Our volunteers in Ethiopia and in the U.S. have been hard at work: sewing, writing, publishing. Based on the very successful cloth book workshop conducted at the Segenat Children and Youth Library by Anne Pelowski, International Board on Books for Young People, we have two books at the printer crafted by local authors. These books were fully funded by generous donors. That enthusiasm has spread across the ocean where quilters with the US Board on Books for Young People have made great progress in crafting pocket libraries. These pocket libraries will hold approximately 30 locally-produced books that will be loaned to designated neighborhood leaders in city of Mekelle and beyond. We know how important it is for young children to be able to read stories in their mother tongue. It is the foundation for later learning as they progress through school and become the leaders of the future.
For those librarians among the readership, please stop by the poster session at the American Library Association conference in Anaheim, CA co-sponsored by the Segenat Foundation and USBBY. There you will get to see examples of finely crafted cloth books, print copies of these books, and pocket libraries.
My First Counting Book: a bilingual number book in English and Amharic.
This hanging pocket library will hold up to 30 bilingual children's books to be used by neighborhood leaders for weekly story time.
This simple to transport pocket library will hold up to 30 bilingual children's books.
A simple cloth pocket library filled with local language materials ready for use.
Filed under: Books and audio, Uncategorized | Tagged: Anne Pellowski, cloth books, IBBY, pocket libraries, USBBY |
Segenat Foundation 
Reblogged this on Jebena Life and commented:
I am inspired by these ideas and hope to bring mobile pocket libraries to Primary Schools through our College of Teacher Education Linkage Program. I hope the idea catches on as a good idea here in Debre Markos and that Pre-Service and In-Service Teachers will work together to make their own pocket libraries and fill them with English and Amharic Books and related Literacy Activities and Learning Materials.