A university in Venezuela is using a novel method to take books into remote communities and encourage people to read. As James Ingham reports, the scheme is proving a great success…

Chiquito and Cenizo greet me with a bit of a snort and a flick of the tail…

But these mules are rather special…They are known as bibliomulas (book mules) and they are helping to spread the benefits of reading to people who are isolated from much of the world around them…

The idea of loading mules with books and taking them into the mountain villages was started by the University of Momboy, a small institution that prides itself on its community-based initiatives and on doing far more than universities in Venezuela are required to do by law.

Accompanying us was local guide Ruan who knows a thing or two about mules…

Read – and enjoy. An Andean version of a bookmobile brings literature to mountain villages. A delightful task illustrating dedication to people and education.

Thanks, Ursarodinia