Making a Difference with School Libraries in Kenya through International Librarianship Volunteer Service. (Poster 21)

The poster will be concise with logically structured graphics, text and illustrative colored photos overseen by a graphic artist and copy editor. One KEY team member will always stand-by the poster to maximize networking opportunities and exchange ideas with interested viewers.
The poster will have 3 vignette sections highlighting:

1. The need: Kenya’ curriculum stipulates libraries are essential to teaching language (English and Swahili) and digital competence. 98% of public primary and secondary schools in Kenya have no libraries, creating disproportionally high knowledge gaps among children from low-income families, making their gateways to opportunity and potential difficult to reach.

2. KEY’s work and impact: guided by a that every school age child (regardless of background) should access a library with print and digital resources at an international standard, KEY has built 46 fully equipped and thriving school libraries in Kenya (scaled to Tanzania and Ghana), reaching 44,233 students (5:6 ratio girls to boys) in 15 years. KEY collaborated with the Kenyan Law Reform Commission and the Kenya Library Association to draft Kenya's first guidelines for school libraries to serve as a road map for libraries across Kenya.

3. The Volunteer Position: illustrate the range of opportunities for international librarianship for librarian, teacher-librarian, library media specialist or student/graduate of library and information studies to use their expertise in media and literacy activities to support and make an impact on librarian’s, student’s and teacher’s knowledge, performance, and gains from optimizing their library.