Innovative Libraries: Transforming the Lives of the Pavement Dwellers in Dhaka City

The paper intends to share the author's experience on how the innovative approach of a library demonstrated alternative livelihoods available to pavement dwellers based on their interest and the learnings they take from the library, which change their beliefs, attitudes, practices, behaviour, and made them an important part of the community. The study is primarily concerned with 110 pavement dwellers in two shelter centres that represented 10,000 and data/information has been collected from them using different techniques like Appreciative Inquiry (AI), Focus Group Discussion (FGD), Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), Consultation, Observation, Personal Interview, and Analysis of Secondary Documents. An interesting case study has also been discussed in this paper. The innovative approach of a digital library has created an environment and increased public recognition that pavement dwellers are Bangladeshi citizens entitled to the same rights as others and who fulfil important functions in society. They deserve to be treated with dignity and respect like everybody else. The research has been conducted within Dhaka city only whereas a large number of pavement dwellers can also be found in other six divisional city corporation in Bangladesh. The research has excluded other socially marginalized group in Bangladesh. However, it has outlined the success and its lessons learnt would be a milestone for poverty alleviation strategy in Bangladesh if government and non-government organizations apply this for the sustainable development of other socially disadvantaged people. The pavement dwellers were born innocent but lost their innocence almost before they could learn to walk. The innovative approach of a shelter-based community digital library has shown them the way of new life.