Library Conference

On my first day in Nicaragua, I went to the 2nd Annual Conference of the Nicaraguan Association of Library Professionals. I went in a van with the Mariposa language school intern Alex, a guy from D.C. named Tom, one of the library employees named Karla, and a few other employees of local projects. I got to see the lush green mountains between the language school and Managua which I had missed the night before in the dark. Karla seems really great and I’m excited to work with her. In between sessions we got to talk about the library where I’ll be working, the children in the local community, and the problems that exist there. The conference was held at a private university in Managua, and had about 150 people in attendance from all over Nicaragua. Many of the speakers had started their own lending libraries in small towns where few books were available. One speaker mentioned that satiating Nicaraguan’s desire for reading is especially important after the literacy campaigns of the 1980s.

Many spoke about how most children and youth in Nicaragua only get to see text books and don’t read for pleasure. They discussed how to inspire students to love reading, how to create the habit of reading, how to make it fun, and how to involve families and teachers. Most of the American speakers used a translator, and I wondered why they haven’t learned Spanish after living in Nicaragua for many years.

Several programs have mobile libraries that visit as many as 40 rural communities every few weeks and lend books. Some have cabinets on wheels that go from classroom to classroom within a school. One library will provide a seed library of 100 books to anyone who wants to start a lending library. This can help some people get used to lending books, as they may be nervous initially about whether or not they will get them back. We attended a session given by a Fullbright recipient about the idea of information literacy, which is the ability to seek out relevant information.

I couldn’t help but think of the irony that physical books are on the decline in the developed world, but I don’t think that really applies to books for children. Today at breakfast my Spanish teacher told me that the first book he ever read was in university, so the issue must be relevant. Overall, I was impressed by the entrepreneurial spirit of the organizations present, and the emphasis on getting as many books as possible out to as many people as possible. One speaker said that anytime she sees a book that looks like it is new, it makes her sad, because it means that few people have gotten to read it.

The library that I will be working with already has 1,200 books and a robust lending program, so I am excited to see it and see first hand the services it provides as well as possible ways to expand them.

That night I ate dinner by myself, finished one of the books I had brought (Little Bee), and went to bed thoroughly exhausted.