A Library for Everyone in Cambodia

Earlier this summer, Jen Daly, Room to Read Senior Reading Room Program Associate, visited some of our library sites in Cambodia and shares some of her memorable experiences.

As the second grade class of Tram Kong Primary School in Siem Reap, Cambodia, files out of the school library and into the courtyard for recess, a five-year-old bundle of energy rushes past in the opposite direction and bursts through the library doors. His disheveled appearance stands in stark contrast to the other students, who all sport the standard blue and white uniform. With a mischievous grin on this face, he boldly and confidently leads a line of children into the library and makes a beeline for the puzzle area.

Intrigued by the situation, I approach the librarian and learn that the children enthusiastically reading and playing before me live in the community, are too young to attend school, but are permitted -- and encouraged -- to use the library whenever a class is not in session. These eager readers all know the class schedule by heart, and the bold little boy leading the pack has taken it upon himself to gather the others whenever the library is available.

Because there are no local public preschools or kindergartens, these neighborhood children will not be old enough to attend school for a few years, explains the librarian. Before Room to Read opened this library two years ago, she says, these children had no place to gather during the day. With no childcare options to speak of, their parents had no choice but to leave for work each morning, and worry about their children all day.

Among the small crowd of children gathered around a book in a corner of the room, I see several of them demonstrating what I recognize to be core pre-literacy skills, such as flipping the pages from left to right and stringing the illustrations together to create a storyline -- skills that will serve as integral building blocks for these kids when they begin school.

In the past year, I have met with countless educators, administrators, and government officials to discuss the impact we have on our students. But on this day, as I watch the children scamper excitedly about the library, my thoughts turn to how the library Room to Read has built here has not only changed the lives of the students and teachers of Tram Kong Primary School, but has also impacted the lives of those that have yet to begin school, their parents and their community at large.

This year, as part of our Year of Tens celebration, Room to Read cut the ceremonial ribbon on its 10,000th library. Visit our website to earn more about our Reading Roomprogram.