More about this project: http://bit.ly/ozBNv8. A quick re-cap of the amazing Buy India a Library Project, that ran in early 2010. We crowd-sourced enough money in 2 weeks to build a library in Mysore, as well as some mobile libraries to travel round Africa. The power of social media FTW!

2. Unbelievably it only costs £1,250 to build, kit out, supply with books and staff a library in India (for TWO YEARS). And you can buy a donkey or bicycle drawn library to travel around Africa for just £100. All of this comes from GoodGifts.org, a charitable organisation.

3. We launched a Twitter campaign, aimed at librarians, to try and raise enough cash to do this. So many libraries were closing aroundthat time: why not try and open one?

4. Four of us came together to do this. We started a blog in January 2011, and began asking for donations.

5. We gave the whole thing a hashtag: #buyalib

6. Between us, we exchanged: 216 emails about the project

7. 10 We wrote: blog posts these were viewed around 2,300 times

8. #buyalib 129 people tweeted using the hashtag resulting in 430 tweets

9. there was a little controversy

10. 100 wonderful people donated

11. The most common donation was a very generous

12. In just two weeks we raised a spectacular…

13. In just two weeks we raised a spectacular… £2420!

14. HOW MUCH?!

15. So what is happening now? The Rural Literacy & Health Programme in India are building an extra big library with more books, attached to a school on the edge of a slum in Mysore.

16. And… The African Educational Trust have created FOUR donkey-drawn libraries to travel around Uganda, Somalia and Sudan.

17. “The world is full of ambient goodness just waiting for the right idea to make it happen.” Andromeda Yelton

18. And if buyalib proves anything else, it’s that social media is ace…

19. thanks for listening!

20. Images via: Photofunia Stock Xchange Icon Finder Goodgifts Read the Buyalib blog at: http://buyindiaalibrary.wordpress.com/ My own blog at: www.thewikiman.org Or buy your own library! Via: www.GoodGifts.org