Library Project

The life of children in rural China features "no books" and "no reading". Poverty and inaccessibility to books combined with an environment discouraging intellectual reading have led to the absence of reading in rural children's lives. Lack of reading has seriously constrained the children's imagination, academic performances and life perspectives. In rural schools, school libraries are generally no more than a name. The public libraries which are only located at the county seat level only have average book reserves of less than 0.1 copies per capita for the local population. There are approximately 212 million people in China living on $1 or less a day. For children from those families, most of whom reside in the rural areas, having a book to read may just be a dream. Even when books are available, reading as a habit has to be nurtured. In rural communities, where the average number of years of education attained by the population is only 7.6 years, and children there are 282 times less likely to meet an adult with a college degree than children in urban areas, reading as a need for the person and as a must for making a better life does not easily establish. There is an urgent need to supply books to children in rural China and to create an encouraging environment for reading.

2007 Beijing Site 2007 Beijing Site 2004 Hunan Site

Why Dream Corps Among the few rural library initiatives in China, Dream Corps stands out by having strategically taken advantage of all available resources to get libraries established in rural China in physical, institutional and symbolic terms. Establishing libraries is not just about books. Dream Corps sends volunteer teams to work on-site to establish operation plans and to guarantee the sustained operation of the libraries. Books have no power - Using it does. Dream Corps volunteers initiate and help local educators and leaders to organize. By turning the libraries into information centers and community public space, Dream Corps brings the library to the rural community as the symbol of learning. Activities Major volunteer activities include: Making book, computer and monetary donations. Building up the library facilities. Establishing operation plans for libraries. Organizing reading programs for local children, youth, and adults. Assist local leaders to organize community-building activities utilizing library resources.