Imagine thousands of years ago someone discovers something world-changing. Now imagine he declares that discovery aloud. What happens to his words? If he is alone, nothing.

The words are gone as quickly as the breath that carried them. If he is declares his words aloud to someone, the words (i.e. his discovery) may have some affect. But that depends entirely on the listener.

What if she cannot read or write? She will have to memorize the discoverer’s words. What if the discovery requires a careful, long explanation? What are the chances anyone would remember such a lengthy explanation, word-for-word? Very small.

How much smaller then are the chances a sequence of people could commit every word to memory for thousands of years to today, without losing a single detail? Finally, what are the chances that we today would even hear a single word or even know such a discovery was made?

Now imagine instead the discoverer writes his discovery down and it is the writing that is passed along for thousands of years. How much easier will it be to preserve the words by copying instead of memorizing?

Much easier, yes? If written down, his discovery could be preserved—every word and detail.

The real challenge for us today would be reading it.

The act of writing is simple we can miss how incredible it is. Think on it for a moment: the written word vs. the spoken word. Your written words—your thoughts, ideas, memories, discoveries, and insights can outlive you and be shared with people living and not yet born.

Spoken words may outlive you too but not for very long; insofar as they remain they do so in others who heard and remember them—likely to be rearranged, misremembered, perhaps improved or eventually forgotten.

Whatever the case, they slowly cease to be yours. The remarkable thing about the written word is its greater ability to last, unchanged.

Learn to read and you can hear from the greatest minds of all time, directly. If you are literate you do not have to rely solely on others to learn something for you. Get a book and you can learn on your own, finding the world slightly different and more wonderful every time you lift your head from a book.

A bookshelf is a row of voices waiting to be heard, speaking from all over the world from many ages of many things. Read wisely, though, for both the greatest and worst things are written down in books.

Knowledge is inevitably risky and it is the inherent responsibility of every reader to see that knowledge used with wisdom.

Learn to write and not only may you hear from the greatest minds of the ages, you can also join their conversation. You and your community can join the ranks and put your words on the shelves, words that will last longer than you—be they memories of Rwanda, a life, an art, or a family.

So what if a whole society learns to read and write? What if that society was Rwanda?

Countrywide conversations of politics, economics, business, culture, education and faith would be easier; this is what the free press (New Times) is for.

These conversations would be more vibrant, more informed, and easier to follow. Citizens would have more power to think for themselves. Books, articles, essays, all forms of the written word allow a lasting record to be made of Rwandan culture, heritage, history, hopes, dreams, anything really.

It could fashion an inheritance for coming generations or a message to the rest of the world (both of today and tomorrow). Truly, the written word is a radically human way of building. It is the secret of every developed nation. It is the trusted tool of civilization.

It is no coincidence that Europe experienced a revolution of education and growth after 1450 when one man, Johannes Gutenberg, invented a printing press. With the printing press books that were once slowly copied by hand (making them expensive and rare) could be replicated en masse (making them cheap and accessible).

Books became more accessible to citizens and the elite lost their greatest source of power: knowledge and insight. Citizens could learn more independently and in turn thrive more independently.

One more thing to consider about the written word: it is no coincidence that God himself found it fitting to give us a book (both Muslims and Christians can agree) and when God gives you a book, you read it.

What is here being said many Rwandans already know, but it is a point that must never stop being made.

It must be stubbornly insisted until it is realized: a culture of reading and writing is a key element to growing together as a people (economically, socially, knowledgeably, culturally, prudently, spiritually).

What this article describes are some of the basic reasons why: first, that here is a critical difference between the spoken word and the written word; and secondly, there are critical advantages with this written word.

The third and final point will be this: there will be no countrywide culture of reading and writing in Rwanda if there are no resources available for one countrywide.

It is no good being able to read with nothing to read. Obviously, school is the first place to address the problem, but schools are for the young and have few books, if any.

Something greater is needed: something with books available to every citizen who wishes to learn, letting her read books for free (thus removing the obstacle of expense and an implicit bias for the upper class); someplace meant for reading; someplace with a wide variety of books to satisfy the wide curiosities of Rwandans, for the many ages and many needs; someplace as accessible as a school; someplace where someone can write her own book.

That place is the public library—not the private library, not the bookstore—and there are at least two in Rwanda already: the Kigali Public Library and the Hewitt Library.

The public library is indispensable for a free and democratic nation. The more available and used they are the better.

The writer is the Assistant for Advancement at the Templeton Honors College, Eastern University in Pennsylvania, USA. He is also the founder and project manager of the Hewitt library, Gahini.

ehewitt@eastern.edu