Welcome New Friends!

When I wrote my initial blog post about my quest to create a better library at Matt’s school https://kerryedwyer.com/2015/07/10/one-book-at-a-time/, I thought that in addition to proving to family and friends that I don’t just go to the beach, it might spur some folks to collect and donate books to the school. Shameless, I know, but many of you have started doing just that. Previously, as I was researching the library project, my librarian cousin Patty suggested that I join the ALA Think Tank Facebook page so I could pose questions or might see other questions similar to mine. I joined the page and subsequently on July 13 posted my blog post on the ALA page with the introductory message:

Hello. I am trying to improve a primitive library at a school on the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador). My husband is the school director and I am the volunteer librarian (no MLIS degree, just a passion for libraries and reading). There are many issues to address, but I am starting with trying to build the collection. Does anyone have any ideas as to how to get books here? I think I can obtain some decent book donations via friends and families, school drives etc., but the cost of shipping and (potentially) taxes makes getting the books here challenging. Are there any organizations that assist with this type of project? If you want to see more, I’m including the link to my blog post about the project. Thanks much!

It was simply a request for information and as librarians are an informing bunch, I soon had 28 comments, all encouraging and many with helpful information. One of the responders, Amy Dahl, also reached out with a FB friend request and message: she wanted to collect books for us and deliver them in person! Amy works in a school library in California and to call her a woman of action is an understatement. Within days she had persuaded her husband Harry that this was an opportunity of a lifetime, obtained permission from her district to miss the opening days of school, and obtained substantial book donations in addition to her own. Amy also provided me with practical advice and encouragement as I continued to struggle with organizing the library’s current collection and advancing the project.

As this excitement was unfolding, Matt was making strides with the library box, or natural library. A school parent who is an architect, Corina Gallardo Nelson, drew up the plans and obtained bids from local tradesmen for the work.

Library Plans

Matt obtained board approval for the project and building commenced about 2 weeks ago. The structure will be attached to an existing classroom building. A concrete base and side walls will hold the wood library “cupboards”. There will be a leveled area in front of the cupboard with a roof overhead – no walls. Once there is funding, there will also be some tables and benches in the area. On-site the project has progressed to the concrete, clearing of the area, and a pile of lava rocks that will be spread to create the floor of the open air library. The carpenter is working on the cupboards and roof in his workshop.

Concrete Base and Wall

Lava Rock for the Area

Making Room for the Natural Library

Tools of the Trade

Library Clearing

Library in the Woods

One month to the day after reading my blog post, Amy and Harry landed on the Galapagos with 3 duffle bags – 150 pounds – of books for the Tomás de Berlanga School! Matt and I met them at their hotel and had our first glimpse of the books. Wow! Amy agreed that instead of taking all 500 books to school, we could bring a sampling of about 50 to showcase to the classes we were visiting. She and I could have spent hours selecting those books, but eventually we headed out so we could show them around town and then have dinner. The best part, besides the books, was that they are wonderful, fun people so we had a great time with them.

3 Duffels of Books

Books and More Books

The next morning after a quick visit to the fish market so they could enjoy watching pelicans and sea lions trying to steal the fresh catch, we headed off to school. What a welcome they received! Matt was giving them a tour of the grounds when a student came up and said “I know who you are: you are Harry and you are Amy. Where are the books?” We assured the student that we would be visiting his classroom later in the day and he could see some of the books.

At TdB

Signs

Manuel Provides an Impromptu Concert

Sea Sign

Amy and Harry

More Signs

We began our classroom visits and the students (and teachers) were thrilled. The children oohed and aahed over the books. One of the best overheard remarks was one boy telling another to smell a book and they both inhaled that new book aroma. In the upper level classes, we talked about how a library works, the overall project and proper book care. In the lower classes, Amy showcased some books and read a few stories. The worst part was when we told the children that they couldn’t keep the books because they needed to be labeled and organized. How disappointed the students were!

