The GHEI Humjibre Community Library first opened in May 2005, and the steady stream of book donations necessitated the construction of a larger facility in 2007. Generous donations from our partnered organizations, such as Books for Africa, as well as Lincoln Community School in Accra, have kept the library brimming with both relevant books and enthusiastic readers. Books at the Humjibre Community Library cover subjects such as Math, Science and Nature Studies, Ghanaian and African Studies, African Literature, Children's Story and Picture Books, as well as a wide array of textbooks for primary, junior and senior high school students.
I sat down with GHEI’s Library Administrator Lawrence Donkor to chat about the history of the library, his job, and his love for African literature.
How did you first begin working with GHEI?
Let’s see. In 2008 I saw a sign-poster in the community that GHEI was searching for a librarian, so I applied. I got feedback from GHEI that they would get back to me, as they had a number of people shortlisted. That was the middle of 2008, and then in November of that year they called me in to the office for a short interview. They told me after the interview that I got the job, so I started work part-time around the end of November. They asked me in January 2009 to work full-time.
Did you always know you wanted to be a Library Administrator?
No, when I was young I wanted to be lawyer. I completed JHS in 1997 and was accepted to some Senior High Schools (SHS). My late father at that time was quite old and was thinking that he could not afford to pay admission and tuition fees. My mind served me right to find something else to do. I was sent to Upper West Region, in Wa, to stay with my elder sister. Her husband was an auto-electrician, so by staying with them, I also learned this work. So I lived and studied there from September 1997 to December 1999. During this time, I really wanted to attend SHS, but a friend told me that with my line of work, I should study at a technical school. So I came back to Humjibre in December 1999. My senior brother promised that if my father could afford the admission fees, he would help contribute to the tuition fee. So I started attending Kumasi Technical Institute ‒ a school founded by Canadians. There I studied to be an electrical rewinding technician.
When I started working in the library, I didn’t know all that much about being a librarian. But that first year in 2009 I received training from Books for Africa, and then from there just learned a lot on the job.
Can you tell us about the history of GHEI’s community library?
Actually I came once the library was built and when I arrived there were around 1,500 books. At that time only these blue shelves were filled (motioning to the shelves against one wall). The rest were empty! That year we went to collect 3,000 books from Books for Africa, and that’s when I received my training. The people at Books for Africa returned here for our library's re-launch in March. From there, individuals and volunteers have been donating books. Books for Africa and Lincoln School in Accra continue to donate to our library each year.
How many books does the library contain?
Now it’s more than 6000 books.
Can you tell me about the library board?
Books for Africa requires a library board for there to be a partnership. GHEI established a library board and they started in 2009. They help in a few ways:
The board helps to keep order around the library. They want to make sure that kids don’t just play around the library but don’t go in. That was a problem for a time. They also go around to schools and encourage students to attend.
They also meet to talk about problems that come up. For example, the dark roads on the way to the library and the erosion on the roads became a problem. People were falling into the gutter! The board decided to have a large bulb installed outside the library that lights up the whole area, so people don’t have difficulty getting to the library at night.
There are 7 people on the library board, plus me and our education coordinator. All their work is voluntary. The library board now meets every 3 months. But in case of any emergency, we can call a meeting quickly.
What are the most popular books amongst the children who attend the library?
The Junior African writers are popular. Ghanaian writers are always popular, and the kids also study the textbooks we have here. There are only a few available at their schools, and the teachers keep the copies at school, so the kids come to use the textbooks here for their research.
How about the adults, what do they like to read?
Adults, they like to read the newspapers mostly, the Daily Graphic, but some of them also use our reference books, like encyclopedias, dictionaries and atlases.
What kind of books do you enjoy reading?
I mostly like to read African writers. I really like reading about the history of Africa.
Can you describe your typical day working in the library?
Library is open two times a day: the afternoon session is 2:00-4:00, and the evening session is 6:30-9:00 o’clock pm. So I’ll come in in the morning and make sure that the books left out from the night before are all in the right spot on the shelves. I’ve got to make sure the tables and chairs are organized and everything is tidy. I also have reports to write here, on library attendance for GHEI as well as reports to Books for Africa.
