Thirty librarians representing 27 public libraries that provide public access to computers in Ghana will attend a four-day training course organized by EIFL’s Public Library Innovation Programme (EIFL-PLIP) in partnership with the Ghana-based initiative, Public Libraries Initiative for Development (PLIFOD).

The course follows training that took place in the first week of June (module one), which focused on building librarians’ information and communication technology (ICT) skills, and included ‘train the trainer’ skills to enable librarians to extend technology training to community members.

The curriculum for the new course (modules two and three) includes in-depth training on how to introduce and manage innovative services, how to conduct community needs and impact assessment, and online research skills.

EIFL-PLIP Impact Manager Ugne Lipeikaite will lead the session on public library service innovations. Her input will be based on EIFL-PLIP’s experience of supporting development of 39 innovative public library projects in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe from 2010-2013.

To inspire trainees and start discussion about innovative library services, EIFL-PLIP will bring representatives of three EIFL-PLIP grantee libraries to meet their Ghana colleagues. The three are Mary Kinyanjui of Kenya National Library Service (KNLS), who coordinated the KNLS / Kibera Public Library tablet computer education programme for children; Asia Kamukama of Maendeleo Foundation, who managed the Connect Uganda pilot project which uses ICT to improve access of farmers to information through five local libraries, and Nyasha Sithole, lead trainer in the Masiphumelele Public Library (South Africa) ICT skills and career counselling service for vulnerable youth.

Training in project management will be conducted by Dr Asamoah-Hassan, former head librarian at Kwame University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, who is a leading member of the library profession in Ghana. International trainer and impact assessment specialist Ms Kristine Paberza will build librarians’ skills in community needs assessment and in measuring impact of library services. Ms Theodosia S. A. Adanu, Senior Assistant Librarian of Balme Library at the University of Ghana will offer training on internet search techniques and finding online information that is relevant to community needs.

Trainees are drawn from 27 libraries that have internet connections and computer laboratories set up by the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communication (GIFEC), a parastatal organization created to facilitate the provision of ICT and internet connectivity in underserved areas of Ghana. The training aims to ensure that libraries are able to use this technology to full capacity to offer innovative services that improve lives in their communities.

The final phase of the training (module 4) will focus on communication and advocacy skills, and will take place in October.