School Library Development Program
Our flagship Library Development Program (LDP) helps in the systematic establishment of libraries in low-resource, rural, and remote schools across India. The structured curriculum consists of read-aloud Storytelling sessions, book browsing and borrowing activities, library committee elections, and a library orientation program. We focus on the 4Cs of Learning Skills i.e., Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Creativity, and Communication which enhance the student’s motivation, confidence, emotional development, and help acquire an appreciation for other perspectives. The LDP advocates for quality education by focusing on the three main pillars of –
Quality (age-appropriate books and reading resources)
Pedagogy (Creative teaching through trained facilitators)
Good Governance (Maintaining a standard Monitoring and Evaluation process)
Mission 100
The road to freedom is paved with books and reading is the foundation on which a child’s education stands. In 2020, with #Mission100, we took our first step towards universal quality education by setting up libraries in 100 schools across the most remote and rural areas of India. It was our first large scale program to achieve educational equity, and ensure the right to read and equal opportunity for every child, especially those living in our villages.
Through this mission, we were also able to successfully connect the privileged urban youth with the needs of rural India so that everyone can gain perspective and be more socially aware. 150+ volunteers organized India’s largest All India book donation drive for this mission with many of them also volunteering at their local schools to conduct storytelling sessions.
Model school libraries
Having worked with different types of schools across India, we realized that many schools have the space/room provisioned for a library but are not able to utilize it. We refurbish these rooms into warm, welcoming, and beautiful spaces where children come to read and engage with books, drawn from a diverse and rich collection that introduces them to new themes and ideas.
The librarian also receives full support from SABIA through training and together, we work to turn the library into a place for children to enquire, express, and educate themselves. These model school libraries are thus, vibrant, visually appealing spaces for experiential learning. They are open not just to the school's own students but to visitors who might come to see a successful library in action, including other government schools’ teachers who train here.
Libraries For Kashmir
Not even all the rural regions in India are the same, especially not the heavily militarized and conflict-ridden valley of Kashmir where internet services are still very unreliable and most schools run on the army’s goodwill. However, we believe that all children are the same… curious learners with bright eyes and big dreams.
Hence, when we got a chance to collaborate with the Indian Army in 2021 and 2022, we launched the “Libraries for Kashmir” project where we have set up libraries in 20 schools in the Lolab valley and a bus stop turned “street library” in Anantnag in Kashmir. We aim to help bridge the gap between mainland India and the region through libraries for children which shall act as centers for exchange of knowledge, and cultural resources. Moving forward, our focus is training teachers and providing them with relevant resources for smooth functioning of these libraries.
From 2022-2024, we surveyed 75 schools across Rajasthan to assess the challenges in library implementation and reading accessibility. The survey highlighted that even when books are made available in a government school, the long-term functionality of its library is not guaranteed. Therefore, to make the Library Development Program sustainable, we have initiated the Library Leaders Program where we conduct capacity-building sessions for our volunteers, senior students and school leaders in library management, storytelling facilitation, and policy implementation to empower them in running school libraries and reading corners self-sustainably through personal efforts and available government support.
Library Leaders Program
We discuss why libraries are important, and provide guidance on building a rich library collection, planning creative sessions, and conducting read-alouds to enable early readers to become confident and independent readers. Through peer-learning and sharing of individual experiences, these Library Leaders start to take ownership, arrive at practical solutions, and develop a vision to make reading joyful, accessible and meaningful in their respective schools.
The mission of every Library Leader is to create safe, inclusive and vibrant spaces in schools, which encourage children’s inherent curiosity and help them develop a love for reading and life-long self-learning.
School Leaders
School principals, librarians, and teachers participate in a series of practical sessions conducted using a well-researched curriculum developed in their local context to help them better understand their libraries, book collections and the importance of giving back the same experience to students.
We also conduct workshops on child-centric education practices, policy guidelines, and awareness on systemic gaps in library resources to guide school leaders on aligning school-level efforts with policy implementation for sustainable impact.
