Mexico City, Mexico
May 3, 2014
Thank you for coming today. Welcome to the CAFEMIN Library.
Normally, I don´t have a problem speaking extemporaneously in front of a group--in English. But in Spanish....that is a different story. Please forgive me, but I have to use my notes.
I was in Mexico City last October to visit an Australian friend, Rachelle, who was visiting. Rachelle has been a long time guest at La Casa de los Amigos.
One night, she said to me, ¨Dan...you have to speak to Lis. She has a project she is certain you will be interested in.¨
That night, we met at a small restaurant to discuss the project. A new refugee center was opening, the nuns in charge had a library, lots of books, but no one to organize it. ¨You´re the best,¨ Lis told me.
The following Saturday we made a trip to Los Misterios. A large group of young people form Belize were painting I met with Sister Miriam who showed me the space. I was excited. I´d get a chance to design a library which is something we´re all trained to do, but rarely do.
The nuns wanted a library. They had the books and the space, but lacked a specialist.
I remember two things about that visit--there were piles and piles of books in the library--books on the shelves and books in boxes--lots and lots of boxes. I also remember what seemed to be hundreds of books drying on the stage. (It wasn´t until much, much later when I learned that someone had left a faucet running unchecked for hours. The overflow destroyed many books, and almost all the files of one of the case workers.)
That night I wrote Sister Mirian.
¨What do you want in a library?¨
¨Do you want a library with lots of books or a quality library with fewer books?
¨Who will be using the library?¨
¨What exactly is your goal?¨
We wrote each other during the fall and early winter, and then I arrived at CAFEMIN at the end of January.
For a full month I separated books, brochures and magazines--some of which dated the the 1960´s. I filled three bags of garbage, but I also found treasures--books that dated back to the early part of the 19th centuries, books more than 200 years old.
I was very excited. When I was a student in graduate school, a standard project was to design a library, but the reality is that very few of us ever have the opportunity to do that. We make changes, but little more than that.
This would be my time.
When the books were separated, I then began the long process of putting them on the shelves.
This morning I received an email from a dear friend and colleague. Her advice is reflected in the design of the library that you now see.
¨Congratulations,¨ it read. ¨You´ve accomplished something great, no matter how small...¨
I immediately wrote back. ¨But it wasn´t a small job. What you see reflects hundred and hundreds of hours. But many of those hours came from others who generously shared their time to help me out.
I did not do this job alone and I could not have finished this first stage without the help of many people. I would never have had this opportunity had it not been for them. Thank you, Lis, and thank you Rachelle. I am very grateful.
Secondly, I would like to thank Mirian. Mirian is my boss and the intermediary between me and CAFEMIN.
Thank you, Mirian, for a great deal.
Thank you for having confidence in me. You knew that I knew my job and I appreciate, a lot, the respect that you showed me.
Also, and this is important to know, Mirian is my Italian grandmother.
Normally, I only eat two meals a day, but early on I was invited to join the sisters for lunch--their main meal of the day. Initially, I said no, but then realized that was rude, so I began to join them.
¨Eat, Dan.¨ Eat,¨ she exhort me.
¨But I´m not hungry, Mirian. Really. I´m satisifed with me orange.
¨No, Dan, eat.¨
And did, and it was always delicious, and then I began to look forward to lunch.
Finally, one day I was curious. ¨Mirian,¨ I asked her, ¨Is your family Italian?¨
My grandmother was from Italy, so yes.¨
Ah ah! I finally understood.
Mirian...when it´s 2:00 pm, and I´m back in New York, I´m going to start wondering...when´s it time to eat?
As a matter of fact, Mirian is an excellent cook, and I´m going to your fabulous dinners.
Thank you, Mirian.
I also want to thank Leonore. Leo came to the library many, many times to help. She became my right hand woman.
I know the job was boring, but Leo typed the catalog numbers on the labels, attached them to the books then wrote the bibliographic information in each book--almost 1,000 times.
Thank you, Leo!
I want to thank Rony. Rony was a guest here from January to March when he returned to Honduras. Rony was a man who was not afraid of hard work.
He moved boxes and boxes of books out of the library. He repaired shelving units and leveled the shelves when necessary--few of which were level. He moved shelving units out of the library and other ones in.
Thank you, Rony. Without your help my work here would have much more difficult.
