Tisma Public Library

Tisma…a small town of about 5,000 people; they have goals and dreams and are working hard to achieve them. It is a place filled with young people that have their entire lives in front of them. However, the future they look into does not posses what they are looking for: financial stability and the means to improve their conditions. The adults in the community want a better future for Tisma and its youth; they want to create opportunities they never had.

The residents of Tisma and its surrounding rural communities have many resources at their fingertips. While most of them are livestock and crop farmers there are other options that could be developed by those with a good education. Members of the community are currently working on getting a carpentry shop underway to teach youth how to build furniture. A nearby lagoon promises the growth of an eco-tourist spot focusing on the large diversity of flora and fauna as well as become a popular fishing spot. Tisma also is the location of archaeological finds, giving it a rich history.

Tisma has two preschools and two primary schools. High school students have to travel to attend school. The Public Library has been serving the community since 1979; helping students complete their education. Students need the library in order to complete homework and research. The goal of the library is to give the community access to books and information and at the same time develop reading habits in the community.

The Tisma Public Library wants to be able to help its community achieve their goals and make their dreams reality. Three librarians: Juanita, Naraya, and Pedro, are striving hard to provide the valuable resources needed to educate the youth of Tisma. They want to help their small town become a place that will prosper and offer opportunities to the youth that were never before possible. Children’s story times, arts/crafts, and educational games are available to give the very young a foundation that emphasizes reading and learning. Youth and adult activities include art classes, poetry readings, book readings, and piñata/puppetry classes. The Library has benefitted from donations, including two computers and books from Books for Life. The heart of this Library is beating strong for its community and could use your partnership to advance the impact they are having. Resources Juanita, Naraya, and Pedro are looking for are:

Books for all ages

Children’s educational games

Funding for Internet

TV/DVD player and educational videos

Library furniture

Ernesto has been visiting the Library many times per week for almost 20 years. He has used the library as a tool in his studies at the university and has been able to find books at the Tisma Public Library he could not find anywhere else. It is very important to Ernesto that the community of Tisma is fortunate to have a library so close.

Maura has been using the Library since she was in primary school. Now, she is a university student and uses the library 3-4 times per week for research. She benefits greatly from the religious section and would love to see some new religion books. Maura has been able to make her education fuller because she has a library close to home. If there were no library in Tisma she would have to travel to find one and this would greatly lessen the amount of time spent reading and learning.

Juanita (librarian)  “…with so much joy I have served the community for 30 years. For me, it has been so important to possess much knowledge and to play an important role along side my fellow librarians who feel the same as I do; to be prepared to work and help the library grow so that it can complete the functions it has been created to do.”