Mini-Libraries

Engaging young people with books, in and out of the classroom

Sister Kris Schrader looked up from her desk. She had a sudden, sinking feeling that something was amiss. Her seventh-grade students were at recess, but she heard none of the familiar sounds of laughter and play emanating from the school courtyard. She rose quickly and went outside.

Students Hungry for Books

Sister Kris, a dedicated educator and principal at La Labor School on the outskirts of Guatemala’s capital, could not believe her eyes. Before her, she witnessed every member of the seventh-grade class sitting or reclining, with a book in hand. CoEd had recently set up a Mini-Library at her school. After experiencing success with the CoEd Textbook Program, she had high hopes for the new project. But she never anticipated that her students would take such an immediate and profound interest in the books.

“It’s just amazing to see these kids reading,” Sister Kris said of her experience with CoEd’s Mini-Libraries Program. “It’s the first time in their lives that they’ve had books. They're seeing for the first time that there’s a big world out there.”

Why Libraries?

Young people in rural Guatemala lack access to engaging books and other reading materials. Without these basic resources, they cannot practice their literacy skills outside of the classroom. By engaging young people with fun, interesting, and relevant Spanish-language books, the Mini-Libraries Program helps them develop a lifelong habit of reading and learning.

How the Program Works

CoEd promotes literacy in elementary and middle schools in Guatemala by integrating library resources (including children’s books, novels, maps, educational games, and reference materials) into children’s everyday learning environments.

• The Elementary School Program provides storybooks, flash cards, games, puzzles, and school supplies to elementary schools in impoverished communities to help children build literacy skills.
• The Middle School Program delivers Mini-Libraries to schools that already successfully manage a Cooperative for Education Textbook Program. These libraries house encyclopedias and reference materials as well as works of literature by Guatemalan and international authors. Schools receive multiple copies of each book to facilitate small and large group discussions.

“A library is not a luxury but one of the necessities of life.”
—Henry Ward Beecher

Our Results

Mini-Libraries are currently active in 41 schools. They engage more than 9,000 Guatemalan youths with books, improve their literacy skills, and expose them to the world outside of their remote towns and villages.