Make resourcing of public libraries a major priority – Education minister told

The General Manager of Adwinsa Publications, Evelyn Amponsah, has appealed to the newly appointed Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, to make the resourcing of public libraries a major priority during his tenure.

According to her, this will go a long way in instilling the culture of reading in Ghanaian schoolchildren and help develop the country into a reading nation.

“Our plea to the new minister is that to promote reading in Ghana, he should resource all the libraries in Ghana with logistics and other important things. Sometimes when you go to some libraries in some districts, you realize the books there are archaic, so when parents go there and make such a discovery, they will not send their children there again.

"Taking a child to the library is one activity that helps in their development. It helps the children in developing good memory and concentration. So in order to help reduce the screen time in our homes, I will plead with the new minister to make the resourcing of the Ghana Library Authority a major priority because there is a saying that a reading nation is a winning nation,” she stated.

Madam Amponsah made this statement when Adwinsa Publications, in commemoration of this year’s World Education Day, which fell on Friday, January 24, 2025, presented books worth over GH₵55,000.00 to the Ghana Library Authority.

She stressed the need for the government to take a second look at the taxes imposed on materials used in the publishing industry, noting the cost of production as one of the major challenges of the industry.

“You are aware that we do not manufacture paper in Ghana. Because we import paper for production, the cost of books is very high, and so parents are not able to buy them when they go to the shop. So I am pleading that they should take a second look at the taxes that were introduced on printing materials to ensure the affordability of books for every parent,” she stated.

Receiving the donation on behalf of the Ghana Library Authority, the Head of Acquisition and Distribution, James K. Naabah, expressed gratitude to Adwinsa Publications while assuring that the books will be put to effective use in the over 137 government libraries across the country.

He underscored the relevance of public libraries in Ghana’s education sector.

“You cannot compare physical material to information available online. There are times when after downloading something online, you go back and you can’t find it anymore. But once you have a book, you can go back anytime to make reference to the information you need. So books in libraries are still as relevant as they were in days past,” he stated.

The Head of Acquisition and Distribution therefore appealed to individuals and organizations to support the efforts of the government by donating to the Library Authority.

GA/KE

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