Friends of African Village Libraries (I post regularly here)- Photos from Gowrie Kunkua community library during the night session, Ghana
- Sumbrungu Community Library nighttime reading
- Résumé du livre Une grande mère criminelle
- Organisation d’une séance de discussion autour d’un livre à la bibliothèque de Dimikuy
- Librarians of Tuy monthly meeting January 2026, Burkina Faso
- Impressions sur la production de livres CMH au Burkina Faso
- Compte rendu de la première rencontre des gérants de la zone du Tuy
- Science fiction books for libraries in Burkina Faso and Ghana
- Animation d’une séance de lecture à la bibliothèque de Dimikuy
- Nyariga Community Library in Ghana, photos January 2026
Author Archives: mkevane
Wayne Wiegand’s short article on the struggle of young people like Joseph Jackson to desegregate libraries in the South in 1961
Read the full article here, “Desegregating Libraries in the American South” Forgotten heroes in civil rights history” by Wayne A. Wiegand in American Libraries. At 11 a.m. on March 27, 1961, nine students from the historically black Tougaloo College walked … Continue reading
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Another The New Yorker story: Ann Beattie “Save a Horse Ride a Cowgirl”
“Save a Horse Ride a Cowgirl” by Ann Beattie appeared in the November 23, 2015 issue of The New Yorker. Another story about growing older. This one with a deliberate nod to Chekhov and the seagull… Does Bree destroy Ryall, … Continue reading
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Recent The New Yorker short stories
While on vacation last week I read a bunch of short stories from the past couple years from The New Yorker. Sorry to say that many were not very good. I don’t expect perfection, and it is nice to read … Continue reading
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La Larga Noche de Francisco Sanctis by Argentinean directors Andrea Testa and Francisco Marquez
Saw La Larga Noche de Francisco Sanctis by Argentinean directors Andrea Testa and Francisco Marquez, on the flight back form Mexico. Very little dialogue. Long stretches of Francisco walking through the streets, but it is short. You need to know … Continue reading
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Ana Cristina Barragan’s film ‘Alba’
Saw this movie on flight back from Mexico. Tremendous. Very quiet. Let’s say it is the opposite of triumphalism, fascism, inyourfaceism, and instead embodies every virtue related to empathy, caring, and grace. Of course watching a movie like this on … Continue reading
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New FAVL photos books published through fastpencil.com for distribution in libraries in Burkina Faso
Over the past months, our team in Burkina Faso, led by national director Sanou Dounko, have produced almost 20 new photo books. These books are in French, and appeal to young readers in the villages. You can get previews (and … Continue reading
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The AfLIA Leadership Academy – Call for Applications
AfLIA is collaborating with the Public Library Association of the USA (PLA) to establish the AfLIA Leadership Academy aimed at: Building the knowledge, skills and confidence of library leaders to act in innovative and creative ways in meeting community needs … Continue reading
Posted in Development thinking, Reading
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‘Wallay’ by Berni Goldblat
After an opening flash-forward, we follow 13-year-old Ady (Diarra) causing a small ruckus in his French banlieue, leaving his desperate dad with few options but to ship him out of town. Arriving in Burkina Faso to stay in the remote … Continue reading
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Latrines in village in Burkina Faso
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Great commentary by Hamidou Anne about Macron comments #Africa #France
And a chance to look up the word élucubrations! Frères Africains, consacrons notre énergie à ce qui en vaut la peine ! Si les élucubrations d’un enfant gâté de la République nous font autant sortir de nos gonds, c’est nous … Continue reading
Posted in Burkina Faso, Development thinking
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When a short story goes bad, John Lanchester “Signal” in The New Yorker
The comments from The Mookse and the Gripes are spot on. I read the story last night, and at the end just put the magazine down, muttering, “Treisman….really?” I’m a fan of Lanchester, both his novels and his essays (I … Continue reading
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Pertinent and pointed criticism by Somé (who could that be ;-) of Benoit Beucher’s new book on history of Moose kingdoms in Burkina Faso
Plus je lis l’interview, plus je m’inquiete du vrai fondé de la recherche. M Beucher decouvre assez recemment le burkina : l’an 2000, c’est assez recent et la societe burkinabe avait radicalement subi de profondes modifications. Ce que j’incrimine, c’est … Continue reading
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Great article about development of public infrastructure in Upper East, Ghana
Only in this region will you find a ‘shifting’ airport site. What was supposed to be an airport started at Paga, Ghana’s border town near Burkina Faso, only as an airstrip. And it was in uninterrupted use until Burkina Faso … Continue reading
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N.K. Jemisin’s The Fifth Season
Read this a couple of months ago. Do not have much to say. It won the Hugo. Characters were well-drawn. In general, I do not like fantasy-sci fi “mixes” where magic and science co-exist. The underlying premise, that the scientists … Continue reading
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Solar power in #Burkina Faso 20 MW new plant approved
Le Burkina Faso vient de signer son premier partenariat public-privé pour la réalisation d’une centrale solaire de 20 MW. Ce projet est piloté par l’entreprise canadienne Windiga Energie et sera exécuté au Burkina Faso par la Société Zina Solaire SA. … Continue reading
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Best seems to mean different things in Open Culture #Burkina
The I think if they added a sound effect or gif of a tumbleweed it would be more effective.
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Drone flyover of Meroe Pyramids of Sudan
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Reading in FAVL-CESRUD library in Sumbrungu, Ghana
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The Greatship by Robert Reed
The Greatship by Robert Reed is a collection of twelve stories or novellas set in or on the Greatship, a Uranus-sized ship making its way through the Milky Way. Humans were first to find the ship, and so by the … Continue reading
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Possible new Burkina Faso National Assembly by Diébédo Francis Kéré
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Michael Kevane 