Our mission
Enable countries of Latin America to improve library services, access, and preservation of historical documents as a means of reaching development goals.
Our approach
Through project training and oversight, funding, and cooperative arrangements, Libraries for Latin America will work to strengthen the cultural sector, increase economic activity, create social and institutional capital, and enfranchise marginalized populations.
Our motivation
The idea to found a coalition called Libraries for Latin America comes from the state of affairs cultural envoys have seen on visits to libraries and archives in Paraguay. One of the two landlocked countries of South America, Paraguay has one of the highest poverty rates on the continent and an extraordinarily poor distribution of wealth. The top one-fifth of the population takes home 70% of the income. A grassroots approach is critical if the people are to lead themselves in the years ahead. By increasing reading, promoting information use, and preserving archives and books throughout the country, we can positively affect the level of development. We hope that specific improvements in the information sector can be leveraged to reach broader development goals such as transparency in government, participation in legal and economic reforms, and even awareness of family planning. This coalition, by developing and carrying out projects, will promote learning and encourage country development through the initiative of the population itself.
" Solo Progresan los Pueblos que Leen "
