Returning to Shaoguan, Students Transform Another Vacant Building into a Children’s Library

Every Morningsider, at some point in their lives, has sat with a greatly rewarding book. The benefit may have come from the knowledge it contained, or possibly from experiencing the wonder and joy of becoming lost in a story. The empowerment and enrichment reading brings is why for the past three years Morningside student service groups have returned to small communities outside Shaoguan, Guangdong to construct children’s libraries.

The location of this year’s library was Dawei, a remote Hakka village still enclosed within stone walls which date back to the Tang Dynasty. Early in the trip, the students interviewed the village head, local teachers, and members of the community to gain a better understanding of the social context and community needs. However, many students noted that it was the visit to the empty and unattended library of the local primary school which finally provided them with a deeper sense of the mission for their service trip. They realized the completed library would become the first place where the village children could access age-appropriate and stimulating reading material.

Over the course of four days, the group of 14 students cleaned the library grounds, painted the inside and outside of the building, and installed the furniture which would hold the hundreds of books donated and purchased for the new space. At the closing of the final day of service, a group of experienced librarians who have benefited from a similar library in their own village traveled with our group to Dawei to encourage kids to use the new library. These dedicated students also trained a new contingent of young librarians who will manage and sustain the project. This sharing of experience and expertise was strong evidence of the impact the children’s library project has had over the last few years, and offered a promising sign for the future of the children in the beautiful village of Dawei.