Accra, Feb. 28, GNA - The Ghana Library Board would, from this year, provide mobile library services in the regions to serve the needs of people at the regional levels. Mr. Omari Mensah Tenkorang, Director of Ghana Library Board said for a start, 10 Mobile Vans will start operating as" Libraries on wheels" in the regions.

Speaking at launch of the Ghana Library Board National Youth Essay competition in Accra on Thursday, Mr Tenkorang said the Libraries on wheels programme was part of the 50th Anniversary Celebrations aimed at bringing knowledge to the doorstep of the rural communities. He said each region would be given a Mercedes Benz Van to operate at communities where there were no static Libraries for the people in those communities to borrow books from.

He noted that the youth programme marked the beginning of more activities designed to draw the attention of the general public and more importantly the youth to the libraries and to encourage them to take advantage of the facilities.

'The tremendous improvement made towards the provision of the facilities is for the benefit of the general public and the youth to prepare them for the task ahead of the coming generation, he added". Mr. Omari assured the Government and the people of Ghana of the determination of the Board to ensure that the huge sum of money pumped into the development of a conducive atmosphere for studies was not wasted.

Mrs. Angelina Baiden-Amissah, Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Sports, said the Government would confer with accredited institutions to facilitate the refurbishment of the libraries to make them more appealing for use.

She noted that the competition would rekindle the reading habits of the youth and improve on their creative abilities, imagination and broaden their horizon since most students of today found it difficult expressing themselves verbally.

She appealed to philanthropists and stakeholders to help in resuscitating libraries in the schools and in the communities since they were institutions that enriched one's knowledge.

The Deputy Minister implored parents as well as teachers to introduce programmes that would encourage their children and students to cultivate and maintain the habit of reading and writing.