Application Deadline: Monday, 8 November 2021.
The new EIFL Public Library Innovation Award call – for public libraries supporting education recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic – is now open for applications.
COVID-19 has disrupted education all over the world. Closures of educational institutions, still ongoing in many places, have affected billions of children, youth and adults, damaging their wellbeing, life chances and livelihoods. To lessen education losses and accelerate progress towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goal on Education (SDG 4), UNESCO has called on different players – from international organizations to governments, civil society, educators and students – to work together on education recovery.
By providing access to information and learning resources, digital infrastructure and skills training, and educational programmes for children and adults, public libraries are making vital contributions to achieving SDG 4. During the COVID-19 pandemic, public librarians worked hard to adapt and continue library services under lockdown, quarantine and other restrictions.
This innovation award call seeks to highlight good practices and effective strategies by public libraries that are helping learners and educators make up for learning losses, adjust to new forms of learning, and continue their education during and after the pandemic.
Eligibility Requirements
To enter the competition, you must meet all of the following criteria:
- You must be a public or community library.
- The library must be in a transition or developing economy country [pdf].
- The service you are submitting must use digital information and communication technology (ICT).
- The service should have started in or after January 2020.
- The service should have been operational for at least 12 months, and must be operational at the time of application.
- You must provide evidence of positive results of the service or impact in the target community, including statistics of service usage, numbers of people who benefited, stories by service users about how the service has helped them to catch up with their education and/or continue learning during and after restrictions that aimed to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
- Only one service can be presented by each applicant. Additional services or projects presented in the application will not be considered.
Application Benefits
- Each winner will receive US$1,500; and
- International publicity – EIFL will share your innovative service story widely through its publicity channels.
Official Website:
Visit the Official Webpage of the EIFL Public Library Innovation Award call