Youth Leaders
At SABIA, we believe in the power of youth from diverse backgrounds as catalysts for societal improvement. We mobilize and engage volunteers through various events for a more active society, contributing to a better world and nation-building.
Our youth leaders are trained as library facilitators to carry out the Library Development Program in schools where there’s a shortage of teachers and library staff. From sorting and sourcing books to create library kits for each school to conducting Student Library Committe elections, they do it all.
Student Leaders
We conduct workshops to equip students, especially girls, with essential interpersonal and leadership skills. Till date we have worked with over 80 student leaders from across 15 government schools in Jaipur. The objective is to raise awareness about equality and equity, stress the importance of libraries, advocate for quality education, and inform all stakeholders about various government schemes. These seminars have been pivotal in educating and empowering the youth in government schools. By highlighting the importance of equality, we encourage students to explore the reasons behind existing disparities.
Community-first Initiatives and Events
Everlasting change only happens when the communities involved are building it with us, so every SABIA initiative starts with the people it’s meant to serve. Book donation drives let neighbours, students and schools give the books they’ve outgrown, so that every shelf carries a sense of shared ownership. Kitab Utsav brings families, children and readers together in celebration of books and literature, making reading feel joyful rather than like homework. Kahani Mela turns storytelling into a living experience, with stories told, heard and shared by the children themselves. We plan these events with local volunteers, teachers and parents, so they reflect each community’s language, needs and rhythm. And because the books, the stories and the people all come from the community, the libraries keep growing long after the event is over.
Book Donation Drive
Annual Book Donation Drive is a step towards sourcing books for libraries in our partner schools. However, our mission goes beyond collecting books, in an eco-friendly manner. The drive’s purpose is to ensure making reading sustainable and build a collective effort by the folks of our country, to contribute towards building libraries for those who cannot access them. We aim to bring our community together and celebrate the joy of reading and donating. Our annual book donation drive is organized every year around Diwali. Corporations, colleges, schools, and societies come together to conduct awareness events to inspire people to donate books.
Kitab Utsav
Through our annual literary festival Kitab Utsav, we celebrate the shared love of books, stories, art, and music amongst reading enthusiasts from all ages. Our intention with each activity organized during this grand book fair is to make reading joyful, affordable and accessible to all. Flash book sales starting at just ₹20, food stalls, local businesses, activity corners, students’ talent exhibits are all a part of this celebration. Young and old from all sections of the society come together in a common space, and interact with, and learn from each other.
Since this fair is also a fundraiser, 100% proceeds from the sales go towards sustaining our library operations in schools and communities across India.
Kahani Mela
Research shows that children who are read to are more likely to become effective readers. Many of our partner schools have first-generation readers enrolled in them who do not have the opportunity to read books or be read to at their homes. The purpose of Kahani Mela is to encourage children and families to enjoy reading together as a regular habit and boost imagination by marking stories as crucial headers of early development. Led by school leaders, parents and community leaders, this event (formerly known as Library Orientation Program) is conducted upon the successful completion of the LDP at a partner school every year.
Continuously accessible education and engaging creative outlets are vital in breaking the cycle of poverty, enriching the social fabric, and promising a brighter and more equitable future for all children. Therefore, this program emerged during the covid pandemic when schools were shut down haphazardly, and we witnessed an alarming need to provide learning opportunities to our students so that their learning journeys faced a minimal loss. These free-access, safe and inclusive community libraries then became a sanctuary for many first-generation learners, offering an extensive collection of books and a holistic environment for growth. Even today, children visit not only to engage with the written word but also to partake in recreational activities such as games and various forms of art.
Free Community Libraries
All children need nurturing spaces where their creativity and energy can find positive expression, and empower them, in the face of disparities. For many young boys, constant engagement within these spaces with our volunteers helps steer them away from potential involvement in petty crimes and/or child labor. Our library programs also provide academic assistance, and address educational gaps exacerbated by household responsibilities that hinder proper studying for many girls. Our intention with each such library remains to create socially just communities by promoting emotional, mental and physical wellness, gender justice, and providing a safe haven for learning and unlearning, especially for the marginalized youth.
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