Monday May 8

Monday was the real reason our group came to Bolivia ...to visit the country's libraries and deliver the over 1,000 library books and over $500 to the Biblioteca Thúrchapitas.
It is wonderful to help others who are so appreciative. The children of the library voraciously read the Spanish books that were donated. The efforts of so many people of the United States and Bolivia have made this trip a success. Dr. Veltze and Dr. Sanders have planned this trip so well that we are making the most of our time in Cochabama, although I have to say that we are not roughing it, but ritzing it up.

We, the library science group, were joined yesterday by the HPC Human Psychological Counseling from Appalachian State University group to donate the children's books to the Biblioteca Th uruchapitas. The ASU's HPC group comes every year to Cochababa work and counsel with the people of South America. This groups visit prisons, La Paz,Bolivia, and other South American countries such as Peru to offer counsel and aid to the people.
This is a wonderful opportunity for the graduate counseling students to learn first hand of the tremendous need for their counseling services.


The Library/ Biblioteca Th úruchapitas is hoping to build a library of their own. The project is called Build My Library. Presently the library just rents the bulding where the library is housed. The library reaches out to schools and the indigeous people to help children read and learn about their culture and other cultures. It is a life long dream of Gaby Vallejo Canedo, winner of the 2001 Bolivia prize in Literature and our guide host to build a library that the building and land is rightfully owned by the Biblioteca. According to artitect, it will cost $168,000 just to build the building. This price does not include the land or the books. The land itself, according to Gaby, could cost between $15,000 outside the city and more than $30,000 closer to the city. Presently, the library has $22,000. $10,000 of this money was won in 2003 by an IBBY international award with Linda Veltze, library science professor at ASU and Galby Vallejo promoting the Sister's Library Project between Appalachian State University and Biblioteca Thúruchapitas in Bolivia. The dream is to go forward with the library building as soon as possible so that the children of today in Bolivia can enjoy the library. This library is the ONLY children's library in all of Bolivia- Imagine that and this library is not even owned by the Biblioteca. What resources we have in the United States and do not use to the fullest!!!!!! I am glad to know that spending our United States taxes are evident somewhere. It does us help appreciate our bountiful resources to see countries that lack so much.

Well, it is adios time for me, as I have to be ready for the day/ visiting two public schools and recieve an Indian blessing in museum.

Adios amigos. Buenos dias.

Martha Royster
Library Science student at ASU