Children's Library

Project objective:

To provide books, furniture, and audiovisual equipment to open western Honduras's only children's library, and to remodel the historic but badly deteriorated building that will house it.

Location:

Santa Rosa de Copán, Honduras

Participants:

Rotary Club of Santa Rosa de Copán
Canadian Rotary Committee for International Development (grant 99.044)
Rotary District 5370, Alberta, Canada
The Rotary Foundation (grant MG 8089)
Ministry of Culture, Government of Honduras
Honduran Social Investment Fund, Government of Honduras
Copán Cultural Group
City of Santa Rosa de Copán

Budget:

Books	$2,574
Furniture	$1,168
Audiovisual equipment	$1,716
Renovations to building	$6,498
Total, US$	$11,956

Time of execution:

August 1999 - May 2000

Status:

Successfully completed

This project was originally conceived by the Copán Cultural Group, a local citizens' committee, and promoted by the Rotary Club of Santa Rosa de Copán. Rotary District 5370 of Alberta, Canada (with which our club has enjoyed a long and friendly relationship) quickly agreed to sponsor it and obtain further Rotary financing.

The Rotary Club of Santa Rosa de Copán managed the project and project funds on site, coordinated with other Rotarians involved with the project, and promoted the project in the local media. The Copán Cultural Group obtained additional funding for renovations when the cost of rehabilitating the 100 year old structure proved to be underestimated. In addition, the Copán Cultural Group has assumed ownership and responsibility for all equipment. The city government pays the salary of a full time librarian on premises. The Honduran Ministry of Culture facilitated the building to house the library and, along with the Honduran Social Investment Fund, provided additional funding.

The library was inaugurated on May 5, 2000 by Honduras's Minister of Culture, who made a full day's journey to Santa Rosa de Copán specifically for this event. The facility has since been open to the public and is being used intensively.

Over 800 people (the majority of whom are children) are currently visiting the facility each month, and attendance is on the rise. The community has responded by supporting the library's fundraising activities to become self sustaining. A number of new books have already been bought with the additional income. The children's library is on its way to becoming an established and supported part of Santa Rosa's daily life.

Be sure to visit the children´s library´s website (site in Spanish).

Home | History | Projects | Contact Us | Links