Sepiddasht Library

Geographical Location: Sepiddasht Library, Sepiddasht, Lorestan
Members:
Start Date: October 2019
Supporter: Keep Children in School Foundation (KCIS)

In the academic year 2018-19, with financial support from Yarra Foundation, 30 teachers joined the program in Sepiddasht. Due to the cooperation of Lorestan Education Office and the teachers themselves, the program proved effective. Therefore, Read with Me experts suggested to continue the program in this region for another academic year. In 2019-20, Read with Me focused on training first through third grade teachers in the Basic Literacy Creative Education workshops. Rural multi-grade classes were also covered. To ensure the sustainability of the program and providing a larger book collection, a child-centered library was established to serve teachers and students. The 2019-20 sponsor of the project was Keep Children in School Foundation (KCIS) which also supported the establishment of Sepiddasht Library.

After the necessary arrangements, a cultural-educational center was introduced by the Education Office to be used as library. Renovation and providing certain library equipment were the first measures taken. On 3-5 October, two Read with Me experts travelled to the region to work on the library’s interior design, cataloging books and resources and training librarians. Seeking cooperation from locals in library preparation is part of the standard process of establishing Read with Me libraries.

With 1200 books, this library has welcomed students and teachers. Teachers are expected to visit the library to borrow quality books and hold read-aloud sessions similar to last year.