Civic literacy in libraries: a toolkit for African public and community libraries

A toolkit designed to provide guidelines for African public and community libraries that wish to add civic literacy to their information services. It aims at empowering African libraries to play a stronger civic role in their communities, especially as safe, trusted spaces for civic learning, participation, and dialogue. It argues that the toolkit is a crucial response to the civil unrest and political instability across Africa, which are often exacerbated by a lack of citizen understanding of governance and statehood. Civic literacy is defined as the knowledge, skills, and values necessary for effective participation in public life, empowering citizens to understand their constitutional rights and responsibilities and to engage in nonviolent democratic processes. Because libraries are safe, trusted spaces open to all, the toolkit positions them as ideal trusted hubs for democratic dialogue and information access. The resource outlines practical strategies for librarians, including forming Constitution Book Clubs and implementing activities focused on building media and information literacy skills to counteract the harmful effects of misinformation