“Before, students didn't reach books,” says Josephine Nikuze, an English and computer literacy teacher at the Rwamagana Nursing and Midwifery School in Rwanda. Nikuze remembers that not too long ago students couldn’t readily look for information themselves or expand their reading choices. “The [students] were given books in the classroom, but they never visited the library because there was no library at all.”

Nikuze is one of three staff members responsible for the school’s new library. The IntraHealth-led Capacity Project worked with her and other staff from the school to set up the library: previously, only a stockroom for books existed, providing storage space but not true accessibility for students. The hope is that the library will arm students with more up-to-date clinical and reference information, thereby improving their confidence and practical skills and knowledge.

In developing countries, access to health information can be sorely lacking for students in training, thus impeding human resources for health strengthening. The library is just one way the Capacity Project has worked to address this critical need in Rwanda. Together with the Belgian Technical Cooperation (BTC), the Project provided computer equipment, Internet connections and computer training for faculty and staff at the Rwamagana Nursing and Midwifery School (and four other nursing schools in the country).

“[The lab] is really of great help,” says a school faculty member. “Students learn how to use computers as they need them when writing their practical assignments as well as . . . [their] papers.”

“It makes our work easier,” adds a student, noting that the Internet helps the students conduct research.

The Project and BTC also supported the curriculum design and implementation of a new three-year, competency-based Registered Nursing and Midwifery A1 Program. To complement it, the Project provided the Rwamagana School with books and sponsored training on library management, including how to order, classify and catalogue materials.

Students now receive an orientation to the library. The introduction covers “how to look for information, how to consult books, and visit the shelves and all. We had to initiate them,” Nikuze notes, “because it is something which is new for them. They get used to it quickly, because they are trained to.”

The value of the Rwamagana School’s library has extended beyond the school’s student population; for many, the place has become a gateway to information. “The library serves students, teachers, as well as other people from around, such as students of other universities, teachers from other universities, secondary schools, and even primary schools. They come to visit the library and to get books from the library,” says Nikuze, then adds, “We even have people from Rwamagana town, and even from Kigali city. Some people come just to see and visit the library. And we are very happy because of this.”

Due to the development of a system that organizes and tracks the books, the nursing school’s library staff can stay much more on top of the inventory.“ [That] was one very significant change that has happened . . . we are now aware of the content of the library, because we have shelves, we have a registration book, we even try to write them down in the computer,” she says, noting that having them registered helps the staff track the book count—they have reached 8,000—and identify missing books. “We are also aware of ancient and new editions, and this is very important.”

Because the books are displayed on shelves, more students are finding what they need. “It helps students pick books quickly and easily,” she emphasizes, “because they can read what is written on the book—not the same as when you have books in boxes.”

Nikuze says the staff would like their collection to have more books written in English, and they expect to update the library with newer books—“especially with medical books, but other fields as well, because we have people from around the town come to use the library.”

For now, Nikuze watches the seats and study spots fill up at the new library: the times it becomes overcrowded tell her that the library is meeting a great need, and that they are already outgrowing this space.