Hekab Be Biblioteca February, 2009 Update

Current Programs for Children & Adults at Hekab Be:

The New Year has brought a resurgence in programming at Hekab Be Biblioteca de Akumal. With the return of local children to school after the holiday break, our after-school program is back into full swing. For several hours daily, children from ages to 3-17 are tutored and encouraged to improve their academic skills and to stimulate an interest in reading. Twice weekly now there are art projects (the local school curriculum does not include the arts) geared towards the age of the participants. We have a new part-time staff member, Pablo Ake, a young man from Akumal Pueblo who has been coming to the library for years, who is offering Mayan language classes for children twice a week (Tues. and Thurs. from 3:30-4:15).

Saturday mornings from 10-11:00 we offer Math classes that are team taught and geared to ages 6 and up, with instructors who speak English and Spanish. Twice monthly the math class is followed by an Arts & Crafts class – this typically hosted by a visiting volunteer.

To all visitors and especially families, please feel free to take advantage of our afternoon and Saturday morning programs. This is great opportunity for visiting children and teens to have contact and exchanges with the local kids and culture.

Mondays and Wednesdays we close the library from 10:00-11:00 a.m. in order to go to the Primary and Kindergarten schools for our reading outreach programs. We read stories to the children in order to help instill an early interest in reading and a love for books among these novice readers. Visitors are always welcome to join us on our school visits – it is a great way to interact with the local children, up close and personal.

Library services

Daily we are receiving visitors, some are old friends, many are new friends. Our services are available to visitors as well as to locals:

For Adults – We offer Spanish classes (Tuesdays. Thursdays and Fridays from 11:00 a.m.-12:00p.m. for 50 pesos per class), Mayan classes are also available (ask for more information). We also have a selection of DVDs (adult titles in English) available for rental (10 pesos per day), and there are Alcoholics Anonymous meetings (in the evenings, 8:30-10 p.m., Mondays-Saturdays).

For children – The same programs offered to local children (described above) are open to visitors. We also have a great playground and recreational equipment, and for rainy days we have jigsaw puzzles, art supplies and board games.

For all – come borrow some books or magazines. We have an English annex that includes a huge variety of fiction (great beach reading!), books on local ecology, history and culture, as well as titles in Spanish (for adults and children), French, German and Italian.

Fundraising and current needs at Hekab Be:

We have crossed the half-way mark on our $2000 U.S. challenge grant!

So far we have raised $1245 U.S. and have a month left to raise the remaining $755 dollars. If you make a donation before the end of February, it will be matched dollar-for-dollar: Help us double your generosity!

See our blog site www.hekabbe.blogspot.com for more information about the challenge grant.

Other needs: Currently we need new or gently used clothing for bazaars, newer computers (Windows XP or later), Spanish adult fiction, Spanish language educational/family oriented DVDs, tables & chairs, and VOLUNTEERS! Visit our wishlist blog for more details: http://hbwishlist.blogspot.com

Questions? Email us at: akumallibrary@gmail.com

If you are interested in visiting the school, or doing a project with kids at the library, or volunteering in any other capacity, please contact Maggie: Maggiemk@aol.com

We look forward to seeing you soon at Hekab Be Biblioteca !