March 7, 2010

We arrived in Nicaragua today after a fairly uneventful flight and I am still taking it all in.? One thing I noticed right away was the heat!? Nicaragua is a lot nearer to the equator than Boston, so the sun is definitely stronger here!? Jane Mirandette, our hostess, has been wonderful.? She gave everyone bags of goodies (including water bottles-very welcome!) and has been filling us in on her work in the San Juan del Sur library and on Nicaraguan culture in general.

One of our first stops today was a visit to the library in Tipitapa, a town near the Managua airport.? We must have been a sight as we stumbled out of the bus, still sleepy and a bit out of it.? An amazing scene met our eyes: a courtyard full of children, dancing and laughing to the music of a man with a guitar.? His name is Mario Montenegro, and he is a well-known singer/performer here.? After he finished, we met Karen Meza, who helps run the library.? The library is incredibly small, but full of interesting books and colorful posters.? Karen and her team of teenage volunteers serve numerous children every week despite the small space they have to work with.

We boarded the bus again, this time with some new people: Mario Montengero, Karen, and some of the teenage girls who help out in the Tipitapa library.? Then it was off to visit the (still active!) Masaya Volcano.? As we leaned over and peered down into the mist, the sulfur smell made it hard for me to breathe.? As a bird lover, I was fascinated to find out that there are actually parrots (?chocoyos?) who nest in the sides of the volcano despite the toxic gases!

We ended our journey in San Juan del Sur.? Villa Isabella, the hotel that Jane runs, is just steps away from the San Juan del Sur Biblioteca (library).? Tonight, we were treated to a wonderful dinner at a restaurant right on the Pacific coast.? With the warm breeze blowing, it was hard to believe that I had just left chilly Boston!

March 9, 2010

This is our second day on the Island of Ometepe.? It is hard to describe just how beautiful it is here.? Every time I walk by, I admire the lush pink blossoms by the hotel?s open-air dining area.? Then, I turn around to the water.? Lake Nicaragua looks so endless that it seems much more like an ocean than a freshwater lake.? There is actually a species of freshwater shark here, but no sightings yet!

Today we went to help with the opening of a library on the island.? In the morning, we helped clean and catalog donated children?s books.? Later, there was a wonderful festival enjoyed by dozens of families.? Mario performed some songs and presented stories using what he calls his ?caja china.?? It is a beautiful wooden box with a slot on the side that allows him to slide in illustrations, which he then tells a story about.? He got some big laughs from a story called ?Rosaura en bicicleta,? about a chicken who is determined to get a bicycle for her birthday.

After a lunch break (during which I finally got to see some parrots up close!), we went back to the library and enjoyed some dancing by children dressed in beautiful traditional dress.? After that, it was time for the long-awaited (Winnie-the-Pooh shaped) pi?ata breaking.? The tension was heightened as a man on horseback came out of nowhere and rode straight through the crowd.? He and his oxen had somewhere to go and we were simply in the way!? =)? The kids had fun swinging at the pi?ata and gathering up the candy afterwards.

Although it was a mercilessly hot day, I was glad to be there.? The idea of a quiet library where shushing is the order of the day was definitely not in practice today!? Children were having a great time watching Mario perform, reading, drawing pictures, or simply spending time with friends.? To me, this is exactly what a public library should be: the vibrant center of a community.

March 10, 2010

Today we left Ometepe Island and headed to Granada, Nicaragua?s fourth largest city.? I am so impressed with the place that we are staying in.? Hotel Con Coraz?n, which was established in 2006, exists in order to raise funds to support education.? The hotel also tries to limit its carbon footprint, and partners with Nicaraguans to buy local products.

Part of the hotel has been turned into a reading corner for children to visit.? Although they can?t check out books there, they can visit the lending library just up the street.? Today we met with Carol Rea, a Canadian woman who helps run the lending library (the first free lending library in Granada!).? Her project is called ?Puedo Leer? (?I Can Read?) and its mission is to inspire a love of reading in children.? I know how important it is for children to feel comfortable in a library, and I think this one does a great job at being welcoming.? The rooms are filled with colorful pictures, stuffed animals, comic characters, and more!

I believe that, just like a church, a library cannot be a place that is contained by four walls.? Librarians have to go out into the community to reach people, especially those who might be hesitant about coming in.? Carol talked to us about how this library hosts informal read-alouds in the park, as well as how she reaches out to teachers.? In the U.S., it is almost a given for schools to have a school library.? However, in Nicaragua this is definitely not the case.? Carol works with many teachers and provides them with new books every two weeks.? This means an ever-changing stream of books for the students, which keeps things interesting!

March 11, 2010

I absolutely love the architecture in Granada.? Though I know it is a reminder of Spanish colonialism, I still find it beautiful and uplifting to look at from an aesthetic standpoint.? The main cathedral is a gorgeous, warm yellow while one of the buildings across from it is a luminous red.? I?ve enjoyed strolling around the plaza in front of the cathedral. There are so many people around, simply enjoying the day — boys playing soccer, families talking, and teenagers hanging out.

This morning the Simmons group, along with Jane, Heidi, Edwin, and Noelia (all from the San Juan del Sur Biblioteca) did presentations during a conference for Nicaraguan librarians.? Liza and I talked about how to use an overhead projector as a teaching tool.? I had brought shadow puppets of the characters in the story ?The Three Billy Goats Gruff? (including the troll under the bridge!) so I had volunteers from the audience come and help Liza and I tell the story.? It was so much fun!? Other Simmons students did some great presentations on crafts (coffee filter flowers, scrapbooks, etc.), read aloud, and shared tips for using Facebook.? Jane, Heidi and Noelia spoke about the ?Library in a Box? project.? This is a way for communities to replicate what Jane has done in her lending library in San Juan del Sur.? The ?Library in a Box? comes with many library supplies, including labels, borrower cards, craft supplies and more.? Read more at: http://librariesforall.org/?Library_In_a_Box

Tonight we headed back to San Juan del Sur and I am interested to see how tomorrow goes.? We are going to be visiting a rural school as part of the San Juan del Sur Biblioteca M?vil program (http://www.sjdsbiblioteca.org/?SJDS_Mobile_Project)!