Libraries Everywhere

I’m writing this from a library. Surprise, surprise, eh? However, in this case I’m not in the Ricardo Streb Biblioteca in hot and humid Nicaragua; I’m in the Bangor Public Library in cool and rainy Maine. I’m sitting at a desk in the library that I went to as a child and a teenager; I’m in my hometown.

I came back to Maine on July 18th, one day shy of a year from when I arrived in Nicaragua. I’ll be here until the end of October/early November when I’ll return to Leon and the library. I already miss my life there-my friends, working with the newly opened library, seeing the kids come in and just begin to understand what this will mean to them, and especially working everyday with our library staff.

Saying goodbye toFNE International’s director at the airport in Managua on July 19th.

Since my last post (I’m a bit embarrassed at how long ago it was) the library officially opened. We have had more and more furniture added and there is still more to come. Guillermo Morales, a Nicaraguan with extensive computer experience, has come out to help set up our computers and work with the staff on training. Once the wifi is setup (within the next week or so) he’ll be back to give required instruction classes to students and adults before they are allowed computer access. The grant for computer technology that we were awarded in June has gone towards buying Apple mac books and desk tops and we’ll be purchasing a projector soon. Guillermo has shown Lourdes how to use Google Docs to keep our catalog and it has made it much easier to share what titles we’ve acquired and allows multiple people to enter books at a time.

Guillermo working on our donated computers before the newly purchased ones arrive.

Tomasa has been working on daily art projects with kids who come back again and again to design cards, draw, and make masks. She’s also working with them on reading; she has them sit in a circle with a book and she’ll tap on the floor as they pass the book around-when she stops tapping whichever child who is holding the book reads a few sentences and then it starts again. It’s fun to watch and the kids really enjoy it, it gives them practice at reading aloud and shows them the fun in sharing stories.

Anubio has been teaching individual music classes in guitar and reading music as well as leading music games with kids after school. More music books and instruments are being sent to the library which is helping our program grow quickly. One of our favorite students (not that we have favorites…) is a nine-year-old named Mayeli. She is a voracious reader and at times she’ll try to read while also playing in a circle singing game-it’s rather impressive to watch.

Being back in the States has absolutely given me culture shock. I find myself struggling to return to this land of wealth and possessions after my time in a poverty stricken country. Going to the grocery store or out to eat has been a challenge as I can’t help but mentally calculate how what I’m spending on dinner and a beer equals out to in cordobas. When I hear people talk about a small house and realize they’re speaking about a building with multiple bathrooms and bedrooms as well as a kitchen and living room I find myself cringing as I think of the houses that many of my friends and co-workers live in. I’m trying hard to take a step back and set my judgements aside as I attempt to integrate back into the world I grew up in. In some ways the hardest part is that I’m enjoying this life-access to my car, to foods I couldn’t get, to the ease of travel and communication and to so much more. I also must remind myself to not get preachy with others and to remember that many people have never seen the poverty and lack of basic needs that I’ve spent a year living in. It will all take a lot of practice and patience.

I’m going to use my time here to volunteer in local libraries and gather ideas and projects from them. I’ll also be working on networking and hopefully establishing relationships that will support both libraries here and our library in Chacraseca. I think there are a myriad of benefits to everyone who would be involved. I’m also going to enjoy the cooler weather and my access to hiking and swimming, all things I’ve missed very much. Expect more updates as I continue my work in Nicaragua from my local libraries in Maine. Sharing information and bringing communities together is a large part of what a librarian should be doing (I think) and I intend to continue my efforts in those areas.

Summer in Maine.

Feeling Rather Proud

Yesterday a letter arrived at the FNE office in Boston. A letter with a check enclosed. This isn’t a particularly rare occurrence as we receive donations through the mail from supporters fairly often. However this letter and this check are different. The check is for $10,000 and is the result of a grant proposal that I wrote back in May. The money is to go towards buying computers for the library. The H.W. Wilson Foundation in New York City saw the need and chose to support the cause of the Biblioteca Ricardo Streb and the community of Chacraseca by generously funding the purchase of twenty computers (and a printer/copier). We’ll be buying both desktops and laptops with the money and it means our staff will finally have computers to work on as well as numerous options for patrons. In a community like Chac access to computers is virtually non-existent. They aren’t available in the schools for teachers or students. The closest cyber cafes are in Leon, a 30-40 minute bus ride one way and then of course the user has to pay to use the computers as well as to print anything. It is not an overstatement to say this grant will be life changing for our library patrons.

