The Savelugu Municipal Library has taken delivery of 1,000 children’s books as part of efforts to restock and revamp it to remain a preferred place for children to seek knowledge after school.

The Northern Regional Office of the Ghana Library Authority (GhLA) presented the books to the Savelugu Municipal Library as part of a broader national goal to have a functional library in each district of the country.

The presentation of the books to the Savelugu Municipal Library was also in fulfilment of an advocacy campaign by YEFL-Ghana, a youth-centred NGO, with support from OXFAM in Ghana, which lobbied the GhLA in the region to ensure the establishment of libraries in every district and revamp dormant ones.

Mr Aaron Kuwornu, Northern Regional Librarian, who presented the books to Savelugu Municipal Library at Savelugu, said they were to augment the stock of the library to better serve the area.

Mr Kuwornu said in this era of COVID-19 pandemic when basic schools remained closed, the library would help children to keep pace with academics until schools reopened in January.

The Savelugu Municipal Library, until the presentation of the 1,000 children’s books had only a few books on its shelves and the furniture in the hall was not child-friendly.

The facility is manned by a NABCO person, and some public agencies including; the Electoral Commission and the National Identification Authority also took advantage of the poor patronage of the library to pack their items in the hall.

Mr Kuwornu, therefore, appealed to the Savelugu Municipal Assembly and community members to maintain the facility and put it in good shape to continue to serve the people of the area.

Hajia Ayishetu Seidu, Savelugu Municipal Chief Executive was happy that the library had been restocked, saying she was also working to get more books to revamp the facility.

Hajia Seidu urged parents to release their children to patronise the library and make good use of the books for improved reading culture in the area.

Mr Iddrisu Kofi Abdulai, Director of Human Resource Management and Development at the Savelugu Municipal Directorate of Education said the restocking of the library would ensure that children had access to reading materials to help improve education outcomes.

Mr Abdulai said headteachers in the area would be encouraged to edge their pupils and students to borrow books from the library to read regularly to instill the habit of reading amongst children.

Mr Mohammed Zakaria, Board Member of YEFL-Ghana appealed for the rehabilitation of the library to make it child and disability-friendly to ensure that all children regardless of their background could access it at all times to gain more knowledge.