Cape-Coast — Regis University of Denver, Colorado in the United States of America is to establish a computer center for the Children's Library located within the Cape-Coast Castle.

A team of lecturers and students from the University, under the leadership of Mr Awon, the coordinator, is expected in the country within a few weeks to undertake the project.

The project which is expected to take off in June 3, 2004 will cost ¢67million.

Mr Leo Yankson,the principal library assistant disclosed this to The Chronicle in an interview last week in Cape-Coast.

The aim of establishing the centre is to enable poor children who could not afford to go to public libraries to use the facilities. The project, according to Yankson, would also help children build solid foundation on information technology.

"The nature of the library is so historic that a lot of tourists visit this room to know what actually goes on there and this attracted Mr Awon who promised to team up with his colleagues in the USA to set up the centre," Yankson went on.

Mr Yankson said two rooms had been allocated to that effect by Mr Raymond Agbo, regional director of the Ghana Museum and Monument Board (GMMB), stressing that about 75% of problems faced by the library would be solved with the completion of the project.

In order to complete the project on schedule, the librarian said a few JSS graduands would be recruited as voluteers to assist their American counterparts and, free meals would be served them.

Apart from establishing the centre, the university would donate a set of television and video cameras, as well as tape recorders to enable the library film and play back any tour children embarked on in the castle as a means of assessing their perception of the slave trade. "This is necessary because most children tend to forget what they see during a tour and I hope most of them will recollect it when the recorded version is played to them," Yankson noted.

He indicated that where the library was located, once served as the Anglican Church and epicentre of education, as well as broadcasting house during the Gold- Coast era even though it was sited in a dungeon.

The Children's library attracts about 170 visitors a week, including students from various secondary schools in the municipality.

Despite the nationwide strike that has rocked the Ghana Library Board, patronage of the library has increased tremendously,Yankson added.

He nevertheless bemoaned inadequate books on Africa, Ghana and the slave trade in the library and called on the GMMB to do her best to equip it for the benefit of the kids.

He appealed also to individuals and organisations to assist the library with tape recorders and photocopier machines to enable them deliver quality service to their clientele.