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The role of genocide in the development of libraries and librarianship in Rwanda
Olaka, Musa Wakhungu
Olaka, Musa Wakhungu
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Abstract
Human conflict has to a great degree harmed Africa for a very long time. Libraries being living
organisms, have always had to bear the impact of the conflict. The 1994 Rwandan genocide
can best be characterized as one of the most brutal conflicts in recent memory. It left some
librarians imprisoned, others were killed, while others fled into exile. In spite of this tragedy, this
genocide seems to have become a turning point for libraries and librarianship in Rwanda. It
created the awakening of libraries in Rwanda and several projects have been established,
including building the first ever truly public library. However, of great importance is being able to
develop human resources to shape the destiny of these libraries that are serving clientele with
diverse cultural and linguistic orientation. In 2001, a Library and Information Science program
was established and has since strived to produce bilingual and multilingual librarians. The use
of French and English in teaching students undertaking Library and Information Science has
been a challenge. However, with globalization, being characteristic of our society, the Rwandan
Model of educating librarians ought to be given consideration by other library schools. This
paper will discuss how the 1994 Rwandan genocide played a role in shaping libraries and the
effort to educate bilingual and multilingual librarians in Rwanda.
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2009-07
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University of South Florida
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Musa W. Olaka. "The role of Genocide in the development of Libraries and Librarianship in Rwanda." America Library Association (ALA) annual conference. Chicago. Jul. 2009