Adopt a Rural School Library (ARSL)

With generous contribution from many sponsors, the number of ARSLs has grown from four in 1989 to 4,029 in 2005. They are now spread across all provinces in China, with the largest concentration in the poor rural areas in the southwest, northwest, central and northern regions. From the feedback information received from the ARSL schools, we see how much the books have meant to the students and teachers in the schools, as well as the local communities. As many of the books previously provided have become worn or damaged over the years, ESS is starting a second round of sponsorship for ARSL schools that have effectively used the library books.