This letter is to inform you of the needs of the SAN PEDRO TOWN LIBRARY for your help in order to serve the community.

The Library is the only source of reference for many school children. The R.C. School does not have a library. The High School has a room, but not adequate books or staff. The SP Library has NO WORKING PRINTER OR COPIER. The children doing research for a project must wait in line while others hand copy the information from the resource material. Often the library is so crowded that children have to wait outside until those in front have finished their assignments.

The SP Library has been offered the use of computers if we can install another air-conditioner to maintain a healthy environment for the electronics. It would be a major benefit for research to have the internet available for school children and the community in general. However, paper and ink are costly and the SP Library receives no funds for these supplies.

The library building is much in need of attention. The wooden doors have rotted and fallen off. We hope to install study hurricane shutters instead of replacing the wooden doors for both security and protection.. And the windows need protection also. The inside walls need to be repainted; the bathroom has never been painted and needs flooring as well. We need more shelving and the table and chairs need refinishing.

Space has become an issue since we had added greatly to some of our sections. The adult fiction section has many quality books because visitors often leave them and they eventually find their way here. However, many sections are lacking. We have very few books in Spanish. After culling the worn, torn and outdated, the Children’s and Young Adult sections need rejuvenating. There is minimal storage space in the library for books in process or extra copies.

The SP Library is asking the community to respond to our need and is suggesting the following venue:

FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY -Those willing to contribute an amount on an annual basis. Suggestions are
INDIVIDUAL - $50, CORPORATE - $200, PATRON - $500.

SUPPORTORS OF THE LIBRARY - Those willing to contribute on a one time basis either money or
in-kind services or supplies, such as paper, ink cartridges, cleaning supplies, paint, shelving, computer services, magazine subscriptions, etc.

The SP Library is a valuable resource for the entire community. The future depends on education, and an educated population will benefit everyone. The library is also a window on the world…to inform, entertain and broaden the scope of all who are interested in looking.

The Library is a very wise investment.

Respectfully,


San Pedro Town Library Committee
Iracela Acosta, Librarian
Evan Veron, president
Inga Brereton, Secretary
Emma Carter, Treasurer

WHY READ A BOOK?
I read with great interest the recent editorial about education in your paper, and I would like to share my personal experiences on the subject.

I work with the San Pedro Town Library Committee because of the tremendous benefit and pleasure books have brought to my life. I grew up in Kansas (central USA) in a large, poor, uneducated family. No one through my generation had graduated high school. The men worked in factories and the women were housewives. Education was not valued because they couldn't see how it could benefit their situation. They didn't think things would ever change. But things did change. The factories closed or moved away. Men died or ran off and left women with children and no skills other than housework and babies. When there was no work to be had, they became dependent on relatives and lost self-respect.
No one in my family read books, except my mother occasionally read the bible. I remember well when I first experienced the adventure of reading. My teacher in second grade (8 years old) read us a chapter a day during rest time (mostly I remember TALE OF TWO CITIES, by Dickens). I would lay my head on my desk, close my eyes and visualize the sights, sounds, voices and emotions of the story. I was THERE in the story and came back to my world with a shock. I did well in school and was ridiculed by many in my family for trying to make myself better than they were. We didn't have books around and the town library wasn't available to me; too far away to go by myself and no one ever took me. I secretly read what I could from the school library, which was very limited.
When I went to high school, I fell for the first boy to pay attention to me, got pregnant, had to quit school and get married. I was 15. By 19 was captive in suburbia with three babies, an abusive husband, no car or friends. I read every book I could get, often with the dictionary at my side, mostly paperbacks from the market. Even TV could not capture my imagination as books did. I lived all those lives I read about. After ten years, I broke out of my domestic prison and went to work in an office where I learned bookkeeping. I met new people and made friends. This is where I discovered what a benefit my reading was to me. I could talk on many subjects I had read about, whether it was travel in Europe, mining in Africa, slavery in South America, space travel, art, psychology, and more. In my reading I learned about integrity, loyalty, passion and loss, cause and effect. I continued to read as much as I could between working and taking care of my children.
When I was 39, after a 24 year absence, I had the opportunity to go back to school and attended a community college taking, art, literature and dance. In the literature class we were given a long reading list and I was amazed to discover that I had already read about 3/4 of the books listed. In discussing assignments with the professor and other students, my awareness was broadened tremendously. By reading, I can share the experiences of others. I don't need to go through what they did to learn the lessons they had. I read serious literature, but I also read for fun and distraction. When a book captures my imagination, I am transported from my reality into another and forget about my troubles and stresses for awhile. And I choose what and when to read, other than TV where you have to accept what's on when you want to watch or arrange your schedule to theirs. Even though there are some good things on TV, I chose not to have it because the news terrifies me and the commercials anger me (false values). I read 3-4 books a week, many of which are made into movies, but never is a movie as good as the book. They leave out the thought processes that take the characters to the conclusion. Reading will always be my WINDOW ON THE WORLD.

Respectfully submitted, Emma Carter

The San Pedro Town Library has just received a generous gift of books relating to HIV/AIDS. Some of these books are directed to young children talking about when someone they know has AIDS, or the child itself is infected. One is a remarkable book directed towards adolescents and written in comic-book form...PEDRO and ME. Several books are addressed to the health and welfare community. One, entitled "HIV/AIDS AND CHILDREN in the English Speaking Caribbean" looks at the cultural issues. Another talks about life-style, treatment, diet, etc. In all, there are THIRTEEN books and a poster. This is a health issue we will not be able to ignore and the more informed we are, the better prepared.

We have Miki Kim to thank for this gift. Miki was a Peace-Corp Worker on the San Pedro AIDS Commission for two years. She successfully petitioned the US Embassy for a grant and received funds for media advertising. She commissioned signs and bill-boards, printed materials and radio announcements. At the end of her rotation last July, with the money left in the fund, she ordered these books for the library.

We are grateful to Miki and the US Embassy for these additions.

Marty- once school starts here in California, many kids come by and try to sell magazine subscriptions as a fund raiser for their school. If I choose to send subscriptions to the San Pedro library, what address should I use?

Just a little warning. I ordered 6 magazines to be delivered to our PO Box in San Pedro late last year. I have yet to ever recieve one yet, although all the companies are reporting that they have been mailed out.
Don't know where they are going missing.... but somewhere along the route.
Some mag companies will not even send to Central America, but most will with a pretty sizable postage rate included.
Good luck!

Thanks for the tip. Perhaps I'll forward books instead. ~Lori

Hi DrewLori, I'd say check with Emma. Email me at [email protected] if you want to chat about this...