Dram Projects - Faces Tough Times, Smiles on

This message from Daphne came via Facebook and I thought I'd share it since I think her work with Dram Projects is so important :

Hello All! The Dram Projects has been facing some financial difficulty, hit as much as anyone by the current financial crisis. Even leaner times are looming but we are soldiering on.

In 2009, we plan to take the library on the road in a small way. We will be making house-calls (once a week) to two community-run shelters, reading to the children there, and lending them books.

We are also participating in a youth fair in January where two of our volunteers, both lawyers, will be speaking on copyright and civil rights.

In February, I'll be sharing at a British Council conference on running reading groups, and using picture books to teach young children.

We're also going to organise a booksale to raise some funds, and are thinking up other ways to keep afloat.

We will keep you informed of other activities as they are confirmed.

Meanwhile, have a Happy Christmas and New Year.

- Daphne Lee

Reading Room Opens for Business

I'm delighted to hear that Daphne Lee's children's library project is finally off the ground. I went around to see it a few months ago and found that she had created a very pleasant and welcoming space with well stocked shelves, in the midst of a rather run down highrise housing area in PJ Section 17.

And the kids who will benefit are undoubtedly those need it most.

This is the blurb from the Facebook group :

The Dram Projects Reading Room is a place where children can discover, nurture and indulge their love for books and reading. TDP firmly believes that children should be allowed to make their own reading choices and be offered a wide variety of reading material. Taking into consideration the high price of books, our reading room hopes to offer an alternative to public and school libraries, and reading in bookshops.

Comprising over a thousand books (and growing], our collection covers fiction and non-fiction titles, including picture books and reference material. Although the bulk of our books are for children and young adults, we also have a small but good selection of books for mature readers. Aside from providing a place where children are free to choose what they want to read, The Dram Projects Reading Room organises regular reading activities for children and young adults, like storytelling sessions and book groups.

You can find the library at BG-6 Happy Mansions, Jalan 17/13, Petaling Jaya, 46400 Selangor, Malaysia (016-328 1513 info@dramprojects.com)

And do go visit the blog.