What does it take to build a library?

What does it take to build a library in Songea? First books are shipped from the United States. After a full year, due to customs and shipping issues, they arrive in Songea. As you have read in past posts about the container arrival, all books are in English and include books on How to Grow Shrubs in Cold Climates and The Guide to S&M.

Over the next 5 months the bookshelves, desk, chairs, and table need to built, room needs to be painted, and windows need to be installed. This is not as easy as it might seem. After months of waiting, we are told that the first bookshelf will arrive the next day. It does not arrive, and we are told it will come the next day. The next day we are told the next day. After a few days of this it finally does arrive, but it is too big to fit through the door. So they take off the door. A month later the next bookshelf arrives. Once again it is too big, so they chop off the bottom. After they have put all furniture in, they decide to paint and plaster the ceiling, which covers all the furniture in paint and plaster. But finally, after a year and a half of planning, building, and shipping, the library is ready for books.

We spent our last week in Songea putting the books on the shelves, dividing them into categories, labeling shelves, and labeling all the books. We even went to the local bookstore and found some books in Swahili. Yes, everything took a very long time. But seeing a team member so absorbed in a book that she did not want to leave work to go home made all the frustrations and time well worth it.

The new library with the librarian