Budget constraints are most severe for people living in poverty, for poor communities and for the world's poorest countries.

In below table we explore to what extent budget constraints will be hurdles for performing the #isic9101jk - the local public library journey.

#isic910101 - appoint a librarian for each language or in each town

It is very likely that a town without a library also doesn't have a budget to pay a librarian, even a part-time librarian. In this case it is recommended that a volunteer is appointed.

Another option is that a librarian is appointed for several towns, and pays weekly visits to all towns where he or she is appointed. As travel and a considerable period of time may be involved, this option is less suitable for volunteer librarians.

#isic910102 - enhance library services in each town

In poor communities, library services demand a minimum of physical facilities. For instance print books, internet connectivity, devices for accessing online content. (Check #SDT09c - significantly increase access to ICT and strive to provide universal & affordable access to internet in LDCs for the evolving status regarding access to mobile internet.)

In some cases a mobile library might offer a cost effective solution for a district or region. Also other options for "rural access to online content" exist, such as the 'Info ladies' who go biking to bring remote Bangladeshi villages online.

#isic910103 - integrate the world's online collection in the local library

Once an affordable access to the internet can be established, the world wide web brings a enormous content collection within reach of the internet users.

Some considerations:

  • For users in developing countries, it is not evident to discover content that is relevant for their livelihood challenges. One reason could be it is not in the right language, another that it is too complex.
  • Content that requires low bandwidth use will be cheaper to access, and reduce the risk of the network being the bottleneck, than high volume content.
  • The lack of content in local languages is a reason why the added value of internet access is less in developing countries. In this case, we speak of a cost-benefit constraint in stead of a budget constraint.