Overview
The Asia Foundation believes in the power of education, and that knowledge is the key to transforming lives and inspiring positive, long-lasting change. We believe that books -- and the education and creativity they spark -- can change the way people think and live. Book donations also respond to people's hunger for information about the world around them, and help to inspire a love of learning in their children.
Illiteracy rates in many parts of Asia are high. Many libraries are in disrepair and librarians lack sufficient training, collections are incomplete and often out-of-date, and access to English-language books is limited. Without the tools to learn English and access global knowledge, millions of students in Asia are unable to take advantage of the opportunities provided by a rapidly changing world. Books for Asia responds to this critical need by providing new texts and educational resources in English to schools, universities, public libraries, non-governmental organizations, and other institutions.
There is also a great demand at the graduate and research level, as well as among think tanks and government researchers, for English language publications in specialized professional fields. These donated books and journals provide access to cutting edge thinking and research that is generally unavailable and inaccessible where tiny library acquisition budgets cannot even meet the demand for local language publications.