Tag: Reading Promotion

Bibliothekarin bringt Bildung direkt zu den Menschen

Promoting Reading in Nepal: Doorstep Visits by the Sapana Library

Written on 12. October 2025. Posted in Nepal, Process.

Promoting reading in Nepal is about much more than just putting books on shelves. It means reaching people where they live, often far from schools or libraries. This is precisely the mission of the Sapana Library in Khorkamukh, near Pokhara.

Since opening in 2023, the library has become a hub for learning, connection, and personal development. After the first year, it became clear: if education is to reach everyone, it must come to the people, not the other way around.

Doorstep Visits: Promoting Reading in Rural Nepal

Promoting reading in Nepal means more than just putting books on shelves. It means reaching people where they live, often far from schools or libraries. This is the mission of the Sapana Library in Khorkamukh, near Pokhara.

Librarian of the Sapana Library talks to villagers about promoting reading

Since opening in 2023, the library has been a place for learning, connection, and growth. But after the first year, it became clear: education must come to people, not the other way around.

At the end of 2024, the Sapana Library team launched a new initiative: doorstep visits. Twice a week, librarians Pabitra and Jyoti visit nearby villages, meeting families, students, farmers, and elderly residents.

Their goal is to spark awareness of the library, discuss the value of reading, and build trust. These visits are about genuine encounters, not statistics, showing how reading helps in everyday life – at school, work, or home.

Jyoti shares: “Doorstep visits are important because they help us connect with the community. We can share library information and also understand people’s thoughts and needs better.”

Since the program began, the librarians reached over ten villages, including Rivan, Thanti, Lumre, and Nayapul, visiting 480 households and 904 individuals. They met people everywhere: in homes, barns, fields, village centers, small shops, on bridges, and roadsides.

Librarian explains the importance of reading in rural communities in Nepal

Sapana Library librarians build trust through reading promotion

Early Results: Gradual but Visible

The impact was soon noticeable. Step by step, more visitors came to the library. Children brought friends, and adults brought siblings.

Many people learned about the library for the first time through these visits. In villages far from the library, information often spreads only by word of mouth. Here, personal conversations proved far more effective than posters.

The library team also benefited: librarians gained confidence, improved communication skills, and learned to engage with the community as part of the library mission.

Jyoti adds: “Through the visits, I’ve learned that direct communication creates trust and connection. It made me more confident and helped me understand people better. These encounters also create beautiful moments: I met a mother who had never heard of the library before. She was so happy when I told her about it and said she would come soon with her children.”

Librarian brings education directly to families

Similarly, Pabitra notes: “My interpersonal skills have improved, and it’s now easier for me to speak with people of all ages, religions, and communities.”

Challenges in Promoting Reading in Nepal

Not everything runs smoothly. Many household members are away at work during the day. Some adults cannot read or do not immediately see the benefits of books. Other families live far away or have sent children to the city for higher education.

The library team also needs clear structures and regular guidance to manage daily routines efficiently. Yet the positives outweigh the challenges: each encounter raises awareness, and each story read sparks curiosity.

Pabitra shares a special moment: “One older woman was so happy to see us. She said she never thought library staff would visit her home. Her joy made me proud and grateful for our work.”

Villager listens intently as librarian introduces books

Collaboration and Workshops for Effective Reading Promotion

For long-term impact, the Sapana Library also integrates reading into village life through workshops and group programs. Librarians lead small-group reading sessions directly in the villages.

Librarian visits families in a Nepalese village

In a nearby school, a small Book Corner has been set up, with books exchanged monthly. The team aims to connect more with other organizations, including NGOs in education, agriculture, and health.

The Future of Reading Promotion in Nepal

In the coming months, the program will expand to more villages, while the library will provide additional leisure and learning materials – from children’s books to agricultural literature and computer training.

Residents requested that the book selection better meet their needs. Librarians will also receive further training to strengthen their role as educational ambassadors.

The vision is clear: the Sapana Library will be a central hub for education, connection, and inspiration – a space where reading shapes the future.

Sapana Library librarian builds trust through reading promotion

The library’s current splendor: A glimpse of its diversity and dynamism

Written on 16. March 2024. Posted in Nepal, Process, Storytime.

