Librarians Without Borders: International Service Learning in GuatemalaRobyn Maler

Carolyn Doi

Librarians Without Borders (LWB)Non-profit organization Strives to improve access to information resources regardless of

language, geography, or religion, by forming partnerships with community organizations in developing regions.

LWB is made up of:

• Student committees at five

universities in Canada

• Volunteer Executive Team

• Board of Directors

• General members

Miguel Angel Asturias Academy

• Private, non-profit Pre K-12 school in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala,

• Founded in 1994 to eliminate education disparities through subsidized tuition

• Aim to create informed, critically-thinking, socially conscious citizens through its curriculum.

LWB – Asturias Project Beginnings

• Student-led initiative: LWB McGill Student Committee

• Dialogue began in Fall 2009• LWB trip to Guatemala, Spring 2010• 11 LWB McGill students• 10 days cultural visits and volunteer

work• Learn more about the community• Develop library manual of

recommendations in collaboration with Asturias staff

Asturias Academy Library

2009 – 2010 under construction

Jan 2011 official launch Located within the schoolCurrent users: Asturias

students & staffFuture plans:

Open up the library to the community

Ongoing collection development

Library Collection• Level 1 – under 7 years (542)• Level 2 – 8 to 12 years (1022)• Level 3 – 13 and up (147)• Total collection (~2000)

Asturias Library April 2010

Asturias Library January 2011

Partnership OutcomesAsturias Academy Librarians Without BordersImproved relationship

with LWB and international community

Increase awarenessAsturias staff/students

benefit fromSupport for the Library

KnowledgeResourcesGuidelines

Improved relationship with Asturias and library community in Guatemala

Increase awarenessOpportunity for LWB to

grow as a non-profit org.LWB students benefit from

service learning modelExperiential learningPresented opportunities for

professional growth

What’s happening now?

2010 – 2011 Asturias Library Project

Cross-committee participation

2010-2011 LWB Umbrella Project

Collection Development Projects

Service Learning Trip, April 2011

LWB Cross-Committee Participation2011 Guatemala Trip and Collection Development Projects

2011 Guatemala Trip Goal

To support the transition of the school library into a public libraryLWB McGill’s April 2010 trip to the Academy was a

relationship-building experienceWe can now build on the foundations laid over the

last year to extend services to the wider Xela community

Each student committee brings its own unique strengths and experience

Putting the „Public“ in Public Library

Who is the public? Who are the community members?

Of Spanish, Mayan, or other descentNative speakers of Spanish, K‘iche‘, or other Mayan

languagesDifferent educational socio-cultural backgroundsFamily members of Academy studentsLikely have no experience with public libraries or

reading for pleasureHow does this user group differ from the library‘s

present user group?

Challenges

Language barrierSpanish and K’iche’ speakers

Paucity of resources in K’iche’

Socio-cultural differences

Lack of a tradition of public librariesExisting libraries are underfunded and underutilized

Itinerary

April 22-24: Retalhuleu

April 25-29: Asturias Academy, Xela

April 30-May 3: Rio Dulce & Livingston

Activities at AsturiasLead by different participants and subgroups

Programming

Development and field-testing

Identifying gaps in the collection

Balancing the collection

K'iche' audio-book project Development of K‘iche‘-language audio book resources

Librarian training

Activities at AsturiasUser needs assessments

To determine users‘ information needs

We will assess demographic information, socio-cultural

and educational background, languages spoken and

written, literacy levels, personal priorities, work and

leisure activities

Activities at AsturiasCommunity outreach and engagement

Based on information gathered from user needs

assessment and knowledge of community

Strategies to target and engage women, the

impoverished, indigenous people, and other

marginalized groups in the community

Development of special outreach programs for these

groups

Activities at AsturiasLibrary marketing strategies

Based on information gathered from user needs

assessment and knowledge of community

Marketing strategies outline ways to inform different

community groups, especially adult women, K‘iche‘

speakers, and indigenous people, about the library and

its activities

Activities at AsturiasBlog

The blog will provide timely and concise updates on

the project’s goals and objectives

Allows people around the world to follow the project

Three blogging coordinators will be responsible for

mobilizing blogging efforts during the trip

Every team member will contribute to the blog

Trip document

Recommendations Action plan

Activities at Asturias

•Programming•Collection development•Staffing•Training•Marketing•Outreach•Lending policy•Technology

Future PlansOpportunity for students to share their experiences

from the trip with each other and the professional library community.

Continued collaboration with Asturias As their priorities change, so will our relationship with

them:another tripcontinued fundraisingExpansion of the library

ConclusionsOur commitment to Asturias has evolved as our

relationship has strengthened and their needs have changed.

Both Asturias and LWB have things to gain from this partnership

Thank you! Go to http://lwb-online.org/ for more information on this project.Find us May 27th – LWB at CLA Conference in Halifax