EDUCATION MINISTRY REFURBISHES PUBLIC LIBARIES (PAGE 11, NOV 27)

THE Ministry of Education is refurbishing public libraries as part of a national effort to promote education and encourage life-long learning.
Addressing the annual general meeting/seminar of the Ghana Library Association in Accra, the Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, said the emerging information and knowledge-based society offered new possibilities for people to improve their knowledge and acquire new skills and competencies.
The meeting was organised in collaboration with the Goethe Institute, on the theme: “Life-long learning and libraries”.
Mr Tettey-Enyo underscored the need for reformation of the education system in order to encourage a life-long learning to all.
He said acquisition of knowledge and skills would allow change in the rapidly changing world.
The Education Minister said libraries played a significant role in disseminating literacy and life-long learning experiences, adding that libraries had provided access to learning and many self-educated people had attested to that fact.
In recognition of the role of libraries in knowledge acquisition, the minister said the ministry would continue to provide the required infrastructure and facilities such as libraries to make life-long learning possible.
Addressing the seminar, the President of the Ghana Library Association, Mrs Valentina Bannerman, said even though one could not have a meaningful education without libraries, libraries were not specifically mentioned in the educational development programmes.
She explained that learning was not confined to childhood or the classroom only, but that it took place throughout life and in a wide range of situations.
Constant scientific and technological innovations and changes had profound effects on learning needs and styles, he stated and said learning could no longer be divided into a place and time to acquire and apply knowledge, he stated.
Mrs Bannerman said for quality education to be attained, well-resourced libraries, which provided relevant, reliable and current information, were equally needed.
The Director of the Goethe Institut, Mrs Eleonore Sylla, launched the Ghana Library Association Portal, a website which is the outcome of a two-day collaborative workshop on the theme, “Strengthening the network among Ghanaian libraries and information professionals”.
She said one recommendation made at the workshop was the need to have a platform on which members of the association could use to network effectively.
Mrs Sylla noted that the platform would go a long way to strengthen the network among Ghanaian libraries and information professionals.
The Information Director of the Institut, Kingsley Nii Addy, said the outcome of the collaborative efforts was to develop strategies to strengthen local partner organisations through capacity building initiatives, adding that the website would allow members of the Ghana Library Association to share resources and practical experiences.