Ghana Library Authority


The Ghana Library Authority, established in 1950 as the Ghana Library Board, was the first public library service in sub-Saharan Africa. The public library movement in Ghana began in 1928, as a personal effort of the then Anglican Bishop Orfeur Anglionby of Accra. In 1946, the Aglionby Library Management Committee worked with the British Council Advisory Committee towards library development in the then Gold Coast.

History

The public library movement in Ghana began in 1928, as a personal effort of the then Anglican Bishop Orfeur Anglionby of Accra who succeeded in building a small library at the Bishop's House with book donated by church members in England for reading and borrowing by the public. The work of the Committee resulted in the passing of the Gold Coast Library Board Ordinance Cap 118, in December, 1949, which became operational on January 1, 1950.
It assumed responsibility for the Anglionby Library, which had been started by John Aglionby, the Anglican bishop of Accra, and the British Council's library service lead by Eve Evans.It served as a model for other public library services in Africa. The British Council handed over its Librarian, Miss E. J. A. Evans, and a stock of 27,000 books to start the public library service. This volumes of books were housed in a wing of the King George V Memorial Hall which later became the parliament house for the first, second and third republics. The year 1950 was a significant landmark in the history of public library service in Ghana under the Gold Coast Library Board Ordinance cap 118, which was passed by the legislation council in 1949. The Ordinance was later re-enacted as Ghana Library Board Act 372.
This Act charges Ghana Library Authority to establish, equip, manage and maintain public libraries in Ghana; take all such steps as may be necessary to discharge such functions; and to give effect to the principles and provisions of this act. Aside this function, Ghana Library Authority is to conduct in service training courses, seminars and workshops for school Library Assistants and tutor Librarians; visiting schools periodically to inspect and ensure that employee in these libraries are performing to the required standards; and reorganising school and college libraries and helping institutions interested in setting up libraries in their communities.

Directors

was the first Director of Ghana Library Board. The Authority is currently headed by Ghanaian Social Entrepreneur, Hayford Siaw who was appointed by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo

Former directors

The Anglionby Library was a huge success, therefore a committee was set up. The committee approached the Commonwealth Education and Welfare Trust for money to build more branches especially children's library. The Trust offered £3,000 for the provision of three libraries in Accra. The donated money was used to build the Osu, Accra Central and Kaneshie. In 1975, there was 17 branches across the country. As at 2019, there were 73 public libraries under Ghana Library Authority.

Greater Accra Region

Accra Central Library

It shared its premises with the headquarters of the Ghana Library Authority. It was established in 1946 in former Parliament House. The present premises was officially opened on 17th may 1956 by His Excellency the Governor, Sir Charles Arden Clarke, The Prime minister and the President of the British Library Association. The Accra Central Library is located on the High Street, Thorpe Road, in-between the Supreme Court, the GCB Bank, Headquarters.

Tema Municipal Library

The Tema Branch Library was opened on 9 November 1962 at the Community Centre at Community One in Tema and moved to its current location on 9 January 2003. The library was renovated and reopened in 2019 by Karpowership Company. The library renders lending, reference and ICT services to the public. It goes on outreach to basic schools and renders book box service to some basic schools in the Municipality. It is located at adjacent to the Tema Senior High School.

Dansoman Community Library

The Dansoman Branch Library was founded in 1984 as a children’s Library.  The library is located in the premises of the Dansoman Keep Fit Club. The current building can no longer cater for the population and for that matter, MTN Foundation is constructing a new library complex for the Dansoman Community to be able to cater for both adult and Children at Ebenezer Senior High School.

Lartebiokorshie Community Library

The Library started in the last nineties at the residence of Madam Juliana Sackey, former Director of Ghana Library. The current location was opened on 15 May 2013. It was the first library renders service to inmates of the Senior Correctional Centre at Roman Ridge and offers book box services to some schools.  It also runs an Adolescent health outreach programme in collaboration with the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana and Mamprobi Polyclinic Adolescent Corner to curb the menace of teenage pregnancy within the community.

