Current state of the Patzilin Abaj library
The last few months have been hectic and exciting as we’ve partnered with another school to create a Pueblo a Pueblo certified lending library. Patzilin Abaj Primary School will be the third active school to implement our Pathways to Literacy (PTL) Project.
The first step of the project is to improve the library space. The school has a designated space, which makes our process a lot easier. But the space needs a lot of work before it can be called a functional and inviting lending library.
One big obstacle this library has is accessibility to materials. Half of the reading materials are randomly stacked in china cabinets that are too high for the younger children to reach. The rest of the books are in large plastic storage containers, with no labels, and mixed in with empty boxes of games and game pieces.
We hope to work with Patzilin Abaj to create a space that is organized, accessible and inviting, a space that encourages kids to spend time in the library and borrow books. Our vision for this library is to have appropriate and safe furniture, an investigation corner, a reading section, a designated area for games and a librarian who can teach the children how to find books, using a color coding method that is easy for the youngest readers.
The first step of the project is to improve the library space. The school has a designated space, which makes our process a lot easier. But the space needs a lot of work before it can be called a functional and inviting lending library.
One big obstacle this library has is accessibility to materials. Half of the reading materials are randomly stacked in china cabinets that are too high for the younger children to reach. The rest of the books are in large plastic storage containers, with no labels, and mixed in with empty boxes of games and game pieces.
We hope to work with Patzilin Abaj to create a space that is organized, accessible and inviting, a space that encourages kids to spend time in the library and borrow books. Our vision for this library is to have appropriate and safe furniture, an investigation corner, a reading section, a designated area for games and a librarian who can teach the children how to find books, using a color coding method that is easy for the youngest readers.
Of course, a library is only as good as its materials. Oftentimes, the schools we work with have very limited resources and few reading materials. Our Pathways to Literacy team prides itself on taking the time and effort to stock the library with books that can serve as mirrors of themselves and also portals to other worlds for the students.
“When deciding what books to order for the library, we try to find books that have illustrations, elements, characters, and situations that students from these schools can identify with and be inspired by,” says Esther Dominguez, Pathways to Literacy Project Manager. “We also try to get books that are completely different from their surroundings and talk about diversity so they can foster their creativity, ” she added.
“When deciding what books to order for the library, we try to find books that have illustrations, elements, characters, and situations that students from these schools can identify with and be inspired by,” says Esther Dominguez, Pathways to Literacy Project Manager. “We also try to get books that are completely different from their surroundings and talk about diversity so they can foster their creativity, ” she added.
Children enjoying an already renovated library
We’re months away from welcoming students into a space where creativity, adventure and knowledge will be at their fingertips, and in a community where 20% of women and 8% of men are completely illiterate,* lending libraries that are specially designed for students in rural communities are a vital tool for sustainable change.
*2017 Guatemalan National Institute of Statics, literacy in Solola Department
*2017 Guatemalan National Institute of Statics, literacy in Solola Department
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