Working from Maryland--an update

As I sit here at my computer terminal, my thoughts return to Burkina Faso, as I contemplate the upcoming year.  Much has happened since I left the country this past spring.  I continue to work with Lauren Denny, a Wycliffe librarian based in North Carolina, who  works with the Koha software.  We Skype from time to time as the two of us examine the data I have supplied her from the SIL Library in Burkina Faso, trying anticipate possible problems should SIL-BF attempt to migrate from the ResourceMate software to Koha.  Migration is rarely a smooth process, and this is detailed, painstaking work, looking at every record in anticipation of potential pitfalls. One advantage of Koha is that it is an open-source software, used in a growing number of SIL libraries, which would mean that there is a commitment to it, plus an increasing expertise that could be relied upon should problems arise.  It has been used by some French libraries, so that a French language version is available. As it is continuing to be developed, there is also the possibility of tweaking it to make it what we would like it to be.  A significant community of SIL libraries using the same software would give us a certain clout as well. 

One problem we have found is that the two software programs use different terminology, so I want to make sure we are discussing the same things.  If we do migrate to the Koha software, it might mean two visits to Burkina Faso next year--winter/spring and fall. I would need to be on-site in the winter to work with the ResourceMate people online, and in the fall some of the Koha people would come for a visit and re-barcode our materials. Obviously a lot more would have to happen before we got to that point, so I will just have to wait and see.

The other news--good news--is that Ezéchiel has started the library program at l'ISTID and hopes to finish his course-work by the end of the year, defending his thesis in July 2019. That is a shorter period of time than I thought, as I understood it to be a two-year program.  There are enough funds for one-year of study, so I will not need to raise funds for a second year  as I originally thought.  Ezéchiel is quite diligent, so I think he will complete the program successfully, and Paul Solomiac, the SIL Director of Language Programs and Services, has written a memorandum of understanding for him to sign, so it looks like it will come to pass.  He has me assigned as Ezéchiel's advisor.

Ezéchiel Lopemba

Lauren brought to my attention that the Association of Christian Librarians had a manual that might be of interest as it is often used for training new librarians.  In fact, they are currently working on a French edition of their Librarian's Manual, so I have had them place me on an email alert list to let me know when it will be available.  Judging by the Table of Contents, I suspect it will actually be more useful than the textbook Ezéchiel will be using for his coursework.

I see it was a project of their Commission for International Library Assistance

The bad news is that my Burkina Faso visa expires in mid-January, and my American passport has just about run out of pages.  I probably could add the visa, as there is just enough room, but barely. On the other hand, with so little space, the new Burkina Faso 5-visa would likely be only good for a year, so it might be best to get a new passport and have the visa added to that one.  With the US passport at $110 and a Burkina Faso visa at $140, these things quickly add up. I am also worried about losing the other 5-year Visas (Mali. Bénin) on my current passport...

At the same time, problems mount in Burkina Faso.  Over the summer, more and more safety issues have arisen with increasing terrorist incidents in the north, west, and eastern borders of the country, and I recently received a Level 3 STEP notification from the State Department to "Reconsider travel to Burkina Faso due to terrorism .Some areas have increased risk."  Here is the travel advisory map from the British Foreign Commonwealth Office:

Places that I have visited in the past are now considered dangerous, and travel to those regions is advised against. It is both sad, and sobering.

It was less than two years ago that I visited the FAVL library in Kaya, and met its librarian Jean-Baptiste Sawadogo. And last March I donated some books to FAVL for their new bookmobile "Pénélope" which operates in that region.  Kaya is now in the now in "red" zone where travel is not advised, but fortunately library and bookmobile service continues.

Jean-Baptiste Sawadogo with bookmobile librarian Roland Guy

And services appear to function as usual elsewhere in the country.  Simon Nacoulma's organization, ICCV-Nazemse is thriving, and he has recently named his new library in his father's memory. As you recall, Simon lost his father early in his life, but his father's legacy as a major social reformer of the Cissan sector of Ouagadougou influenced Simon tremendously.  I had also visited him, along with SIL-BF's Literacy specialist JeDene Reeder and Ezéchiel, in the spring, and donated some new titles, by African authors, to the library.  Books by African writers are harder to come by, but they are the most appreciated by these libraries.

photo taken at the library's dedication ceremony

In addition, Fina's Kid's Club continues to flourish.  She had a hugely successful 3-day summer "camp" (despite the pouring rain one day), and have recently received gifts of "back to school" supplies. The "diligent" students are acknowledged with their names posted on a list.

Here two young children who achieved the "diligent" status pose in front of Fina's "library" with Blandine, teacher extraordinare

And here 105 children crowd into Fina's living/dining room to escape a downpour!

Also, speaking of children, in July I spoke to 4 groups of young children at National Presbyterian Church's Vacation Bible School about my work in Burkina Faso. It was a challenge trying to relate to the different ages and to include an age appropriate activity for each group, especially when they were relatively large in number with close to 30 children at a time.  I think it will be the last time, however, as I noticed that when the photos were published on NPC's Facebook page, it said that they had learned about Ghana!  So much for me mentioning Burkina Faso's two main languages, Jula and Mooré, and saying that the country's name came from the Jula word Faso meaning "land of" and the Mooré word Burkina meaning "honest people."  Very discouraging, but maybe a handful learned something.  You just never know.  

a small group of children at NPC Vacation Bible School

And last but not least, I just heard back from my helper, Emmanuel, at the library of CoBAB [Collège Biblique Apostolique du Bénin], the training school for pastors of the Eglise apostolique du Bénin in Comé, Bénin,  where I helped out showing them how to catalogue their books one long weekend last spring. They have completely finished cataloguing their collection of books and only have the periodicals remaining.  Someday I may be able to suggest a more sophisticated library software for them to use, but what I used should work for the time being. They have also incorporated my ideas for the arrangement of their small collection, facilitating access to the materials, and were so appreciative and helpful, that I wish I could have done more...