The Ho regional library is gradually becoming unattractive to the general public due to the bad shape the facility is currently in.
Aside being sandwiched between a school and a public toilet thus making it undesirable for patronage for any serious library services, the facility is also grappling with logistical and infrastructure challenges that militates against smooth administration and patronage.
The Ho regional library was located to its current office as a temporal library facility about thirteen years ago when there was the need for a new library complex to be built in the Ho municipality.
Unfortunately the new library complex has not been completed for the past thirteen years thus compelling the current office which was to serve as a temporal office to be used as the permanent library for the past thirteen years.
The library currently serves in two capacities including serving as the referral Volta regional library and at the same time as the Ho municipal library.
The facility is however, confronted with challenges that makes it extremely difficult to render and for one to undertake any serious library services in the facility.
First of all the facility is situated between a public toilet and a school. This according to patrons of the facility makes it undesirable for any serious patronage of the facility due to the noise and the stench that emanates from the toilet especially anytime it rains.Both children and adult use the same block with book shelves serving as the main partition between the two sections.
As a result there is no enough space to accommodate school children who might want to use the library to sharpen their literacy skills. The situation according to the in-charge of the children section of the library madam Tabitha Tamekloeis not conducive especially for the children and is not helping in sharpening the literacy skills of children who patronize the facility.
The adult section of the library itself is nothing good to write home about.
Portions of the roofing leaks any time it rains.
Some of the book shelves and chairs being used in the facility are torn, worn-out and not in the best of shapes.
However, because of inadequacies, authorities of the facility are compelled to keep and still use them oblivious of the possible consequences.
The least said about the state of chairs being used in the facility the better.
Radio Ghana spoke to some patrons of the facility on the need to come to the aid of the library.
The Ho regional library does not have any internet connectivity currently.
Officials of the facility have therefore converted the internet section of the library into a place where children go to play educational games on the existing functional computers left in the facility.
Surprisingly a drinking spot has been put up just behind the library.
The citing of the library close to a school with a football park has also not helped in the fortunes of the facility. This is because playing football on the school park has affected the roofing of the building.
The nets and louvers of the windows of the library are also not in the best of shapes.
The construction of a permanent ultra-modern Regional Library Complex has halted for over a decade now.
The project which was expected to be completed in 2005 has been abandoned for over 12 years.
The multi-purpose project has lecture and exhibitions halls, rare collection sections and a conference Hall aside reading rooms for both children and adults.
Radio Ghana gathered that contractors undertaking the project are still waiting for the release of funds to complete the pavements and other few interior finishing as major works on the projects have been completed.
Despite all these challenges, officials of the Volta regional library say they are making effort to ensure that some of outreach activities of the library are visible in the region and within the Ho municipality.
A senior librarian in charge of the facility, Mr. Bright Ofori spoke to radio Ghana.
As Ghana prepares to join the world to mark this year’s International Literacy Day come this Saturday, September 8, it is the hope of patrons and officials of the Volta regional library that the necessary attention would be given to the regional library project to complete it to enhance library services and improve literacy skills in the region.
Story Anlimah and Anthonia Oyeh-Asare’s report
