San Marcos Public Library

San Marcos is characterized as a “college town.” Ave Maria University, the only American university found in Central America, is located here. The University classes are in English and students from around the world come to San Marcos to attend. The influence of foreigners is evident by the efforts made to help those in need in San Marcos.

Most that live in San Marcos work in the Free Trade Zone and while working there does provide an income the work is hardly desireable; long hours, low pay, and unfriendly conditions cause those that work there to dream of another option. However, options are limited without a good education. The Public Library is helping to improve the future of the youth in San Marcos. The Library assists many of the community schools by providing textbooks and an area for students to do homework and research. They also use the schools as an avenue to promote reading and the use of the library. So while children’s parents are working in the Free Trade Zones their children are learning with the help of the library and have the potential to the pass their knowledge on to their parents.

The San Marcos Public Library was opened in 1986 by a group of teachers. Their desire was to make information available to the community, promote reading, and to help students with their education. The library collection possesses approximately 4,600 books, but with money available only to pay for librarians’ salaries and utilities there is no budget to buy anything else the library needs to improve their service to the community. This library desperately needs partners to provide the valuable resources this community needs. You can be one of those partners, providing any of the following needs:

Books

Computers

Library furniture

Since he was a child Emerson has been working hard to be educated. This was not an easy task since his family did not always have the money to pay for school. Emerson often sold tortillas in his neighborhood to be able to stay in school. He took part in a library club that promoted reading in the rural communities and he has received many awards for being an excellent student. Emerson is currently studying medicine and this past year he participated in the first poetry reading at the library and was very well received. The San Marcos Public Library has played a major role in Emerson’s education.