Shanghai's Belgian beer bar Kaiba is on a mission to create a children's library in Anhui. Next Thursday, they are hosting an event at their swanky Dingxi Lu location to raise money and stockpile Chinese kids' books.

Head down from 7pm and bring three children's books to get free entry to the event and a free glass of beer. Break For Borneo, Kate Lewis & Friends, Dai Liang and Ulys will play live, and there's Kaiba's monster selection of Trappist ales and fruity Flemish brews.

I have a stack of Chinese-language Xi Yang Yang books at home, purchased at a heady time when I thought they would help my mastery of Mandarin. Currently, they collect dust. But soon a kid in Anhui will be able to enjoy them as much as I once hoped I could.

Kaiba's initiative is organized by The Library Project, an NGO that donates books and libraries to under-financed schools and orphanages in the developing world. The aim is to break the cycle of poverty through education. As they see it, education is change. Based in Xi'an, they help schools in 19 provinces and 34 regions throughout China and have donated books and libraries to more than 200 schools. The photo above (click "view all images" for more) is from Wei Lou Elementary School, in Taihe County, Anhui Province. Visit this site for more on The Library Project's excellent work.

At this event, they are interested in any books in Chinese for kids from kindergarten to 6 years old and the aim is to build at least one new library, in Anhui. If you don't have any kids books lying around in Chinese and you don't find the time to pick a couple up, you can pay RMB40 on the door for entry, including a glass of beer.

The usual raffles and prize draws will be observed. Should be a good night.