While the Philippines has one of the highest literacy rates in the developing world, it doesn't have enough libraries to nurture its communities, so Hernando Guanlao came up with a solution to this problem.
Twelve years ago Hernando Guanlao lost his parents, and as a tribute to them he wanted to celebrate their love of books. He started small, leaving a few books out on his porch. Some books wouldn't come back, and others would come back...with even more books. Fast-forward to the year 2012 and Guanlao now has an entire library to share with his community.
Not only does he share his love of books with the community, but he also has a book bike service, in which he goes around to other communities and shares his novels.
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Community Lending Libraries
- The trend of setting up lending libraries within communities presents an opportunity for individuals to foster a love for reading and access books easily.
- Book Sharing Programs
- The rise of book sharing programs, such as book bike services, provides a disruptive innovation opportunity to bring literature directly to underserved communities.
- Literacy Initiatives
- The need for more literacy initiatives highlights the opportunity for individuals and organizations to play a role in addressing the lack of libraries in developing regions.
Sectors Adopting This
- Publishing
- The publishing industry can leverage the growing trend of community lending libraries to reach a wider audience and promote diverse reading choices.
- Transportation
- The transportation industry can explore partnerships and innovative solutions, like book bike services, to support book sharing programs and improve access to reading materials.
- Education
- The education industry can contribute to literacy initiatives by collaborating with community lenders and libraries to provide resources and foster a love for reading among students.
