Fundacion Mahatma Gandhi

The Library: FMG's Activity Center

Biblioteca Comunitaria Anacaona is the Foundation's activity center.
It opened its doors in February of 2006 and from 500 books it has grown into a
collection of 4,000 books in Spanish, English, French, German, Dutch, Italian and
creole. The goal is to reach 5,000 books by the end of 2008.

The library is the hub for a variety of activities. Arts and craft workshops take
place at the library, as do tutoring and academic support programs. Many
community meetings are held in its open-air reading area which can double as a
small theater. In the past two summers the library was also the core center for
summer camps and reading olympics.

All volunteers are given core hours at the library as this helps them get to know
folks one on one. Also, it allows them to work with other volunteers, local and
foreign-born, while becoming more adept at local customs and mores. Children
come to the library to read, but also to do homework, to play, to socialize and to
grow emotionally and socially. The volunteer is then at the center of many of
these functions and from there he or she is in a better position to lead in one on
one or group activities such as arts and crafts, Crisálida and Mariposas groups,
or sports.

Volunteers may choose to spend their entire volunteer time at the library and help
with some of the clerical and menial jobs. However, there's always opportunities
for interaction with children, youth and adults. The entire services of the library
are run by volunteers and it is sustained with donations.

Annette Snyder is the director of library services. More photos here.