Librarians Without Borders (LWB) began as a conversation in December 2004 between two graduate students at the University of Western Ontario (UWO). In just a short time it has grown into a vibrant organization with an incredibly passionate volunteer base that is committed to strengthening libraries in developing regions.

Melanie Sellar and Jorge Chimbinda became friends over an introductory linguistics course. While marking and grading coursework together, Jorge recounted stories of students begging him for resources whenever he returned to his native Angola. Inspired by Jorge’s efforts to purchase and arrange shipment of medical textbooks, Melanie recognized an opportunity for her peers in the Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) program to get involved.

After proposing the project to the MLIS students, our ambitions grew. And so, in February 2005, our intrepid, and arguably naïve, group pioneered a new organization -- Librarians Without Borders -- with the mission to improve access to information resources in developing regions, regardless of geography, language, or religion.

Our intention is to grow the organization in a strategic fashion, investing considerable effort in establishing good governance, accountability, and resource management.

Initially, our efforts will focus upon the inaugural project in Angola. Long-term, LWB will have a national office, with both student and professional chapters across the country. We will pursue future projects that align with our mission and that can enjoy support from partnerships with like-minded organizations.