Donations

Yes, I would like to make a 100% tax-deductible donation to support The Hester J. Hodgdon Libraries For All Program, a Colorado-based 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

The SJDS Biblioteca is the first lending library in Nicaragua, providing books, information, technology, and community center services to the people of San Juan del Sur and its surrounding communities.

 "Our objective was to start a lending library and mobile program for San Juan del Sur and the small outlying communities nearby to provide books, resources and community center services where none were available. Libraries in Nicaragua do not loan their books, and new books are rare.

There is little or no access to books or information and there are very few books or materials in many schoolrooms. The SJDS Biblioteca has become an integral part of the community and now serves as a successful example to other lending library programs in Latin America." 

SJDS Mobile Project

The San Juan del Sur Biblioteca's Mobile Project began in May, 2003. Three times a week, library staff and volunteers load bins of books onto a pickup truck and venture into the countryside surrounding San Juan del Sur. At each site, library patrons are able to browse and exchange books, and other educational and recreational activities are frequently provided for children.

20^th August 2009  Del Sur News

San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

Peace Passers “Get it done” for San Juan del Sur

By Kelvin Marshall

The Peace Passers Mission Statement is simple: “Through a collaborative, team approach; we support the mission to collect and distribute basic soccer supplies to people throughout the world”.

However, getting that done, (and they do) is not as easy as it looks. The collaboration required to make this work was achieve by solid networking and picking the right partners that can get the job done.  This really is a chain with no weak links. The reputation of Peace Passers gives them the credibility needed to solicit soccer clothing and supplies which are then sent down to Jane Mirandette at the Biblioteca Móvil in SJdS. Once here, the Fundación A. Jean Brugger and Comunidad Connect help make sure the supplies are distributed appropriately - another important link in the chain that ensures the credibility of the program.

Jon Thompson (from Comunidad Connect and the Fundación A. Jean Brugger) summed it up best “There are so many folks who want to donate to us, to make a difference here in Nicaragua, yet transportation remains the number one obstacle. Little by little, Jane and American Airlines are doing their part to make the connections between international resources and local needs happen.” 

Pictured above are Jane Mirandette (Biblioteca Móvil) and Jon Thompson (Comunidad Connect and the Fundación A. Jean Brugger) with a huge donation of 8 containers of football (soccer) clothing, shoes, balls and more which was collected by Peace Passers from the Denver (USA) area. Even this type of promotion adds value to the program as copies of articles and photographs can be sent to the donating groups to show that these generous donations got here. 

Welcome to  Project Support Center

Hester J. Hodgdon Libraries for All Program

HJH Libraries for All

Hester J. Hodgdon Libraries for All Program is a Colorado-based, tax-exempt, charitable foundation established in 2003 to support the San Juan del Sur Biblioteca and to promote lending libraries in Central America

In addition to its ongoing work in San Juan del Sur, the program has developed a variety of protocols and materials for new libraries, and its "library in a box" program has helped service groups, church groups, and individuals to establish more than 27 new lending libraries in Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, and Costa Rica. The significance of these efforts lies in the fact that historically libraries in Central America do not loan their books and there is little or no access to books and information for any but the very wealthy.  Click here to learn more. 

Three libraries are awarded the ALA Presidential Citation for International Innovation at the ALA 2009 Annual Conference in Chicago

On July 13, 2009, at the International Librarians Reception held at the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, the representatives from Hester J. Hogdon Libraries for All in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, the Lubuto Library Project, Lusaka, Zambia, and the Tongji University Library in Shanghai, China were presented with the ALA Presidential Citation for International Innovation by Mr. James Rettig, ALA president 2008-2009, for their significant contributions to the people they serve.

