The recording (53 minutes) of a Virtual Learning Circle (online capacity building event) for public and community librarians in Africa on community needs assessment as the key to developing a successful library service.

The Virtual Learning Circles are organized by AfLIA (African Library and Information Associations and Institutions) Public & Community Library Section and the EIFL Public Library Innovation Programme (EIFL-PLIP) and draw on the EIFL-PLIP ‘Small Bites’ training videos for public librarians.  

During the Learning Circle, 

• EIFL-PLIP Manager, Ramune Petuchovaite introduced the ‘Small Bites’. See the slides (PDF). 
• Ugne Lipeikaite, EIFL-PLIP Impact Manager, presented examples of tools for community needs assessment and led a hands-on exercise on how to build a community profile. See the slides (PDF) and other resources - 
  • Practical steps for guiding your community needs assessment (PDF)
  • Public Library Community Needs Assessment Survey Template (PDF)
  • Interactive exercise: Planning a community needs assessment for your library (PDF)
• Jakob Muleka, Chief Librarian of Oshana Regional Library, Namibia, shared a real-life example of a community needs assessment conducted during visits to schools involved in gardening and poultry farming projects (in the webinar recording, from minute 28:37 to 32.08).