We must truly say, the library has become even more beautiful than we imagined. Honestly, it wasn’t an easy task for us Swiss people, who like to organize things in a structured manner, to make progress in Nepal. Sometimes we heard the advice, “Relax, relax, it will work out. Here things work differently.” But they were right, and the effort has definitely paid off.

The library today

Inside the library, there are a whopping 1,400 books. Approximately 1,000 of them are in English, and 400 are in Nepali. Particularly, the Nepali books are popular, so this collection is constantly expanding, and book requests are considered. Our team member Jasmina took on the challenging task of categorizing all 1,400 books, which sometimes proved not to be so simple. Late into the evenings, we individually stamped the books, affixed them with the corresponding category labels, and arranged them.

We observed that existing Nepali libraries often go unvisited because nobody really knows what books are available and where to find them. We wanted to do things differently! The categories range is very diverse and goes from agriculture, guides, children’s and youth books, novels, biographies, health, religion, general knowledge to natural sciences such as chemistry, mathematics, English, physics, and nature, as well as community development.

Additionally, the library is equipped with a color printer, Wi-Fi, two toilets, and 10 laptops. To ensure the smooth operation of the library, regular exciting events, expansion of the book collection, and proper maintenance, we have hired three librarians. They will be introduced in more detail in a separate blog post.

Amazing transformations: Before-After pictures that inspire

Joyful activities in the children’s area

Not only us but also the children of the village particularly enjoy the children’s area. Many of them even diligently helped with painting. Together with various artistically talented volunteers, we painted the walls with many cute figures; from ladybugs to butterflies, ants, snails, spiders, and snakes, the little creatures on the walls abound. Painting the walls was a multi-day process, accompanied by good music, although not always good singing. At the same time, we sawed, sanded, and painted small wall bookshelves.

The toys, from puzzles to Uno to plush toys, were mostly donated here in Switzerland and transported to Nepal along with the books.

As soon as school is out at 4 p.m., the children flock to the library, eagerly securing a spot in the children’s area. It’s a wonderful sight; some eagerly solve a puzzle, others write their names on a board, while in another corner, children’s books are being looked at, and there’s cheerful chatter. After a few days, however, we had to divide the children into groups to keep track, as it got quite loud and chaotic.

We are delighted that even after these three months, the library has remained the first stop for children after school, where sometimes homework is diligently done before playing or reading.

Before-After: Children’s area makeover unveiled

What we couldn’t implement

Originally, a computer area was also planned, which was to be equipped with the ten laptops. Since the designated area was being used by another organization for computer courses during our stay, we couldn’t implement this plan yet. The courses have now ended, and the space behind the bookshelves is currently being used as a workshop area. In the meantime, the laptops can still be used until we officially open the computer room.

Since people aged 40-50 in the village of Khoramukh and surrounding areas cannot read or write, we wanted to create a small audio area for their integration. However, since surveys among the respective residents showed little interest in this, we left it as it is.

The next steps

To further promote visitor numbers, book lending and reading habits, the library committee is working together with schools to establish reading clubs. The goal is for schools to visit the library at least once a week during school hours and be motivated to read.

Monthly, exciting, free workshops for residents continue to take place in the library. More on this soon.

Our reading promotion program in the villages

Written on 2. July 2023. Posted in Nepal, Process.

The reading promotion program was conducted in the 6 surrounding villages of Khoramukh by our team member Sushil in collaboration with the community leader Rajendra.

Through personal conversations, motivating community meetings, engaging presentations, and informative flyers, the following topics were covered:

General information about our project
Why is reading so important?
What can one gain from it?
What can education do for your life?
What can you find in a library?
How to handle books?

The community’s greatest interests

The villagers listened attentively and did not hesitate to ask questions or share their ideas. At the same time, we gathered the community’s interests. What topics are they interested in? What would they like to learn more about and read? It was significant for us to learn that the three most commonly shared interests are Nepali law, religious Hindu texts, and children’s books. Based on this feedback, we will collect books to ensure that the library’s collection aligns with the community’s interests.

Why reading is so important

With our reading promotion program, we aim to improve the reading skills of both children and adults and instill a love for reading. Reading is not only a crucial part of education but also a key to personal development and growth. It broadens horizons, fosters creativity, and enhances language skills.

Because we believe that everyone has the potential to realize their dreams with the right support.

We look forward to tracking the progress of the residents after the library opens at the end of the year and are excited that we can all contribute to promoting reading and improving educational opportunities in Nepal.