THE ASIA FOUNDATION’S BOOKS FOR ASIA DISTRIBUTE NEARLY 10,000 BOOKS TO TIMOR-LESTE LIBRARIES

Dili, February 3, 2011

The Asia Foundation’s Books for Asia program in Timor-Leste today distributed 9,942 books to more than 40 public, school, university and local NGO libraries as well as government agencies. Around 3,000 of the books are allocated toward book fairs to help increase awareness about the important role of reading.

“Since children and students often lack access to books, and the books that are out there often lack contemporary information, the main objective of the program is to provide access to information through reading materials. This book fair is about cultivating a culture of reading and literature and linking people together in today’s world,” said Hugo Fernandes, Books for Asia’s Program Manager in Timor-Leste.

Each year, the Asia Foundation in Timor-Leste receives brand new, high quality books donated by prominent publishers in the U.S., including McGraw-Hill, John Wiley & Sons, Pearson Education, LexisNexis, and other publishers. These books are catalogued and distributed to the recipients in Timor-Leste based on requests received as well as through book drives.

The Asia Foundation recognizes that books change lives and help shape young people’s imaginations, critical thinking skills, and their understanding of the world. They are powerful tools to combat poverty and inspire positive, long-lasting change.

Read more about the Books for Asia’s program in the Timor-Leste. For media inquiries, please visit the Press Room.

http://www.asiafoundation.org/