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Elizabeth Bowers Memorial Library

Elizabeth Bowers Memorial Library
Memorial Library Interior featuring Beth's Girl Prudence Masayinga
A Vision for Learning
The Elizabeth Bowers Memorial Library stands as a cornerstone of learning and literacy in Lumwana West, Zambia. Established in memory of Elizabeth "Beth" Bowers, a dedicated Peace Corps volunteer, the library embodies her passion for education and community empowerment. When EBZEF set out to carry on Beth's vision, the goal was simple but transformative—to bring the power of books, literacy, and knowledge to a rural community with limited access to educational resources. From its inception, the library was designed to serve not just students, but teachers, families, and lifelong learners alike.
Building a Legacy
Over the years, the Elizabeth Bowers Memorial Library has grown into the largest library in the Northwest Province of Zambia, housing more than 22,000 books. Through generous donations from partners like Books for Africa, its collection has expanded to include a diverse range of subjects, from business and leadership to science and technology. EBZEF supplied solar panels for the library, bringing light and electricity to the community. As a result, the library evolved into a modern learning space, equipped with electricity, computers, and dedicated study areas for students and educators.
Beth's Girls Studying for Exams
Beth's Girls Preparing for Class
Beth’s Lady Sandra Kamulosu, Memorial Library librarian
A Hub for the Community
Beyond being a place to read, the library has become a center for community learning and engagement. It supports early childhood education, student study groups, and teacher training. It provides a space for local residents to expand their knowledge, develop skills, and foster a culture of literacy that extends far beyond its walls. While the library has made a lasting impact, it faces ongoing challenges, including funding for maintenance, acquiring new books, and integrating more digital learning resources. Despite these hurdles, its role as a beacon of knowledge remains strong, continuously empowering the Lumwana West community. Beth’s Lady Sandra Kamulosu, Memorial Library librarian, reports, “I am very grateful to be managing working both in the library and teaching. I work in the library in the morning when I am not teaching. Then I work from 14:00 to 18:00 hours every day the library is in operation. “I love my job as a librarian. It has helped in my studies, and I have a passion for the library itself. The new books have really helped the learners in their studies, as they are the main users of the library. The new solar batteries have greatly impacted the studies of our learners, including the community at large."
Keeping the Spirit Alive
The Elizabeth Bowers Memorial Library is more than a building filled with books—it is a living tribute to Beth and her belief that education has the power to transform lives. Through continued support and community involvement, this library will remain a symbol of hope, learning, and opportunity for years to come.
  • “The construction of the community library brought an eye opener to all those that are able to read. At a higher level, the library has been a great source of research material to the teachers and government workers in Lumwana West. They no longer travel distances to access books for research and citation. This is also true for the students that are at our secondary and primary school. The reading culture has greatly improved, and people in the community are now able to know what is happening in the rest of the world because of the vast amount of information that is in the library. The good part is that EBZEF has also kept on supporting the library in the purchase of new books that are relevant according to the changing world. The library has also come with computer technology that helps our community members to be abreast with global changes.”
    Mbongo "Larry" Njolomba, Headmaster
  • “On behalf of the Lumwana West Community, thank you so much for the books sent to us. Especially for the management and leadership books which so many readers were looking for. The books have made a great impact to our library. Now the library has been updated with some of the latest books.”
    Community Member
  • “I love my job as a librarian. It has helped in my studies, and I have a passion for the library itself. The new books have really helped the learners in their studies, as they are the main users of the library. The new solar batteries have greatly impacted the studies of our learners, including the community at large."
    Sandra Kamulosu, Librarian
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