                                             l. to r. Jane Kinney Meyers (Lubuto Library Project), Jane Mirandette (Hester J. Hogdon 
                                            Libraries for All), James Rettig, ALA President, Dr. Jinhau Shen  (Tongji University Library)
                                            (Photo by Sha Li Zhang) 

The ALA Presidential Citation for International Library Innovation was one of the presidential initiatives of Dr. Loriene Roy, ALA President in 2007-2008.  It was the second time that the award was presented since its inception in 2008.  ALA’s International Relations Round Table (IRRT) worked closely with Mr. Rettig and facilitated award presentations.  The citation for each of the award recipients follows below.

The SJDS Biblioteca is the first lending library in Nicaragua, providing books, information, technology, and community center services to the people of San Juan del Sur and its surrounding communities.

"Our objective was to start a lending library and mobile program for San Juan del Sur and the small outlying communities nearby to provide books, resources and community center services where none were available. Libraries in Nicaragua do not loan their books, and new books are rare. There is little or no access to books or information and there are very few books or materials in many schoolrooms. The SJDS Biblioteca has become an integral part of the community and now serves as a successful example to other lending library programs in Latin America."
 

Volunteers

"Thanks for letting me go out with the mobile project. It was great! Every time I went, it made me feel like Santa Claus."

-Peter, American student taking Spanish classes in SJDS

There are many ways that you can help out the San Juan del Sur Biblioteca Móvil. One of the most rewarding ways is travel to Nicaragua and volunteer on-site in San Juan del Sur. Our project is expanding every month, bringing the joy of reading to many more people, and we can always use an extra hand! If you're looking for a retirement project, taking a year off school, or just want to occupy yourself and travel at the same time, then volunteer. Our application outlines areas of expertise and special consideration is given to long-term volunteers and/or those with needed skills. These may include library and information science, computer skills, web development, teaching, and fluency in Spanish.

Our program was featured in the most recent edition of Moon Handbooks Nicaragua, along with other available volunteer opportunities in the area.

When you come, we can arrange a home-stay or hotel-stay at reasonable prices. Volunteer projects include working with our very fundamental library system, teaching English, facilitating craft classes and working on the mobile unit. It's simple!

Submenu

• Application Form

• Volunteer Handbook

• Volunteer Experiences

How You Can Help

Check out the Volunteers section.  Can't make the trip to Nicaragua? That's OK, there are still opportunities for you to be involved!

Consider sponsoring fund raising events with your local church or school groups for us. IB Schools and churches in Latino communities have helped us in the past. Tortilla nights, Read-a-thons, Car washes, Book n Bake sales and other fundraising activities provide an opportunity to have some fun and generate international community while raising money to support our program.

Solicit Donations of Cash and Supplies: Share your excitement about our program with friends and family. Collections of children's games, sports equipment and books in Spanish can be sent to our address in Colorado. Write to us at HJHPROGRAM@aol.com to arrange for shipping of collected items.

WHAT IS A LIBRARY IN A BOX?  A New way to make a difference.

The Library in A Box is a system initiated in 2001 to share the successes of the first public lending library program in Nicaragua. Church groups, peace Corp workers various Service Organizations, and individuals have successfully started lending libraries, mobile lending projects and community library lending spots with this system. It is important to note that nearly no one in Central America has believed it is possible to loan books and not lose them all. We have proved this myth wrong, time and again with this simple and effective system.

It has functioned as a start up kit for many third world libraries especially in Central America
There are over 50 recipients of this kit in various areas of Central America and over 35 function with the HJH Program in a successful and ongoing way. Many have gone on to create several libraries all lending books successfully often in very poor and adverse conditions.

First step is an application that tells us if the system can be used effectively.
Once that is established ( this application helps the group to define their project and be aware of the process they will be undertaking.)

The box contains a variety of items the will serve for the long term- The file boxes Accession book ( where you record the books and number them as they arrive) The Borrowers record book, the alphabet cards for the file box etc

Other items are just to start up the program ie: 500 library cards, registration cards, borrowers cards etc. These can then be printed- or copied or purchased as the program moves along.

