Books for Asia

This programme is premised on the notion that books and other educational resources are central to learning and rehabilitation in areas impacted by war, unrest, or emergencies/disasters. Rebuilding a distressed area's education system through the provision of printed and computer-based (e.g., CD-ROM) materials is considered vital to the support of young people and those whose education has been disrupted. The idea is that access to information is critical to reconstruction, and that private donors can help to make new and used books available to support the process of enhancing English language capacity, improving vocational and research skills, increasing the capacity of NGOs to carry out their work, developing small business expertise, advancing the knowledge of professionals, and teaching children and young adults how to read.

While Books for Asia does highlight the importance of providing educational resources in nations and regions affected by conflict and/or undergoing reconstruction, this is not a prerequisite for donation. The goal is to foster wide access to books for learning in a variety of communities; donations are provided to developing economy schools, universities, public libraries, and other institutions across Asia. Similarly, the subject areas of books and journal donations vary from year to year, and from community to community; the level of materials ranges from elementary to university levels, with educational and professional references in such fields as governance, health, environment, information technology, social science, and international relations.

Information and communication technology (ICT) is one tool used to inform potential partners/donors about the programme, to inspire book donation, and to publicise (and foster continued) generosity. The Books for Asia website invites publishers, governmental institutions, NGOs, academic institutions, media and cultural organisations, and analysis/research institutions to "encourage the free exchange of ideas by supplying books and information resources in all fields of knowledge to libraries, nongovernmental organizations, and universities throughout Asia". (New books donated by publishers account for about 95% of the 800,000 or so books donated every year, reaching thousands of libraries in 14-15 countries. Donations coming from other sources are usually specialised collections that are matched to an appropriate library in Asia that can effectively use the technical materials in a specific field.) This website offers instructions for donation, stressing that the programme only accepts books that are clearly needed and usable for particular reading rooms, schools, and so on. Organisations/publishers who donate textbooks, trade and reference books, academic monographs, children's books, secondary school texts, CD-ROMS, software, and other reference materials are recognised in Books for Asia reports and publications, as well as The Asia Foundation's annual report and website.

Books for Asia has worked to establish the trust of governments and communities, in part by creating "transparent and efficient systems for securing and processing shipments, for distributing books to schools and libraries, and for monitoring recipients and ensuring they are accountable for securing the donated books and making them available to students." A computerised inventory database system tracks every new book by title and quantity for each shipment to project offices in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, East Timor, Indonesia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. After being distributed to local libraries by the Asia Foundation's on-the-ground staff, donations are "monitored to ensure that materials and resources address local needs, are well maintained, and are made widely available."

Education, Literacy.

Organisers explain that most governments in Asia require that English be taught in schools, and many professional texts on medicine, law, and technology are published only in English. However, in many troubled areas, the availability of English-language materials is severely constrained by the limited resources available. Books for Asia highlights the importance of English language materials because of the interest across these countries among individuals and governments in fostering English language learning, but "we certainly do not see these donations as a substitute for local language textbooks and resources. Rather, they are a useful complement that we are in a position to provide."

Since it was first started in September 1954, Books for Asia has distributed more than 40 million books and journals to more than 50,000 academic and non-academic institutions throughout Asia. Here are a few specific examples:

• Since the war in Sri Lanka began 20 years ago, public, school, and university libraries have been ravaged, the most notable case being the burning of the Jaffna public library in the mid-1980s. In 2002, Books for Asia provided nearly 70,000 books to more than 400 libraries, including libraries in areas most affected by the civil war.
• During the civil war in Afghanistan, the Education University Library was completely destroyed. Books for Asia provided donations of books and educational materials, serving as a resource for more than 8,950 students and 23 faculty members. In addition, Kabul University has received more than 50,000 books during the years 2002-2004.
• In the conflict-affected southern Philippines, the Asia Foundation has donated approximately 12,525 children's books to 167 day-care centres in Cotabato City and Zamboanga City, as well as reference materials for volunteer teachers to support the ongoing Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) programme on Early Childhood Care and Development. In addition, a donation of Intuit's QuickbooksPro small business accounting software, with training, "has helped more than 1,000 cooperatives across the country."
• Following the December 2004 tsunami disaster, Books for Asia worked to rebuild libraries in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Thailand by using listservs and other modes of electronic communication to solicit donations of books and other materials.