The figure represents 180 per cent of the previous year, 2018 of USD1,512,256.32.

A presentation on behalf of the Minister of Education, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh stated that since 2017, investment in the GhLA had increased steadily to the current figure of $4,227,577.28, which represented 322 per cent growth since 2016 when only $1,000,518.52 was invested in the authority.

“In addition to this, we have increased book collection by over 120,000 across our library network and have provided computers and internet access to all regional libraries.

“Our staff strength has gone up by 121 between 2018 and 2019 to complement the increase in our workload, and we have received financial clearance to recruit 70 more staff in 2020,” he said.

Implementation of communiques
Dr Prempeh was delivering the Ghana’s Report on “work done so far on the implementation of the 2015 Cape Town and 2018 Durban communiques” at the opening of the 3rd Ministerial roundtable conference of ministers responsible for public libraries in Accra today.

The conference is the third since it was initiated as a permanent forum where African Ministers commit to annually discuss matters relating to developments on the provisions of library and information services in Africa.

All African countries were bound by the communiques to among others provide the resources for the development of African libraries to enable them to effectively respond to the Africa Union (AU) Agenda 2063 and the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

The countries were also expected to promote the development and the promotion of local content in African libraries as a critical component of African renaissance and pan Africanism.

The communiques also committed all African ministers responsible culture, arts, heritage and libraries to meet annually.

Ministerial roundtable conference
The two-day conference brought together delegates from 32 African countries made up of the sector ministers and managers of libraries in the participating countries.

On the theme, “Libraries on the African development agenda – Progress made,” the conference, is aimed at providing leadership and guidance on how governments can integrate libraries in their national development plans and ensure allocation of resources towards the achievement of the development goals.

The conference is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Education represented by the Ghana Library Authority (GhLA) and the African Library and Information Associations and Institutions (AFLIA).

He said a look into the future is to get children reading at a very early age as government worked hard to make Kindergarten to high school education compulsory.

“Providing libraries in basic schools ultimately has to be given a place of priority to make the nation’s dream achievable and this dream can only be achieved when reading becomes part of our culture,” Dr Prempeh stated.

He said digital learning platform through a partnership with Commonwealth of Learning and Udemy to allow for new skills for young people.

Dr Prempeh said libraries being part of the book industry had a crucial role to play in determining materials that should be written for use in the schools on the continents.

“This is sure to promote a healthy relationship among players in the industry and enable the industry in the region grow and or expand and play its role effectively in the promotion of the reading culture and the renaissance of the wider African culture,” he told the delegates.

Way forward
Look at the future of public library and work to be done to achieve the AU Agenda 2063 and the UN SDGs 2030, Dr Prempeh said the ministry intended to develop a reading policy for the country and also work to provide internet connectivity at all existing and new libraries.

He said the country would continue to increase funding allocation and build the capacity of employees and also establish a purpose-built national library as well as automated services of all public and school libraries.

Dr Prempeh said the ministry would expedite effort to pass the new Ghana Library Bill in parliament to respond to changing needs of the country and also establish the oral history centre to allow for the recording and documentation of oral stories.

“We will also work to incorporate public library service into the National Development Plan,” he further added.

All the ministers and delegations gave a seven-minute presentation of what their respective countries had been doing to implement the Cape Town and Durban communiques.