Some items will need to be purchased separately by the entity –A stamp with the library’s name on it. An embosser with the library logo on it ( Optional) There is a list of suggested and optional items. These can be supplied by us at additional cost or items a group requests volunteers and donors supply. This is true of additional books as well. However, we are able to supply additional books at a greater discount than retail stores or on- line purchasing can provide.

Each project should purchase and keep its own system and not lump them together.

One of the reasons for the system is because it is a tried and true successful lending system Return of the books is most important.

Two small Rubbermaid Rough Neck - 10 gal size is a good start- one for the system and one for the first 100 books that is the seed collection. The system and the books also fits in one 25 gal Rubber maid Rough Neck Bin. Holes can be drilled in the lids which correspond to holes in the handles and tie downs make the bin secure for shipping.

Cost for all but the personal stamp and embosser and any soft ware is $500.00

Instruction s and support are available both on the website www.librariesforall.org or through the email address where a volunteer familiar with the system can assist – All support is available both in English and in Spanish..  Call us for details of this great program 877 6532 2919.
 

Jessi and her family

A friend of mine from graduate school, Doug, spends his summers traveling from one Major League baseball stadium to another. He plans his route so each night is spent in a different city with a different group of fans watching a different pair of teams. Doug can tell you which park serves the best-tasting hot dogs, which has the most comfortable seats and which charges the least for convenient parking. He recites statistics, knows the latest player gossip and never leaves before the third out in the bottom of the ninth inning. I find his preoccupation infinitely boring, yet I suppose my affection for libraries isn’t so far removed. My husband has patiently accompanied me through university stacks in at least eight states and several countries. Libraries are my first travel stop for directions, clean restrooms, entertainment options and Internet access. Viewed through a wider lens, I suppose I just love what libraries stand for, how they serve their communities and how they function.

So, when my husband, a Spanish and ESL teacher, and I made the decision to spend the summer working and learning abroad, my Google searches included the words “volunteer,” “Spanish-speaking” and “library.” Not insignificantly, the trip would have to include our two sons, ages two and four (and sippy cups, diapers, car seats, strollers, etc.) I can only describe it as good fortune that my searches led us to Jane Mirandette, director of San Juan del Sur Biblioteca Movil and program director of the Hester J. Hodgdon Libraries for All Program.

After months of anticipation, followed by a remarkably easy journey from Managua, my family and I were instantly captivated by the small town of San Juan del Sur: its friendly residents, tropical climate, beautiful beaches and countryside, and, of course, its library. Occupying a place of prominence just across from the Catholic Church and the central courtyard, the fresh, white-washed exterior and careful blue trim left no doubt the community regarded this library with pride.

My first visit to the library included a staff meeting, and although my Spanish is limited, I was surprised to note the minutes easily could have been taken from a meeting at my home library. Budget concerns, staffing schedules, kids’ behavior during story time – it was comforting to know these challenges are universal.

My task at the library was to help initiate the automation system on the mobile project: entering data, bar-coding books, creating patron IDs, assisting with hardware issues. And although I use an automation system in my own library, I am far from an expert when it comes to the specifics. I quickly began to realize just how dependent I was on my network of fellow librarians at home. It was fortunate that I soon found a new, unique support network of American volunteers, creative Nicaraguan library staff and trustworthy daycare.

One afternoon while watching my sons swim, I met a woman from Massachusetts who shared an important piece of advice. The woman, Naomi, had done development work in Costa Rica years ago. She told me that what works at home isn’t necessarily the best option for library users or staff members in Nicaragua. She encouraged me to look from a broader perspective, and to take inventory of what works well already and what might be improved. Most importantly, she reminded me to consider the sustainability of the project and factors affecting that sustainability.

I think I understand more clearly now why Doug insists on staying until the last pitch of every baseball game, even when the winner seems obvious. The end result is one thing, of course, but the overall experience is entirely another, and the San Juan del Sur Biblioteca was just really hard to leave. Although I’m not a staff member, a part of that library feels like it’s mine, and I have an interest in seeing it continue to succeed. I am grateful for our opportunity