Literacy of all types is a key to success, from reading books to navigating the internet. Information literacy is the set of skills needed to find, retrieve, analyze, and use all types of information which are required to further the individual’s knowledge and growth. Computer literacy is a huge step out of the cycle of poverty that many community members in Chacraseca are trapped within. These 20 computers will allow the people of this rural, poverty-stricken community entry into an entirely new way of life. And of course the computers won’t be used just for research and study, kids will play games on them as well, just like children do around the world. They’ll be able to watch videos and even create their own.

The computers will be accessible to over 7,000 community members. Everyone including children, teachers, teenagers, job seekers, and college students will have unprecedented access to opportunities. The current lack of access to computers and the internet allows for inequalities when participating with a broader world of knowledge and possibilities.

So it is with great gratitude that we at FriendsNE heartily thank the board of the H.W. Wilson Foundation for their generosity.

And I might allow myself a few pats on the back for writing a successful grant proposal 😉 Between the library inauguration last Sunday and this exciting news on Thursday it’s been one heck of a week for the Biblioteca Ricardo Streb and I couldn’t be prouder of the people I work with and the community I’m working for.

The ribbon cutting on Sunday, June 22.

Inauguration Day!

It happened. We all survived. In fact we had a fantastic time. There were speeches. There was music. There were children reading poems. There was pizza. There was a ribbon cutting (that may have taken a moment longer than one expected due to the use of child safety scissors…). There were many tears-of gratitude and joy and excitement, and some of grief for those who could not be with us today. It was a day of great celebration and I am in absolute awe that I was a part of it.

The cuteness and the inspiration that are the Dreamers (an English language program): https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152368112864191&l=8923491393366515523

So much time and planning went into today and just like that (picture me snapping my fingers here), it was over. Tomorrow begins a whole new realm as we become a true, functioning library. More furniture is still to come, we need to setup the computers and install wifi, and all sorts of other things that will pop up as we go along-but for now all that matters is that Chacraseca, Nicaragua has a real library with books and patrons and a staff that can’t wait to get going.

Which of course means many more blog posts to come. Stay tuned as we move forward with the next steps of the Biblioteca Ricardo Streb.

The morning of, still so much to do.

FriendsNE Director Michael Cipoletti alongside Lisa Cerullo who supported the library in honor of her son, Vail Cerullo, cutting the ribbon to officially open the library.

Kids enjoying the fun brought by the Juegoteca Leon.

Prepping for the big day!

Patrons checking out books (pun intended) for the first time!

Crunch Time!

The library inauguration is June 22. That is three days from now. THREE DAYS! I can’t comprehend it. Overall we’re on track with our music, vendors, awnings, food, sound system, decorations, transportation, budget, and the events/speakers in our program for the day though there have been ups and downs with all of those. We’re a tad behind on that whole having a furnished library thing but as of today we’ve made great strides! Victor from the Juegoteca Leon donated 20 bookshelves that we’re putting up while we wait for our official ones to be finished. Yesterday Anubio held the first official music class which was really neat and we’ve consistently had kids come to play in the library after school. Today Anubio and I put together eight of the bookcases and I spent the afternoon shelving with some help from friend and fellow FNE volunteer, Jess. And even had some little hands get involved as well. Here’s some photos to catch you up on everything.

After the inauguration I’ll have a whole long tale to tell with more pictures than you’ll ever wish for. In the meantime-send good thoughts our way!

And as a side note: I’m still fundraising to allow me to stay another six months, from August through January 2015, to support the staff as we open and find our feet. I’ve raised 75% of the funds, if you’d consider contributing please follow this link: http://www.friendsne.org/library-committee-chair-sponsorship/

Building the shelves

Some library staff and volunteers after a day of building and shelving.

Shelving!

Updated our landscaping as the rainy season has started. So green!

