What
good is an "electronic library" in Africa and other developing
nations?
- Feel's first
target is learning centers such as seminaries, Bible institutes and
Bible schools. These centers are equipped and can make the FEEL
library available immediately to hundreds of users.
- Contrary to a popular
perception of African and island nations, many of them are equipped
with the infrastructure (power, phone lines, etc.) and computer
technology (hardware, software) to which the West is accustomed,
though the percentages of those who have access are lower.
- Computer use
in Africa and the developing nations is on the rise. The use of the Internet
has grown relatively rapidly in most urban areas in Africa. Internet
use has increased by 4000% across French-speaking Africa from
2000-2007. Roughly 6 million people in Africa own a computer, with each computer serving
3 to 5 people.*
- SIM missionaries
estimate that 25% of African pastors in countries where they
serve have easy access to a computer and that up to 50% have
some access.
- Though the
digital divide between northern and southern hemispheres is real,
visionary projects like One Laptop Per Child (see http://laptop.org)
are likely to rapidly decrease the divide. One Laptop Per Child is
providing computers for education in the developing world for $100 per
laptop. As of 2007, these computers are being used in Haiti. The first computers were sold to Uruguay in November 2007.
- The cost to
produce a single CD-ROM is lower than production costs for large quantities
of Bible study books. One can place hundreds of volumes on a CD-ROM.
- The cost to
ship CD-ROMs is lower than shipping large quantities of Bible study
books. A CD-ROM is lighter and smaller than hundreds of books!
- The future of
Bible reference works is in electronic format. Because of the expense
of producing print volumes, Bible reference works will move to electronic
format where they are more useful anyway.
- Combining multiple
Bible study tools on one CD-ROM allows for efficiency in referencing
works as well as allowing for easy comparison.
This type of intuitive study did not exist before.
- Placing Bibles
and Bible study materials into electronic format gives them longevity
and flexibility (files are easily duplicated, stored, updated and
reused in other formats such as print or Internet).
- The first
edition of the FEEL Library CD-ROM will be in development for two more
years and computer use in these places will have progressed
even more. FEEL is a forward thinking endeavor, helping the church
today and preparing for the future.
*from UNDP World Development Report figures July 2002.
Hear what Africans are saying...
More details on the challenge of Africa and the 'uttermost' nations...
How we'll build the FEEL Library...
FEEL's initiators are taking a culturally sensitive approach to book selection...
The cost to build the FEEL Library...
The coming impact of the FEEL Library...