Budding Libraries Part 1: Grant Applications, Foundation, and Infrastructure

Both of our schools have requested assistance in starting school-based libraries for learners (and teachers) to use. Most of our learners do not have books at home and/or are being raised by a person who cannot read. These libraries will support the remedial and extension learning of our students. There is a special interest in increasing access to English books because in grade 4 the Language of Instruction switches from being the learners’ “Home Language” (as determined by the school’s community, and in their case “IsiZulu”) to all courses being taught in English. English literacy has a domino effect: literacy leads to success in the subjects taught in school, which leads to obtaining competitive, meaningful employment (important in a county with a 30% unemployment rate), which leads to financial independence and security. Thus, supporting literacy program is a key priority for our schools and the larger community.

Therefore, for the last 3 months, Joe and I have both been working on two grant applications for book donations and setting up the infrastructure to support the incoming books. The continued development and maintenance of these libraries will be a significant secondary project for us during our service. We want to share a bit of our process with you. If approved for both, we will each receive a total of 2,250 new or gently-used books for our school libraries (fingers crossed).

Joe’s Account
In 2013, the educators at my school saw a need that wasn’t being addressed – the school was missing a library. The school already possessed a small number of fiction, non-fiction, and reference books (approximately 100). However, these books were being kept in the principal’s office because there wasn’t a designated space for them. The educators acquired a couple of large cabinets, placed them in one of the classrooms, and called it a library. The educators lacked formal training about how to establish and run a library, so the books sat idle in their new location.

Cabinets Awaiting More Books

This was where I came in. When I started volunteering at my school a few months ago in September 2014, the educators told me they wanted get more books for the library. After perusing the shelves in the cabinets, I spoke with the educators about applying for grants. They were excited about the possibility but didn’t know where to start. Through the assistance of other Peace Corps Volunteers in South Africa, I was able to find two grants that would help my school get books.

Both grants required a completed application and library action plan. The first grant also required a monetary commitment from the school to show its seriousness in enhancing the library. Despite working at one of the poorest schools in the region, the educators saw this challenge as an opportunity to unite the learners and their families. And they were going to do so by hosting a fundraiser called Market Day.

Along with the founding of the library, a library committee was also established. However, in the year before I came, the library committee had never met. Now, with the grant and Market Day, they had a reason. The committee discussed the fundraiser, decided what was going to be sold, and picked a date in early November.

The Educator/Librarian Leading the Way

Learners Lined Up to Purchase Goodies

Market Day came and, with it, excitement. Every educator pitched in to help – popping popcorn, making signs, reorganizing a classroom to become a “market”, setting up speakers to play music, and more. At break time, learners lined up outside the classroom to purchase snacks. In addition to popcorn, juice, hotdogs, ice creams, chips, and suckers were sold. The break flew by in a flash, and, by the end, over R700 (equivalent to $70) was raised. (This may sound like a small sum of money by American standards, but R700 is a large amount in South Africa). The educators were jubilant!

Educators Dancing before the Start of Market Day

Learners Excited to Get New/Gently-Used Books

Leading up to Market Day, an educator and I wrote a letter asking local businesses for donations. We raised R550 through their generosity. Combining the donations with the money raised during Market Day, my school raised the required amount for the grant.


The library committee and I met again after the fundraiser to discuss next steps. While we waited to hear about the grants, we identified training the educators would need in order to operate the library. Plans are now underway to coordinate the training. As part of the training, educators highlighted the need to include learners in the training so they know how to use the books and how to care for them.

Michelle’s Account
My school had wanted a library for at least one year. They had assigned a library committee and started to pull out books that they had already had in their stock. They had asked for donor resources, but hadn’t received the information necessary for them to act. These were steps in the right direction, for sure. However, the committee had only met once and the books weren’t being used and there were still 3x as many books hiding away in the depths of storage…So, we had some work to do.

I first approached the library chairperson to hold a meeting in early October. It became clear after a few tries that she wasn’t quite sure how to approach the principal to ask for a meeting and get us started. She asked if I would have that conversation and get the ball rolling… I didn’t understand at the time that she had never actually called any meeting on her own before and she literally did not know how to do this.

In our first two months of meeting, the committee has already accomplished the following:

• Developed the Purpose and Aims of the Library Committee
• Decided on a new structure for the committee, including roles and duties
• Instituted a new Student Assistant program to make the management of the library more sustainable
• Selected and trained 11 Student Assistants from grades 3-7
• Developed the Appropriate Use Policy for library resources (though the meeting to decide the consequences was cancelled)
• Approved two grants to request large book donations (1,000-1,250 books in each)

One great thing about the two grants we have applied for is that they both required our committee to set a more solid foundation for the library. As a result, it is easier to build buy-in for many essential elements. We still have a lot of work to do in the next school year to keep headed in the right direction, but morale is really high around the project and I am excited to see where we are able to go!

Book Grants: Current Status
To date, Joe and I have heard that our schools were accepted for the first grant – yay! We’re still waiting to hear about the second one, but we remain hopeful that we’ll hear good news. Expect to see another blog about the libraries as we hear more.

In the mean time, we’d like to give a shout out to Paul Prociv, Robbie Lang, and Michael Holloway for agreeing to be our contacts and lead fundraisers in the US for the second grant (if approved). We appreciate your willingness to assist us. Thanks Paul, Robbie, and Michael!