Books in a digital society? Improving the book supply chain for learners to read from classroom to libraries to home.

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

According to the World Bank’s State of Global Learning Poverty 2022 report , high rates of learning poverty—defined as being unable to read and understand a simple text by age 10—indicate that education systems are failing to ensure that all children develop key foundational literacy and numeracy skills, and these gaps in learning outcomes have only been exacerbated by the global climate crisis, increased conflict and the recent pandemic. The report states that prior to the pandemic, 6 out of 10 children in low- and middle-income countries did not acquire minimal reading proficiency by age 10. Even though high-quality, context-appropriate learning materials in languages that children understand are essential for literacy development and improved learning outcomes, many children do not have access to these materials. We call this the global book gap (GEM Report Policy Paper 23 ).
Currently, most marginalized schools demand more and better-quality material for students in low- and middle-income countries. Without access to books, learners are denied the opportunity to learn to read and reading to learn. The gap in materials can include textbooks, decodable and level readers, as well as other teaching and learning materials, including storybooks, teachers guide, and reference books. Reasons for the book gap are varied among contexts, but some core challenges are consistent— 1) there are not enough high-quality and appropriate books, 2) it is difficult to get books to children, and 3) there is a lack of community-wide engagement around reading and book use.
In 2018, a coalition of donors, multilateral institutions, and international organizations developed the Global Book Alliance (GBA) pledged to address the global book gap and transform the lives of millions of children in developing countries by working with partners to identify, promote, and support innovations, best practice, and policies that will change the way books are created, procured, and provided. The book supply chain, which encompasses the steps from book planning and forecasting and title development through to book use, is an essential system which aims to ensure that appropriate texts are available, accessible, and used by learners to support reading acquisition.
The right to a better education begins with the right to books in every child’s hand. Strengthening national book supply chains using the power of digital technology is an essential step to ensure learners, teachers, and other key education stakeholders have access to teaching and learning materials to support reading acquisition for all children.
This panel will address how books in the hands of learners and schools catalyze change as an essential right to more affordable quality books in schools. Attendees will be able to rethink how to promote new and innovative ways to close the book gap, demand innovative solutions and offer guidance to ministries and education stakeholders to increase the supply of teaching and learning materials, and strengthen local book supply chains to promote more equitable access and availability of learning materials in languages learners use and understand. The panels will highlight approaches to the different aspects of the book supply chain based on research and lessons learned from several initiatives to better understand opportunities and challenges in this space using digital technology. The presentations will share lessons learned, best practices and key considerations to improve modern digital dimension of the book supply chain systems, which in turn will make access to age-appropriate and relevant books more equitable for learners across the globe.
Presenters will discuss how print, digital, and hybrid approaches can support children to achieve literacy and gain access to quality books in their own languages, so that they can learn to read, read to learn, and develop a love of reading. The panel will allow attendees to better understand the gaps, successes and shortcomings in the book supply chains especially in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Panelists will draw on research and learning from current programs to implement new and improved strategies to ensure that all learners have increased access to books in languages they use and understand.
The panel will show how the digital transformation of the book supply chain can rapidly improve access to high quality books through digitized book supply chains using targeted and innovative approaches that can get books into the hands of children as the critical foundation for lifelong learning.

Sub Unit

• Global Literacy SIG

Organizer

• Sergio RamirezMena, IREX

Chair

• Sakil Malik, Global Center for Innovation and Learning

Individual Presentations

• Reading in a Digital Society: Promoting Book Use Around the World - Christabel Pinto, Room to Read

• Local Book Development in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Tanzania – Book Supply Chain from Ideas to the Minds of Children - Julie Donohue-Kpolugbo, CODE.ngo

• Books in the digital society: from printed to digital - Challenges digitizing the book supply chain to close the learning loss - Sergio RamirezMena, IREX

Discussant

• Joanie Cohen-Mitchell, DDI Center for Education, United States Agency for International Development (USAID)