Well surprise, surprise. . . !!

A few weeks ago I received an email from the Director of Academic Affairs at SIL, Burkina Faso, asking about the suitability of a young for a position as a full-time librarian in the SIL library.  I knew her well, as she was the woman I trained to work in the library last year and again this spring.  It was not a complete surprise either, as I had seen a notice posted on the UK Wycliffe site for the position a few weeks earlier.  I knew the SIL Library ideally needed a full-time person and not just someone on loan to run over and check out some books for someone when needed.  A volunteer 3 times a week for 2 hours a day is hardly adequate.  And it would be a plus to have a local person working there.  
 
I emailed him my evaluation of the person in question, saying that I thought she was a good choice, but felt she  needed more exposure to libraries and the profession of librarianship, suggesting a year of training at the local library school.  The school, the Institut des Sciences et Techniques de l’Information Documentaire, offers training in the management of  libraries, archives, and museums, which would nicely cover both the library and archival aspects of the SIL facility. Apparently my suggestion was well taken, and I learned that the school I mentioned conveniently offers a 15 month diploma program for those that already have the equivalent of a 3-year college degree.  Absolutely perfect.


A recent follow-up email said she can't start the fall semester because she is currently taking another course elsewhere, but she will possibly start in January 2015.

Pam showing Alice how to add local language materials to the library database

I also learned that, given the extreme success of the library open house this past spring, there is a desire not only to expand the library's hours, but to move it to an even larger, more prominent place near the entrance of the SIL Center!  They would like to convert the apartment where I stayed in September 2011 and the Spring of 2013 into the new library!  It would require a fair amount of construction, but would allow more natural light and would eliminate the librarian from having to climb a steep staircase to enter the building.
 

Building "Rouge7" proposed for the new library building

Tentative floor plan with most interior walls and bathroom removed

In addition, today I just received a vote of confidence in the form of an email from the SIL Training Coordinator in Cameroon asking if our catalog was Internet-accessible.  If you recall, this has been a pet project of mine that has gotten set aside by the new SIL director at Ouagadougou, as she is coordinating both Burkina Faso and Mali and is probably buried in email correspondence.

And last Sunday I was honored at a reception held at my church along with two other librarians.  The individual that sponsored the event had himself been helped in his own spiritual journey in the past by both libraries and librarians, and wanted to recognize those in the library profession who had any connection to the church we both attend, the National Presbyterian Church.  Using Open Office, I gave its equivalent of a PowerPoint presentation for the occasion, talking about my library experience in Burkina Faso over the past three years.