Help Build School Libraries in Rural Guatemala

With the start of the school year in Guatemala, the libraries are bustling once again with students. Our Pathways to Literacy (PTL) team has been busy working with librarians at La Cumbre and Nueva Providencia Elementary Schools.

At both schools, our PTL team is developing a formal inventory system. “We’re trying to put call numbers, or access codes, on each book. This way we can keep track of the books and make sure that the library stays organized.” The team is also training the librarians how to classify books during inventory. “All of these steps make it easier and simpler for students to check out books--and ultimately to encourage reading,” explains Lidia Quieju, our Pathways to Literacy Project Coordinator.

Before Pueblo a Pueblo started the Pathways to Literacy Project in La Cumbre and Nueva Providencia, there was no organized system for students and teachers to check out and borrow books. At most, a student could check out a book once a week. “Now that we’re implementing cataloging methods, using call numbers, and training the librarians, students and teachers have greater access to books. They can borrow books at anytime during the week,” Lidia adds.

Along with library organization, the PTL team is expanding the book collection at Nueva Providencia Elementary School. The library at Nueva Providencia opened in July, and they started off with very few books. However, through book donations that Pueblo a Pueblo has coordinated, we are adding to their collection. From historical accounts of Che Guevara to Chocolate y Merengue, students will discover a new world of stories.