Four-legged mobile libraries are bringing opportunities to children in rural villages. In the Andes foothills in Venezuela bibliomulas, or "book mules", are greeted by enthusiastic children with a passion for reading. In Kenya, the Camel Library Service brings books to children who don't have access to roads, clean water, or food much less a school.
These literary beasts of burden are loaded up with all sorts of materials for kids and grown ups alike. The Venezuelan program is even trying to introduce technology to these distant outposts. Their goal is to install wireless modems beneath the banana plants to bring the world to them.
Author Masha Hamilton was inspired to write a novel about the Camel Library Service. She spent time in Kenya researching the program and her book "The Camel Bookmobile" was released this past spring.
What's Driving This Trend
- Mobile Libraries
- Mobile libraries with unconventional transportation methods are bringing opportunities to underprivileged areas worldwide.
- Rural Education
- Efforts to bring education to rural areas through alternative methods are growing in popularity.
- Technological Access
- Innovations in technology are being implemented to help connect underprivileged areas and communities worldwide.
Who This Affects Most
- Education
- New market opportunities exist for organizations that can create educational programs and tools for underprivileged areas and communities worldwide.
- Transportation
- Innovative transportation services and methods have potential to connect more communities with necessary resources and services.
- Technology
- Technology companies can leverage their products and services to help bring connectivity and accessibility to more remote locations worldwide.
