Librarian promotes literacy in Africa
By Nathan Straus News Reporter

Nancy Bertholf

For Nancy Bertholf, Henderson County Memorial Library East's librarian, the drive for literacy and the love of reading doesn't end in Henderson County. It doesn't end in Texas, and it doesn't even end in America.

It spreads all the way to Africa, where she works to plant libraries and promote literacy in settings ranging from cities to rural communities.She started work with an organization called the World Library Partnership in 2001, and her travels have taken her all the way to South Africa.

"I had been to South Africa in 1997," Bertholf began, "and I was fascinated by the people and politics in the country and I wanted to be a small part of the new nation."

There was certainly a place for Nancy. She said the World Library Partnership identified a common trait in the rural areas of Africa; people wanted access to information. They wanted to be able to learn.

Bertholf planted her first library in Kynamazane.

"I lived and worked in school, setting up my very first library in Africa," Bertholf proclaimed. This accomplishment happened in 2001.

But Bertholf wasn't close to finished. In 2002 she worked to establish her next library in Kwa Zulu Natal.

"I feel great satisfaction when a library is finished," Bertholf said. "The work is never done, though. It must continue after you leave."

Linda Keeling, volunteer at Henderson County Memorial Library East, bragged on behalf of Bertholf, saying how busy the librarian kept herself.

"She's the typical librarian," Keeling said, "she loves books and loves to get people involved in reading."

Bertholf said the seed of the library must be properly planted so those working after her departure can manage on their own, and the seed is the library personnel.

This was an issue Bertholf worked with during the next few years, she explained. Bertholf served as a volunteer coordinator in rural areas of Limpopo, also in South Africa, in 2003 and 2004 to better distribute service hours. All this was done while continuing to plant libraries around South Africa.

But that's not all. Bertholf said she became acquainted with a lady called Felicity Keats, a South African who owns a non-profit book publishing company.

"There were major problems finding books in the indigenous language of people who read them," Bertholf said.

Keats and her non-profit publishing company would help tremendously in getting books out to the people.

Bertholf stated books should be mirrors and windows into people's hearts.

"Books should show people a part of themselves," Bertholf commented.

However, Bertholf would occasionally find problems with libraries she planted in past visits. During some trips she would find some libraries weren't using what they were given.

"Most of the books would be in boxes in a corner," Bertholf said. "Some were using what they were given, but they were given very few items."

Other new libraries were doing quite well, though. A primary school in Mjwayeli, South Africa just hired a new librarian.

The literacy program is certainly showing results, Bertholf claimed. There are book launches giving learners an opportunity to have a party all because of a book. And a Sizameleni primary school even got new computers only a few months ago.

"It's slow, but I've seen tremendous progress since 2001," Bertholf said.