Engaged Listeners

Getting Interested

Attentive

Interactive Reading

Checking out the Books

Book Selection

Reading without Prompting

Excited

Sharing Books

At the end of the day, Amy and Harry got to enjoy the bus ride home: due to the school’s location slightly outside of town, teachers and students take buses home every night. We visited again Friday night and then took them to the local market on Saturday morning. We all enjoyed a breakfast of delicious empanadas and some live music before they set sail for a week-long cruise.

Buen Viaje!

Matt and I were sad to see them leave – Amy and Harry quickly became friends  – but I had 500 books to keep me busy. Matt helped me sort the books by reading level. By Monday night they were all set for my new volunteer, Jessi Pfeltz Mahauad, a friend and parent at the school, to help with labeling. Another session or two and these books will be ready for the new library.

Books Sorted and Ready for Labels

New Volunteer

I also continue to sort and label the books at the school. When Amy reviewed the collection, she agreed with me that many of the current books should not be on the shelves. A basic library premise, which seems counterintuitive to some, is that more is not better. A lot of books that no one ever reads on your shelves is not healthy for a library. It only makes it harder for children to find the “good” books and makes the space less inviting. This, in turn, makes children lose interest. As it currently stands, we probably have books to fill no more than 25% of the new library with recently donated books and the decent books currently on the shelves. I have also been researching and planning the library training for teachers and students and a check out system that will ensure the books are returned. Because it is so hard to get books here, it is imperative that students return them because we cannot simply charge a fine and replace the books. So there is still a lot of work to be done to obtain new books, get the library up and running, and promote a culture of reading in the school. But 500 books is a fantastic start!

THANK YOU AMY & HARRY TORRES

Thank You!

Thank You!

Thank You!

Thank You!

and

CAPSTONE PUBLISHERS, BEARPORT PUBLISHING, MRS. NELSON’S BOOK FAIRS, BARNES & NOBLE, EVAN LYONS, MIA & NICHOLAS RODRIGUEZ, RYDER, REID & ROYCE VITALE, GRACE MILLER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, and JOHN BARNYAK

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

WANT TO HELP? SPREAD THE WORD OR DONATE TO THE LIBRARY PROJECT!

If you are inspired by Amy and Harry’s generosity and action, please help us! This would be a great project for children who have a benevolent spirit or service requirements for school, church confirmation, Scouts etc. because they could also connect with school children on the Galapagos Islands. Books, funds or both would be greatly appreciated. If you are interesting in helping, please contact me directly, but these initial guidelines may assist you:

• If you know someone traveling to the Galapagos Islands, ask whether they are willing to bring a box of books or even just a few. If you know someone traveling to Ecuador, they can mail the books from the mainland to the islands. We already have many donated books in the US waiting to be sent here.
• Please collect books that are interesting to children. I am happy to provide a wish list and reading levels, but you  also can ask a child what his or her favorite books are. Non-fiction books about animals (especially sea animals), nature and dinosaurs are always a hit. Series are a good bet too. While some books are great classics, many books that libraries are discarding are being discarded for a reason: they are dated and no one wants to read them. Library book sales, your own shelves and second hand stores are great places to look, but not every book needs a home in the Galapagos. https://amzn.com/w/2OPJUUA6G2N4D
• The school is kindergarten through 12th grade and books at all levels would be appreciated. We have a special need for early readers and books at a 1-5 grade level. Multiple copies of books are welcome as they would allow for a class to use them for a reading circle. 
• Books in Spanish are also appreciated. While we want to improve the students’ English proficiency, we also want to encourage a love of reading in their native language.
• Gently used, please! Dust covers are not necessary, but scribbled in, ripped or grimy books are best discarded.
• Coloring books, work books, and sticker books are best for your local charity for a single recipient to enjoy.
• Funds will need to be raised to get the books here. Unfortunately, this is not within the school’s budget. For example, previous shipments were sent via USPS and cost $122 for a box of 40 books that weighed about 27 pounds and $80 for a box of 50 books that weight about 18 pounds. The value of each box was listed at $10, or resale value for used books, which negated paying an import tax. 
• Patience, please! The shipped books took 3 months to arrive but were well appreciated when they did.

For more information about the school, visit its Facebook page (courtesy of Matt) https://www.facebook.com/tdberlanga or its website at http://www.scalesia.org/tomas-de-berlanga-school