After decades of repression and censorship the people of Myanmar are getting their books and libraries back!
Since the military leadership lost power in 2011, the country has developed a network of mobile libraries to compensate for the vast network of public libraries that are in various states of disarray. Through the non-profit Daw Khin Kyi Foundation foundation, created by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and new leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, resources are being harnessed “to promote health, education and living standards”.
As you can imagine, little energy went to the development or care of the library system during military rule. The libraries were in complete neglect and, according to the Asia Foundation, nearly 90% of the books in these libraries were religious in nature.
Also underway is the eLibrary Myanmar project which is being implemented by EIFL and will provide academics and students online access to a comprehensive and multi-disciplinary collection of scholarly resources.
Hope has returned.
More at CNN World: Myanmar comes in from cold with bookish revival