The Role of Public Libraries in Promoting Literacy in Zimbabwe

Abstract

In this paper we argue that literacy is critical for socio-economic development. A literate nation makes positive contributions to the general development of a country. Zimbabwe now has the highest literacy rate in Africa at 92% having surpassed Tunisia which is at 87%. In this paper we seek to establish the strategies that public libraries have employed to promote and sustain high literacy rates in the country. We investigate the innovative strategies like story telling sessions and explain how they have helped Zimbabwe achieve Africa’s highest literacy level despite the socio-economic challenges. We also probe the public library services that are available for children, youth and adults and how they contribute towards higher literacy rates. We explore the challenges that public libraries face in Zimbabwe. We seek to establish the strategies in place to promote literacy in an information technology driven society. We end the discussion by making recommendations on how public libraries can contribute toward sustainable higher literacy rates.

Keywords: literacy; illiteracy; development; public libraries; education; information technology; culture