Resource centre

Practical Action Nepal's country office in Kathmandu houses a Resource Centre containing around 4,500 books, publications, international magazines and journals covering a wide range of technology and development issues. The Resource Centre also acts as a focal point to respond to technical enquiries that is received from communities, individuals and other stakeholders.

Practical Action is continuing this service as part of the international service Practical Answers.

Most technical enquiries are received via the resource centre, although others come via email and telephone. A total of 132 technical enquiries have been received by the Resource Centre during 2007-8.

The centre is open to the general public five days a week. Visitors vary from students to freelancers, from development workers (NGOs and INGOs) to private sector professionals.

The centre provides regular updates in terms of newer technologies and its approaches in Nepal and also provides information to international visitors. It has been recently visited by teams of researchers from Afghanistan (micro-hydro) and Ghana (alternative transport). The centre regularly sends technical briefs and other publications to various libraries including college and university libraries, where user numbers are multiplied.