http://www.kubatanablogs.net/kubatana/libraries/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=libraries Kubatana.net speaks out from Zimbabwe Tue, 03 Dec 2013 13:53:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5 http://www.kubatanablogs.net/kubatana/libraries/#comment-226141 Kabweza Thu, 23 Feb 2012 06:40:09 +0000 http://www.kubatanablogs.net/kubatana/?p=7947#comment-226141 I think internet and computer-device access is not in the top 1% of the world.
I know its not in the top 1% of Zimbabweans.
Internet access i think is above 20%.
Computer access maybe be low but then maybe its not computers people need or can use to read books.
Mobile devices like feature phones, tablets and ebook readers are an opportunity.
Mobile phones I’d put at around 50% of the population (actual mobile penetration, the count of active SIM cards is around 9.5 million now but most of that may just be multiple SIM owners)
Mobile devices that can take in a book in the form of a text file or pdf etc (feature phones and smartphones, are conservatively a little less than half of all those mobile phones. So maybe 20% of Zim’s population?
Smartphones can be bought for under $150 now. Feature phones are around $60.
These mobile devices can be used by readers to download and read the books they want.
The downloads can be from the internet or someone physically going to a library and pluggin their device into some source.
I think libraries in the traditional sense of long shelves of books may be going out and we need to start thinking about enabling readers to use devices to read.
The library for example can have its own computers that readers come to use.
Library can also have its collection of ebooks that they sell, rent out or give away for free.
The library as an environment for reading can now also be emphasized more so people can come with their devices there.

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