New collections for Teacher Centre Libraries

In October 2007, ZLS staff visited TC libraries across Zanzibar to deliver new books for each TC library intended to help teachers mainstream HIV / AIDS education in the classroom – the purchase and distribution of these HIV / AIDS materials has been made possible through the Support of Zanzibar AIDS Commission.

These materials will be used by TC library staff to run HIV awareness activities for teachers and students for World AIDS Day 2007 on 1 December 2007.


During these visits, ZLS also delivered ZLS Library Resource Packs - collections of useful print and digital resources about basic library management and reading promotion - to TC libraries.

By compiling and delivering these ZLS Library Resource Packs to all Teacher Centre libraries in Unguja and Pemba, it is intended that:

• TC staff will use these resource packs to develop library services to support teaching and learning within all TC libraries;
• All schools in Zanzibar will be able to access appropriate resources about library development and reading promotion easily within their Teacher’s Centre libraries;
• These resource packs will be generally available to support future training provided by ZLS for teacher-librarians across the archipelago.

WORLD AIDS DAY 2006

For the first time ever, ZLS Central Library ran a week-long WORLD AIDS DAY programme from 27 - 1 December 2006 to promote HIV / AIDS awareness in Zanzibar.

115 primary and 150 secondary students from 10 schools within the Urban and West districts attended this programme and took part in video screenings with facilitated group discussions, small group reading sessions with Q&A, a quiz for secondary school students, and poster design and colouring activities for primary students.

With support from Zanzibar AIDS Commission, Save the Children UK and ZIFF, ZLS was also able to establish a dedicated HIV / AID information corner, with free pamphlets, magazines, books and audiovisual materials, in our Central Library on Unguja.

ZLS Central Library’s new collection of fiction and non-fiction books and audiovisual materials for children and young people about HIV / AIDS was well received and these materials are now available on loan to all library users.