The Public Library of San Marcos was founded in 1986 by a group of teachers who wanted to provide resources for local schools and to empower members of the wider community in improving their own lives.  One of these community members, Emerson, sold tortillas as a child in order to pay for school, but joined a library club that promoted reading.  He now studies medicine.

Located near Managua, the town of Nindirí has a rich and long history.  One of its modern riches is the Nindirí Public Library, where local students who cannot afford textbooks for school come to study.  Says 19-year old Daggy, “If we did not have a library we would not be able to do our homework and research and learn.”

The busy city of Jinotepe, just south of Managua, is a picture of contrast: at its center is a free trade zone, whereas many people on the periphery farm and raise livestock.  The Jinotepe Public Library helps local schools that do not have Internet access or books for each student, allowing youth to make more of the educational resources available to them.

Diriá Community Library, with its collection of 300 books, is one of the few educational resources available in the town of Diriá, located on Lake Apoyo.  The people of the community are more than happy to do the work to repair their ailing library.

Diriamba Public Library has been a great resource to the citizens of this coffee-growing town for many years.  Francisco Javier Mendieta, a volunteer at the library in his 70s, has received many literary awards, and attributes his success to the help books have given him.

Founded in 2009, the Asodeco Waspan-Sur Community Library is the dream of many community organizations who have been working together for years.  It is one of the few places in this neighborhood of Managua that can help people too poor to pay for formal education.

The library of La Asuncion School, located in the neighborhood of La Palmera, Diriamba, is working to overcome the district’s high crime and unemployment rates.  Emphasizing community values, the library educates youth primarily through games and activities that reward honor and integrity.

Tisma is a small but ambitious community that is attempting to develop eco-tourism projects and other opportunities.  The Tisma Public Library, founded in 1979, has served as a resource for several generations.  Maura began coming to the library as a primary school student and now uses it three or four times a week doing research for her university classes.

The German-Nicaraguan Library is a popular resource for schoolchildren in Managua.  Its Mobile Library visits local prisons and is the only library resource for many rural communities.  Says 13-year old Melki, a patron of the library, “The library is important because it teaches us values and gives us answers to anything we want to know.”