Abstract:
To support the reading projects in Ghana, the University
of Cape Coast Library, in celebrating the 3rd Library
and Information Week under the auspices of the Ghana
Library Association in October 2015, donated over 1000
reading materials to five schools around the University
of Cape Coast. The library also organised a reading
clinic to offer reading literacy knowledge and skills to
school children. The reading clinic was organised to
instill the culture of reading and writing into children,
to enable them enjoy reading and writing throughout
their school days and beyond. Also the exercise was
intended to avoid the tendencies of struggling to read
and write in the future years of the children. In this
regard,150 pupils with reading difficulties were selected
from the five schools. Five professional librarians and
ten paraprofessionals assisted in carrying out the
reading clinic. The facilitators also organised reading
and spelling competitions in the schools. To encourage
and sustain the habit of reading, books were donated
to the various schools to establish school libraries.
After a period of six months, the programme was
evaluated. It was realised that the programme have
been generally helpful to pupils. Inadequate reading
materials, and low teacher interest in pupils reading
were realised. The study, recommends that, Ghana
Education Service through the Ghana Library Authority
should ensure that schools have libraries with qualified
librarians and adequate reading materials.
