‘The library is a fountain that will water a broad range of futures’ – Chirikure Chirikure, writer, poet and actor.
Libraries in Zimbabwe, as anywhere in the world, play a vital role in making books and information available, in creating the reading habit, inspiring the imagination and opening up opportunities. They are a store of knowledge, and conserve wisdom and memory as a valuable resource for the future.
Guardians of Knowledge, organised by the Britain Zimbabwe Society as part of an ongoing series of open-to-all online events, will hear from Zimbabweans with a wealth of experience in setting up libraries to serve their local communities, and from organisations and initiatives in the UK working in support of Zimbabwean library partners.
PROGRAMME
Times in GMT
12.00-12.10 Welcome and introductions from the Britain Zimbabwe Society (BZS) and the Stevenage Kadoma Link Association (SKLA)
12.10-13.10 Panel One: Libraries as Information Givers
Questions for the Panel:
· How do you get books to people?
· How do people get to books?
· Are libraries changing?
Speakers: Michael Moyo, Librarian, Edward Ndlovu Memorial Trust, Gwanda
Chirikure Chirikure, founder of the Nemashakwe Community Library, Gutu District
Speaker from Kadoma
Facilitator: Rose Hamilton, Stevenage Kadoma Link Association
13.10-13.15 Break
13.15-14.00 Panel Two: The Business of Books
Questions for the Panel:
· Is the book industry still alive?
· How do writers reach their readers?
Speakers:
Roger Stringer, academic & non-fiction editor, book designer, librarian, founder member African Publishers Network
Rita Budi, Senior Librarian, Bulawayo Public Library
Speaker from Kadoma
Samantha Sokoya, Book Aid International
Facilitator: t.b.a
14.00-14.45 Panel Three: Keepers of Memory
Questions for the Panel:
· How important is it to keep our memories?
· What is the role of schools and libraries?
Speakers: Annabel Valentine, Archivist, Oxford Brookes University Library
Joyce Jenje Makwenda, founder of the Joyce Jenje Makwenda Collection Archive (JJMCA)
Speaker from Kadoma
Facilitator: Pat Brickhill, writer, editor, bookseller
14.45-15.00 Summing up, thanks and close
For further information contact <margaret.ling@geo2.poptel.org.uk>
Margaret Ling, Membership Secretary/Treasurer, Britain Zimbabwe Society