While the sessions are running, I take attendance to see which age groups are coming to the library, and at what time they are coming. This way we can make sure that the times of the sessions suit all the people who attend the library.
What’s your favorite part about your job?
I’m really friendly with all the school children. Some people call me “Library teacher,” “broda,” or Uncle, so I like the time with the kids.
And of course, working here gives me lots of time to read books!
I sat down with GHEI’s Library Administrator Lawrence Donkor to chat about the history of the library, his job, and his love for African literature.How did you first begin working with GHEI?
Let’s see. In 2008 I saw a sign-poster in the community that GHEI was searching for a librarian, so I applied. I got feedback from GHEI that they would get back to me, as they had a number of people shortlisted. That was the middle of 2008, and then in November of that year they called me in to the office for a short interview. They told me after the interview that I got the job, so I started work part-time around the end of November. They asked me in January 2009 to work full-time.
Did you always know you wanted to be a Library Administrator?
No, when I was young I wanted to be lawyer. I completed JHS in 1997 and was accepted to some Senior High Schools (SHS). My late father at that time was quite old and was thinking that he could not afford to pay admission and tuition fees. My mind served me right to find something else to do. I was sent to Upper West Region, in Wa, to stay with my elder sister. Her husband was an auto-electrician, so by staying with them, I also learned this work. So I lived and studied there from September 1997 to December 1999. During this time, I really wanted to attend SHS, but a friend told me that with my line of work, I should study at a technical school. So I came back to Humjibre in December 1999. My senior brother promised that if my father could afford the admission fees, he would help contribute to the tuition fee. So I started attending Kumasi Technical Institute ‒ a school founded by Canadians. There I studied to be an electrical rewinding technician.
When I started working in the library, I didn’t know all that much about being a librarian. But that first year in 2009 I received training from Books for Africa, and then from there just learned a lot on the job.
Can you tell us about the history of GHEI’s community library?
Actually I came once the library was built and when I arrived there were around 1,500 books. At that time only these blue shelves were filled (motioning to the shelves against one wall). The rest were empty! That year we went to collect 3,000 books from Books for Africa, and that’s when I received my training. The people at Books for Africa returned here for our library's re-launch in March. From there, individuals and volunteers have been donating books. Books for Africa and Lincoln School in Accra continue to donate to our library each year.
How many books does the library contain?
Now it’s more than 6000 books.
Can you tell me about the library board?
Books for Africa requires a library board for there to be a partnership. GHEI established a library board and they started in 2009. They help in a few ways:
The board helps to keep order around the library. They want to make sure that kids don’t just play around the library but don’t go in. That was a problem for a time. They also go around to schools and encourage students to attend.
They also meet to talk about problems that come up. For example, the dark roads on the way to the library and the erosion on the roads became a problem. People were falling into the gutter! The board decided to have a large bulb installed outside the library that lights up the whole area, so people don’t have difficulty getting to the library at night.
What are the most popular books amongst the children who attend the library?
The Junior African writers are popular. Ghanaian writers are always popular, and the kids also study the textbooks we have here. There are only a few available at their schools, and the teachers keep the copies at school, so the kids come to use the textbooks here for their research.
How about the adults, what do they like to read?
Adults, they like to read the newspapers mostly, the Daily Graphic, but some of them also use our reference books, like encyclopedias, dictionaries and atlases.
What kind of books do you enjoy reading?
I mostly like to read African writers. I really like reading about the history of Africa.
Can you describe your typical day working in the library?
Library is open two times a day: the afternoon session is 2:00-4:00, and the evening session is 6:30-9:00 o’clock pm. So I’ll come in in the morning and make sure that the books left out from the night before are all in the right spot on the shelves. I’ve got to make sure the tables and chairs are organized and everything is tidy. I also have reports to write here, on library attendance for GHEI as well as reports to Books for Africa.
While the sessions are running, I take attendance to see which age groups are coming to the library, and at what time they are coming. This way we can make sure that the times of the sessions suit all the people who attend the library.
What’s your favorite part about your job?
I’m really friendly with all the school children. Some people call me “Library teacher,” “broda,” or Uncle, so I like the time with the kids.
And of course, working here gives me lots of time to read books!
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