Thanks to a large donation of children’s books in Spanish, our teachers were able to realize their dream of starting a children’s library on site near our Montessori school at the Food Bank. The workmen built a special room to house the bookshelves and the child-size tables and chairs, and painted the walls a bright, cheery yellow. The teachers decorated the room then organized and catalogued the books. One of the teachers painted a large sign with the rules. Since most of these kids have never been taught how to behave in a library, she kept it simple and basic: 1) speak in a soft voice, 2) sign-up, 3) put everything in its place, and 4) take care of the books.
The library will be open four days a week, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and our hope is that the children will learn how to use and take care of books and develop a love of reading. Just last week a retired teacher from the U.S., who had taught ESL (English as a Second Language) classes for many years, donated boxes and boxes of her materials that she would no longer be using. She even donated a projector so that we can give audio/visual presentations teaching children their vowels, sounds and numbers in a lively and fun way.
In deciding on a name, the teachers unanimously chose The Father Richard Thomas Library, in honor of this great priest who worked so hard in ensuring that the children of the poor get a better start in life.