Plotting, planning, and scheming

One month and a day from today is the library inauguration. Writing that makes my heart skip a beat or three. We have so much to do before then that I can’t think about it too much or my nights get sleepless. We still need to choose a contractor for our furniture and once we have the shelves in it’ll be a mad dash to get all the books up and organized before we open. And then there’s the planning for the day itself: food, events, speakers, decorations, and who knows what else is on my list. I know it will all get done, I’m working with a good crew from the library staff to our scholarship students and no matter what the day will come and we’ll be open and up and running.

I’m still doing my fundraising to stay through the end of January of 2015. We’re 75% of the way there which is fantastic. I haven’t bought my return ticket from my trip to the States in mid-July as I need to know the funding is there so that’s a little scary too. If you’re interested in contributing just follow this link: http://www.friendsne.org/library-committee-chair-sponsorship/

Kids have been coming to the library every day after school to read and play games and I gotta say it’s pretty heartwarming to see. Who needs furniture when you’ve got all that floor space?

We also seem to have acquired a library cat, or rather library kitten. Tiny and adorable and very loving she (I think it’s a she) has moved right into the cage (the Association’s building next to the library) and it’s quite possible she’ll be transferring herself to the library in the near future.

“Cat as a Hat”, eat your heart out Dr. Seuss.

The Not So Much Fun Stuff

Theft

Break-ins happen everywhere, libraries I worked for in the States dealt with them-especially branches in downtowns or well-populated areas. Alarm systems and security guards helped of course but they still happen. The Biblioteca Ricardo Streb is by no means in a downtown or a well-populated area however it is in what amounts to the community center of Chacraseca. The whole time the library was under construction there was a nighttime security guard to watch over the building materials. And now that the library is finished there is still one to watch over the completed building with its many glass doors and windows.

As we began discussing the layout of the library and furniture choices all of my staff immediately made it clear that in the computer room we would need locks on all the laptops and desktops. I had seen this when I visited the San Juan del Sur Biblioteca last year, they have locks that wrap around the computer cords to prevent the technology walking off. And it’s not that this hadn’t occurred to me but it wasn’t the first thing I’d been thinking about as we made our plans. I felt a little naive as it dawned on me how much of a concern security and theft is going to be.

We’re talking about the possibility of installing a camera in the computer room with a line to a TV at the main desk so Lourdes can keep an eye on everything. However, as with every library there is the concern of cost. When money is incredibly tight (and sometimes non-existent) decisions about where it goes are obviously crucial. I’m pretty sure getting a metal detector is out 😉

There are also two doors into the room, one to the outside and one that comes into the main building right behind where Lourdes’ desk will be, which will be very helpful. The door to the outside will remain locked during library hours, as will the side doors from the children’s area and the music room. The number of doors and windows are wonderful for letting in light and breezes but clearly something to consider as we move towards opening.

So while amidst the fun of designing desks and bookshelves, ordering computers, and planning the inauguration I need to stay grounded in the reality that not everything is sunshine and roses when it comes to running a library. This sounds incredibly obvious as I write it however it’s easy for me to “forget” about such things. Thank goodness for my levelheaded co-workers and staff.

My work isn’t done yet

Dear readers of 972.85,

I appreciate the readership I’ve gained over the past few months and it means a lot to me that so many of you are interested in the work I’m doing with the Biblioteca Ricardo Streb here in rural Nicaragua. The board of FriendsNE, the organization I work for, has asked me to stay on for another six months and to do so we need to raise $400 a month to cover my basic living expenses, $2,400 total. I’m asking you to take a moment to read the board’s letter and consider sponsoring my continuing work here as we open the library doors to the community of Chacraseca. Thank you so much for your time and support. And remember, the longer I’m here, the longer I can keep blogging about all the neat stuff we’re doing! 

Dear friends and supporters of FriendsNE,

We hope you’ve been following the remarkable birth of the Richard Streb Memorial Library, Chacraseca, Nicaragua’s first community library. As you read this, more than two thousand books have been cataloged and are ready to be shelved once the bookcases are in, children’s programs are being planned, volunteers are being recruited, and computers are being installed. These and so many other tasks are being lovingly managed by our library committee chair, Clare Davitt.

We are incredibly proud of the progress being made, and of the commitment so many of you have shown in support of this transformative endeavor.

