Archiving and Dissemination – Avehi Lending Library
Avehi locates, collects, maintains and adapts media materials produced in India and abroad on a wide range of issues, subjects. The lending library has around 1870 audio visual items presently (August 2013) which include a range of projected and non-projected audio-visual materials.
| Media-Projected | Total | Media-Non-Projected | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| CDs | 67 | Posters/Exhibitions | 195 |
| DVD Films | 1173 | Puppets | 46 |
| 16mm Films | 47 | Play scripts | 49 |
| Slide Shows | 234 | Educational Games | 12 |
| Audio Cassettes | 71 | Educational Toys | 15 |
| Flashcards/ Flipcharts | 151 | Educational Kits & Communication Packages | 44 |
It has also a selection of 396 supplementary, background printed material including training manuals.
This entire collection is being continually updated and catalogued. The subjects include health, formal and non-formal education, gender issues, children’s rights, communal harmony, legal, consumer and human rights, environment, media awareness, nuclear disarmament and classic fiction films, children’s films among others.
Avehi has collated special packages of media materials on various themes such as ‘Health’, ‘Women’,’Children’,’School Education’, ‘Education For Life’, ‘Environment’, ‘Legal Awareness/ Human Rights & Fundamental Rights on the Constitution’ which give complete information about each item including title, the type of media, media accession number, duration, languages, synopsis, suggested audience and source.
These materials are suitable for audiences of different ages, educational levels, linguistic and socio-economic backgrounds.
AVEHI has collated and published the catalogue in Hindi listing 1309 items in 2002.
In addition to being able to search and select relevant material using our on-line catalogue, users can also access the services of a media facilitator and projection equipment. The library offers previewing facility to the user at Avehi office. All these services are provided on a low cost, non profit basis to members. Over 200 NGOs and CBOs, educational institutions, health units and others regularly access this bank of materials.
More than a mere library of media materials, Avehi reaches out proactively to like-minded organisations through various means, attempting to integrate the media component into ongoing grassroots work. To ensure wide dissemination of materials, we use the existing infrastructure of organisations, institutions and community workers who know and understand their groups well.
Dissemination takes place through field screenings in communities, campaigns, training workshops, Open House days with members, informal meetings and so on. On an average, each year we disseminate more than 900 projected media programmes and 430 non-projected aids and reach out to over 20000 viewers, through the lending library, as well as around 10000 viewers through campaigns. Approximately 40% of viewers are women. While our outreach is mainly within Mumbai, we also extend our services to organisations in Navi Mumbai and Thane districts. Evaluation and feedback from users helps us to serve emerging needs better.
An Archiving Project – IEC Materials on HIV/ AIDS Available in India
In 1996 UNICEF commissioned Avehi to compile a catalogue on IEC materials on HIV/ AIDS available in India which was published by UNICEF for National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India. Avehi contacted 96 agencies from all over the country and 6 international organisations. 422 items including audio visual and printed material were collected, reviewed and categorised. This catalogue has reached all those involved in HIV/ AIDS prevention and control in the country.