You may remember the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) organization that developed a laptop that it could send to developing countries. The organization’s intent was to give educational opportunities to those children who didn’t have access to computers. The aim of Worldreader.org is similar, but this time, it wants to send ebook readers to developing countries, and the organization has chosen the Amazon Kindle. Really, it isn’t a surprise as one of the co-founders of Worldreader.org, David Risher, was a vice president of product and platform development for Amazon.com. But who cares; what’s important is that ereader technology is being used in such a positive campaign.
Amazon, the Benjamin Franklin International School in Barcelona, Rassak Experience, and OrphanAid Africa are current partners of Worldreader.org. Kindle is the sole ebook reader choice because it is simple to use, has the biggest selection of ebooks through Amazon, and offers global wireless support. The organization however says that as the needs of the program evolves, other devices will be used in addition to the Kindle.
Here is Worldreader.org’s working hypotheses:
1. Ereaders will increase access to books due to lower distribution costs and immediate visibility of millions of books available online.
2. Widespread ebook reader use will also lead to the production of a larger number and greater variety of books to read, and increased excitement and exchange of ideas around these books.
3. As a result, a higher value will be placed on reading within the classroom, family, and community.
4. The results will be specific and measurable, and will, in the long term, increase literacy and opportunity for those involved.
Take note though, that Worldreader.org doesn’t give the ereader away. What the organization does is work to help subsidize the devices through fundraising. Then, the local government pays for the devices at a more affordable price. In the village of Ayenyah, Ghana, a “trial run” started last March 15. Also, Worldreader.org foresees that it will create a “sustainable business ecosystem” in developing communities.
Worldreader.org allows the community to decide what books will be pre-loaded on to the reader. It is based on their needs and interests. Additionally, they are partnering with other organizations to help fund solar cell and satellite internet access as some remote areas don’t have reliable power. This is true of Ayenyah, Ghana. The trial school has inconsistent power, and Worldreader.org is also using this trial run to find a solution to the electricity problem.
This is another positive outcome of ereader technology. We get so caught up in the ebook prices, the new agency model, the competition between the Kindle and the iPad, it’s easy to forget that this technology is not just for entertainment. It is a powerful tool that could potentially change the way the world reads.