Training on Community Engagement for Public Libraries held at Bogura

Ahasan, Dhaka, 22 June 2018

A two-day extended training on “Community Engagement for Public Libraries” from 08-09 June 2018 was held at Hotel Naz Garden, Bogura. Seventeen participants from different government public libraries working in the northern region of Bangladesh participated in the training programme. Libraries Unlimited project and the Ministry of Cultural affairs were involved in arranging this training. Several topics including Identifying Stakeholders among the Community, Analysing Community Engagement Practices, Activities by Government public libraries, BRAC Gonokendro, British Council Library, Bisso Sahitya Kendra, Levels of Community Engagement, Ways or Types of Engagement with the Community, Working with Community Advocacy,Social Mobilization, Programme Communication, Skills for Community Engagement, Evaluation of Community Engagement Activities, Outlining a Community Engagement Plan were covered in the training. To learn the mentioned topics, organisers followed different methods and techniques such as brainstorming, self-image, Card Collection and Clustering, Small group work and presentation, participatory discussion and feedback.

To make the event successful a group of resource persons conducted the sessions including Mr.Shakil Sinha and Mr Ali Ahmed. At the end of the training the participants and the resource persons visited several historical places of Bogra including Mohastangir as part of sightseeing tour.

The similar type of event was also held at Barishal on 04-05 June 2018.

Little note: In collaboration with the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Govt. of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh and supported by Department of Public Libraries, the British Council in Bangladesh are re-imagining the public library sector through an exciting project, Libraries Unlimited.