What do community libraries in Uganda do? Presented at African Studies Association meetings, Nov. 2010

1. Libraries in Uganda: An exercise in linguistic imperialism? Kate Parry Hunter College City University of New York

2. Libraries in Uganda Introduction

3. Public libraries Founded in the 1960s Located in District capitals 17 Districts at the time No new government-supported libraries established since Decentralized in the 1990s Minimal support from local governments Only a few now used

4. Community libraries: membership figures for the Uganda Community Libraries Association (UgCLA)

5. Distribution of UgCLA member libraries Central– 29 Eastern– 16 Western– 11 Northwestern – 9 Northeastern– 1

6. Libraries and linguistic imperialism Section 1

7. Colonial origins of public libraries Britain passed on an intellectual inheritance to its former colonies which included the idea that the library, particularly the public library, was an essential feature of the complete nation state. What is more, it effectively prescribed the form such libraries should take by the introduction of models in various of its colonial possessions. (Sturges & Neill, 1998, p. 82)

8. Libraries as “colonial” and “inappropriate” Literature in librarianship Alemna 1995 Cram 1993 Lauridsen 1997 Mostert 2001 Ogundipe 1998 Rosenberg 1993

9. Linguistic imperialism Imperialist structure: center dominates periphery (Galtung 1980) Language embedded in and supportive of social, cultural, political structures Dominance of a particular language maintained by hegemony Linguistic imperialism especially associated with English Phillipson, Linguistic Imperialism (1992)

10. English as language of dominance (1) “to use English is to engage in social action which produces and reproduces social and cultural relations” (34) “given the dominant position of English in the world … there are inevitable questions … concerning language and inequality” (34-5) “domination and authority are … effected through discourse” (60) Pennycook, The Cultural Politics of English as an International Language (1994)

12. Libraries and linguistic imperialism Origin as colonial institutions Library stock predominantly in English Recipients of donated books from USA and UK

13. Objections and Questions Section 2

14. Objection 1: Agency Linguistic imperialism denies agency to people of the periphery: “passive recipients of language policy” (Brutt-Griffler 2002, vii) “malleable minds” shaped into “false consciousness” (Pennycook 1994, 55-6) “The essential actor is the acquiring speech community” (Brutt-Griffler 2002, 23)

15.  Question 1 Who are the agents responsible for UgCLA’s member libraries? Who set them up? Who determines policies? Who uses services?

17. “I feel that the English language will be able to carry the weight of my African experience. But it will have to be a new English, still in full communion with its ancestral home but altered to suit its new African surroundings.” (Achebe 1975, 103)

20. But bilingualism now viewed as additive at individual level

21. Bi/multilingualism as the norm in African contexts (Mazrui and Mazrui 1998, 81)

22. Development of stable bilingualism in communities (Brutt-Griffler 2002, 116-20; Sridhar 1989)

24. The Situation on the Ground Section 3

25. Evidence Visits to 55 libraries 2008-2010 Discussions at workshops for all member libraries Questionnaire – 12 responses Libraries’ proposals (16) and reports (10) Detailed database for one library (Kitengesa Community Library)

26. Question 1Agency Library leadership Libraries founded by or with foreign individuals or groups – 11 Libraries initiated by Ugandan individuals and families – 36 Libraries associated with local farmers’ groups – 46

27. Randa United Farmers’ Group

28. Agency Library support Libraries receiving foreign support: Librarians’ salaries – 13 Book donations – 34 Libraries moving towards self-sufficiency: Computer training Internet access Telephone charging Rent of hall, tents, chairs Office services (photocopying, typing)

29. Village Connect, Kijura

30. Agency Library users Secondary school students – 20 libraries Primary school children – 44 libraries Adults (many non-literate) – 34

31. Kitengesa Community LibraryStudents

32. Kitengesa Community LibraryWomen’s group

33. Question 2Materials Libraries with > 1000 items – 18 Frequent padding out of collections with donated books Preference for locally purchased books: text books story books practical information UgCLA’s Children’s Book Project – 84 books to 10 libraries

34. Children’s book project

35. Practical information

36. Question 3Language use Most books in English Newspapers in local languages Oral translation activities Written translation Agricultural pamphlets (Semuliki Information Centre) Children’s books (Kitengesa Community Library) Production of books in local languages Luganda story book (Kabubbu) Lugbara readers (URLCODA, Arua)

37. Newspapers

38. Translating while reading

39. Aricultural materials in rutoro, rukonjo, and english

40. English book with Luganda translation

41. Reading in Lugbara

42. Conclusions

43. An exercise in linguistic imperialism? Libraries do advance the linguistic imperialist agenda by providing materials in English They also promote western literacy practices But libraries are not themselves linguistic imperialist institutions Who they are What they do

44. Value of the linguistic imperialism model Focus on center-periphery relations: Libraries address desire for access to information from the center Potential for helping marginalized communities be their own centers

45. The last word Kitengesa student: “When we visit the library we are equal to [urban students]. We also bring our knowledge to the town.” Journal, 13 May 2007

46. Thank you! Please visit: www.favl.org www.ugcla.org www.kitengesalibrary.org