBP recognizes that the community and educational impact of this important academic support in the form of public libraries will serve as an extension of schools by offering additional academic resources to help improve national exam pass rates and student preparedness.
The NBPs vision in the construction of a nationwide public library system is not just an investment in building, it is an investment in the minds and futures of Gambians. These libraries will serve as centers of excellence, places of discovery and symbols of a new national direction that values education, community empowerment and intellectual freedom. Through this initiative, the National Builders Party affirms its belief that a nation that reads is a nation that leads.