On 25th July, we hosted a landmark event at our KEY offices in Nairobi—the first professional development gathering of its kind for school librarians in Kenya. The evening brought together local and international advocates for education, literacy, and libraries.
The highlight of the event was the soft launch of the School Librarians Certification Program: A new initiative developed through a partnership between KEY and San José State University. The program aims to strengthen and elevate the role of school librarians in Kenya and beyond.
Special guests Dr. Mega Subramaniam (University of Maryland) and Dr. Anthony Chow (San José State University) sparked thoughtful conversations about the future of school libraries and the power of global collaboration.
We were honoured to be joined by key contributors to the initiative, including Prof. Tom Kwanya (Technical University of Kenya), Dr. Dorothy Njiraine (University of Nairobi), and Purity Kavulya (Principal Librarian, Kenya National Library Services).
We were also joined by librarians from the pilot and first certification cohort, who shared their experiences, reflections, and commitment to the program. Among them were Elizabeth Njoki (Precious Blood Riruta), Caroline Muiruri (Nairobi Primary), Caroline Mwai (Banda School), Evelyn Musali (Jonathan Gloag Academy), and Cyril Sang (Mokwo Primary).
This event marked the beginning of an exciting journey—placing school librarians at the heart of nurturing not just a love of reading, but also digital literacy, curiosity, and lifelong learning. While rooted in Kenya, this work reflects a shared belief that every child, everywhere, deserves access to trained, connected, and empowered librarians