Osu Community Library

The Osu children's Library was opened in 1950. It also organises reading competitions among school children during their long vacation It is located right behind the Osu Commercial Bank in Accra.

Teshie Community Library

The Teshie branch library started around 1990 in a rented premise at Teshie.  Operations in the current building which was put up the Member of Parliament common fund in 2006 but had a structural defects so the library was closed to the public in 2010. The Ledzokuku Krowor Municipal Assembly worked on the building until 2015 when most of the defects have been corrected, thereafter was opened again to the general public. The library is located near the Southern Cluster of Schools in Teshie and it is about 100 meters from the Teshie Family Health Hospital.

Dodowa Community Library

The Dodowa Branch Library was established in November 1961 through the initiative of Messrs.  E. T. Mensah and Johnson.  They applied to the then Director of Ghana Library Board for the facility.  The library was started at Lower Dodowa in a rented apartment on the ground floor of a storey building, under the care of a resident who was later trained to become the Library Assistant in charge. It was later relocated in 1977 to its current place which used to be a clinic.  The facility is currently undergoing renovation by the Shai-Osudoku District Assembly.
Bono Region
Bono East Region
Ahafo Region
The objectives of the Ghana Library Authority is to provide materials for educational support, in the areas of both formal or informal education, in order to have a mass of informed citizens in the country and act as a centre for the dissemination of information of any kind and by any means, such as books, newspapers, magazines; to provide facilities for study and research. Additional objectives include active participation in community activities, with the provision of information to fill specific needs, and to promote and encourage a reading culture in the country..These sections were created to fulfill the objectives.

Lending

The Lending section serves adult and student users.  It provides books for lending to registered users.  It also renders Interlibrary Loans, Reservation, Referral and Current Awareness services.  It observes UN days with exhibitions and displays.  It organizes Outreach Programmes for selected Senior High Schools, Readers Club, Research and French Literacy services to the public.

Children

The Children's section offers library services to children especially from pre-school to Junior High school.  Its objective is to promote the reading habit among children and establish the foundation for life-long learning. The library has a reference corner which provides opportunity for children to do their homework.  This corner was equipped with computers to serve the technology needs of children.  The library organizes children’s programmes such as story hour, film shows and other literacy related activities. The importance of work with children necessitated the putting up of a summer hut where some of the children’s activities like drama and story hour could be shifted to accommodate the growing population of users. The book stock includes reference and African collections.  The library has artefacts, drawings and assorted educational games.

Extension

The extension section was created in 1960 to cater for the deprive and unserved communities that do not have access to physical libraries.  in view of this, the Mobile Library Service was introduced.. The Mobile Library complements the efforts of the static libraries by reaching out to clients who cannot visit the library regularly to borrow books to read at home.  It provides lending services through the Book Box Service. This service is particularly suitable for families, institutions/organizations, identifiable groups, societies and clubs. The Mobile Library service is the most popularly acclaimed pro-poor, rural, outreach, public library service programme in Ghana.  The Mobile Library services also embarks on ICT Classes for selected basic schools that do not have computer for their practical lessons in the communities across the country and this initiative is supported by EIFL.

Projects/Activities/Support

The current board members include:


NoNamePositionDuration
1Dr. Helena Asamoah-HassanChairperson2018-date
2Dr. Kwabena Opuni FrimpongMember2018-date
3Mr. Kofi Sakyiama AntiriMember2018-date
4Mrs Eva HaizelMember2018-date
5Dr Emmanuel AdjeiMember2018-date
6Professor Michael A. TagoeMember2018-date
7Mrs Lily Fati SoaleMember2018-date
8Ms Barbara B. NorteyeMember2018-date
9Mr Nicholas BuabengMember2018-date
10Mr Fred Sakyi BoafoMember2018-date
11Mr Mawutodzi Kodzo AbissathMember2018-date
12Rev Fr Michael Awuah-AnsahMember2018-date
13Alhaji Mamah G. MohammedMember2018-date
14Mrs Olivia Opoku-AdomahMember2018-date
15Ms Lucy Amanda AsamoahMember2018-date

Previous Board Chairpersons

Regional Librarians