This winter, Clare asked you for your help in extending her stay to ensure a strong and consistent transition to Nicaraguan leadership of the library. Your response was powerful and very moving. We, the board of FriendsNE, have been so pleased with her work, and as the time draws near for her to leave, we find ourselves wanting her to stay, to provide ample structural support to get the library off the ground as it opens its doors in late May.

We come to you again to ask your help in extending her stay so that we can be absolutely sure that we are offering enough help to our library manager Lourdes Ojeda Hernandez and the rest of the library staff. We are committed to building a lasting institution with local leadership, and we need your help. Would you again consider contributing to this very important project? Clare works hard to keep her expenses to four hundred dollars a month, and we would like to see her stay on for another six months, from August 2014 through January 2015.

Thank you for all you have done to promote community development in Chacraseca and for your continuing support.

With much thanks,
The FriendsNE Board

Donations can be made through PayPal or you may send a check to FNE, 1 Torpie St. #3, Boston, MA 02120 with “Library Committee Chair Fund” in the memo section.

Please follow this link to donate: http://www.friendsne.org/library-committee-chair-sponsorship/

If you would like more details on Clare’s responsibilities we’re happy to provide them. Please email us at info@friendsne.org

Opening the doors of the library for the first time with my new key!

Friday Furniture and Other Fun

Over the past few days we met with local contractors to discuss the desks and shelves we’d like built and to get estimates. Such fun! And a tad bit terrifying. These are huge decisions in regards to how the library will look and function. Having held many a strong opinion about the design of other libraries I hold myself highly accountable for this library running smoothly in all areas and the layout is crucial to that. Lourdes and Anubio had great ideas and suggestions about everything and the final decision will be a collaborative one. This is where my Spanish skills (or lack there of) have proved to be particularly problematic. I can communicate our overall needs and discuss our plans with Lourdes, Anubio, and Tomasa but when it comes to specifics like the details of estimates I’m a bit at a loss. Thank goodness for the library staff but it does frustrate me to not be able to assist more in these important steps.

This week we also hosted a group of teachers from Massachusetts who were here to work with local students. Because schools were closed around the country this week due to earthquake concerns the teachers had nowhere to meet with the students, so they came to the library. Which is exactly what it exists for even though we don’t have furniture or electricity (coming soon) at the moment. When Michael and I pulled up to the library on Wednesday morning we were greeted by the sight of children and teachers working a reading on the benches and steps of the building. Both of us had rather large grins on our faces. Later we opened the library (I now have a key!) and the group met inside although due to the empty space there were some issues with hearing each other as everyone’s voices bounced about.

In the afternoon Anubio met with the kids and led them in some singing and playing and afterwards told them about the music classes and programs we’d be having. One of the students wanted to know how soon they could join up. *picture my heart leaping with joy here*

In other news, I spent all of last week as a chaperone for a group of high school students from Northport, New York. The group included 40 students and 10 chaperones with the group split up into smaller groups of 10 students. We built houses throughout Chacraseca and in a nearby community, Nuevo Amanacer. It was a busy and hot week with beautiful evenings full of stars and a lunar eclipse to entertain us as we slept outside beside the houses under construction. Waking every morning at 5:30am to roosters, cows, and pigs reminded me of how different my world in León is from the farms of Chacraseca.

I discovered a previously unrealized purpose for the library: the mirrored doors (to keep the sunlight from heating the place up) also work as full-length mirrors for teenage girls wanting to check their hair after days of not showering. And now here are a ridiculous amount of photos:

The Library is Complete!

The building itself is completely finished. Now we need to build bookshelves, furnish it, and move everything in. So very exciting!!

What I’m Doing, Más o Menos

972.85

I am incredibly lucky; I wake up every morning knowing that I am in the place I need to be, doing the work I need to do. I took a circuitous route to get here, one that was full of plans but also luck and circumstance. The most recent step was taking what I intended to be a simple ten day service trip to Nicaragua which became three months with at least four more to come. I am a librarian working in a rural community outside of León, Nicaragua where we are building a library from the ground up.

It took over ten years for me to go from the realization that I wanted to be a librarian to the fulfillment of that desire. In August of 2013 I finished my Masters in Library and Information Science at Simmons College. In July I flew to Nicaragua to spend ten days…

View original post 700 more words