Laos remains a country where a large part of the population works in agriculture—mainly rice cultivation. For many rural villages, this is their only source of income. The residents of these remote communities often live in precarious conditions. Most villages have a school, though these are often very basic structures made of bamboo or rice straw, and it’s not uncommon for them to have no books at all.
Books are scarce in Laos. Most available ones are in English or Thai and do not reflect Lao culture or daily life. Only a handful of NGOs work in this field, striving to fill the gap through various initiatives such as publishing educational and entertaining books in Lao, using books as tools to raise awareness on topics like environmental protection and hygiene, and delivering reading materials to the most remote villages.
The Public Library of Luang Prabang is a small institution supported by the Lao government and a few associations. Its mission is to promote education by encouraging reading and distributing books.
The library operates in several ways—by hosting activities directly on its premises and by traveling to rural villages throughout the province.
Luangprabang Library
It was by stepping through the doors of this library that we met Chantha, the director, who manages and coordinates financial support, ongoing initiatives, and staff operations. The team is made up of six people—three employed by the public sector and three from two partner associations that collaborate with the library. All of them are Lao, which allows them to have a deep understanding of the local context, the workings of the education system, and the needs of the community.
1. Activities within the library
The library is located in the heart of Luang Prabang’s main street. It is open to everyone free of charge and includes several reading rooms where books are available, as well as a computer room. People of all ages visit the library, though most visitors are children and teenagers who come during their lunch break, after school, or during school holidays.
Tourists passing through are also welcome to visit, chat with the children to help them practice their language skills, or simply spend time playing with them.
During the summer, many workshops and classes are organized—such as weaving, English lessons at various levels, computer courses, games, songs, and storytelling. Needless to say, the small team stays very busy!
2. Activities in the villages
When they’re not at the library, the team travels to rural villages. They don’t just bring books — they also work directly with students and teachers, showing them how to use books as learning tools. They play with the children and run awareness activities, especially around hygiene, using educational books and fun, hands-on activities.
They also bring essential supplies such as soap, toothbrushes, school materials, and footballs. Since each village’s needs are different, the team establishes contact in advance to assess what’s required and tailors their deliveries accordingly.
Their support doesn’t stop there. During each visit, they often encounter situations that call for additional help from the library or its partner organizations — such as medical assistance, hospitalization, or providing medical equipment to improve someone’s daily life. These visits can also lead to broader community support, like supplying tools or materials for income-generating activities, or arranging childcare when parents are at work. Every visit is unique and reveals different needs.
Thanks to their direct, hands-on approach and close collaboration with other organizations, the library team provides targeted, effective support with no intermediaries — working directly where help is needed most.
For all these reasons, L'ASAS has chosen to support their work.