Blue Trunk Library proved that Technology is nothing more than a mere medium

In most of ICT projects, more often technology is given the highest value. Meanwhile the project forgets about the target group, the kernel of the project, resulting in the imminent failure. Technology is nothing but just an easy medium to share and disseminate information. Traditionally people use other methods to transfer information. There's no doubt that technology has made our life easy in processing, managing, transferring information. However there are billions of people who lives are yet to be touched by technology. For them technology is nothing more than an unknown place. They care least about technology.

Using technology to improve their lives is definitely going to take time because technology can't sustain by itself, it needs a cognitive community.

By technology, I mean internet, computer for now. Technology is a very broad and confusing term, which I will cover in another blog.

Blue Trunk Library (BTL), an initiative of WHO, is the result of the fact that many parts of the developing world are totally disconnected "that have neither computers nor a reliable electricity supply". So BTL delivers printed information to health workers in the developing world.

The BTL is a collection of about 150 appropriate books and manuals. The collection, which is organized according to major subjects, contains more than one hundred books on medicine and public health. In order to make it easier to transport and store, the collection has been packed into a blue metal trunk fitted with two shelves on which the cardboard boxes containing the books are arranged.

There's a lot to be learn from BTL like projects. It tells us that appropriate technology should be used where necessary. Solving problems with computer, internet, latest gadgets is not always a solution. If BTL had tried to use computer, internet to send health information, first it wouldn't be called BTL, second their job would have been easy and wouldn't cost $2000, as in case of BTL. But the prominent of all, it would never be a success or is going to take years to see some effects.

References
1. http://www.who.int/library/country/trunks/index.en.shtml
2. medicine.plosjournals.org