Kigali Public Library

THE BUILDING

On June 27, the Rotary Club of Kigali-Virunga signed a contract with Balkan/Cotraco to build Rwanda's first public library. The contract is based on internationally recognized standards of FIDIC, and has been recognized by Rwanda's National Tender Board as one of the most professional building contracts every signed in Rwanda.

The structure, designed by Masinoprojekt in Yugoslavia, will be a modern 3-story building that reflects the grace and elegance of traditional Rwandan culture. After much discussion and reflection on the role this library will play in stimulating a reading culture in Rwanda, the Club decided to set the building budget at US$2.1 million. This will fund the first stage of the building, which will permit the library to open to the public. As funds become available, the library will expand into the basement and third floors which will remain unfinished in the first stage.

With this budget we can ensure that the building will be large enough to incorporate the many Rwandans who do not have adequate reading environments elsewhere. The Kigali Public Library will not only provide lending services, but it will be a unique environment for study, reflection, and research.

We also recognized that the Kigali Public Library will fill a huge demand in Rwanda. Kigali has only two non-academic bookstores, with prices rarely less than $25 per book (Rwanda's per capita income is $250 per year). While the French and English Cultural Centers provide some access to reading and research materials, their services are limited. Public institutions such as the Supreme Court and educational institutions in Kigali have no libraries, and both professionals and students are expected to use the services of the new Kigali Public Library.

At 47% the literacy rate in Rwanda is one of the lowest in the world. It will be difficult to institute an effective literacy campaign without an institution such as the Kigali Public Library to provide access to books and a professional structure for such a campaign. Some day, the Kigali Public Library can promote the building of branch libraries and mobile libraries throughout the country. The Kigali Public Library can also form the basis for the creation of a Rwanda Library Association to encourage the creation of professional libraries at educational and government institutions.