I also want to thank Jose. YOu have become my friend during my time here. Thank you for all the wonderful chats--in English and in Spanish. Thank you for all of your advice, and for letting me know that the library will move forward while I´m away.
I want to thank my friend Gerardo.
Gerardo works full time and is a full time student, but twice he he cam here to help me. With his tools, he finished the shelf work that Rony began and then attached them to the wall. And two days ago he came again--this time with his drill--to hang the art work.
Thank you, Gerardo.
I want to thank Celia for making the slip cover that covers the sofa. Underneath that slip cover is a more-than-ugly sofa that, I think, had been relegated to the garbage pile. Now, with your nicely done sewing, the love seat is much more attractive.
Thank you, Celia.
I want to thank Tere and Magda. Thank you for the warmth of your friendship and for all the moral support you´ve shown since I´ve been here.
I want to thank Olga and Marisol. Thank you, Olga, for all times you helped type catalog labels and thank you for all the delicious meals you made for me.
And Marisol, sweetheart... I´m going to miss the visits and your laughter and all the times we´d color together and all the times you´d just sit with me while I was working.
Finally, I want to thank two American friends-both librarians. They helped me a great deal with the design of the library and offered wonderful suggestions that will help me move forward during the second stage.
Thank you Steve and Glenda--two extraordinary librarians.
I know that the library is in good hands. Now, CAFEMIN has a library for the center, for the church, and for the neighborhood. Now you have a spiritual center for the community of faith that you represent.
I leave for New York, but, as always, I leave part of my heart in Mexico City. But, I´m already planning to return in January. There are still lots of books to process and I have plans for the second stage of the CAFEMIN library.
Thank you, once again, for being here today.
And now, I would like to introduce the woman who will be the librarian--Leonor.
Leo, I know the library is in good hands with you, too.
May 3, 2014
Thank you for coming today. Welcome to the CAFEMIN Library.
Normally, I don´t have a problem speaking extemporaneously in front of a group--in English. But in Spanish....that is a different story. Please forgive me, but I have to use my notes.
I was in Mexico City last October to visit an Australian friend, Rachelle, who was visiting. Rachelle has been a long time guest at La Casa de los Amigos.
One night, she said to me, ¨Dan...you have to speak to Lis. She has a project she is certain you will be interested in.¨
That night, we met at a small restaurant to discuss the project. A new refugee center was opening, the nuns in charge had a library, lots of books, but no one to organize it. ¨You´re the best,¨ Lis told me.
The following Saturday we made a trip to Los Misterios. A large group of young people form Belize were painting I met with Sister Miriam who showed me the space. I was excited. I´d get a chance to design a library which is something we´re all trained to do, but rarely do.
The nuns wanted a library. They had the books and the space, but lacked a specialist.
I remember two things about that visit--there were piles and piles of books in the library--books on the shelves and books in boxes--lots and lots of boxes. I also remember what seemed to be hundreds of books drying on the stage. (It wasn´t until much, much later when I learned that someone had left a faucet running unchecked for hours. The overflow destroyed many books, and almost all the files of one of the case workers.)
That night I wrote Sister Mirian.
¨What do you want in a library?¨
¨Do you want a library with lots of books or a quality library with fewer books?
¨Who will be using the library?¨
¨What exactly is your goal?¨
We wrote each other during the fall and early winter, and then I arrived at CAFEMIN at the end of January.
For a full month I separated books, brochures and magazines--some of which dated the the 1960´s. I filled three bags of garbage, but I also found treasures--books that dated back to the early part of the 19th centuries, books more than 200 years old.
I was very excited. When I was a student in graduate school, a standard project was to design a library, but the reality is that very few of us ever have the opportunity to do that. We make changes, but little more than that.
This would be my time.
When the books were separated, I then began the long process of putting them on the shelves.
This morning I received an email from a dear friend and colleague. Her advice is reflected in the design of the library that you now see.
¨Congratulations,¨ it read. ¨You´ve accomplished something great, no matter how small...¨
I immediately wrote back. ¨But it wasn´t a small job. What you see reflects hundred and hundreds of hours. But many of those hours came from others who generously shared their time to help me out.
I did not do this job alone and I could not have finished this first stage without the help of many people. I would never have had this opportunity had it not been for them. Thank you, Lis, and thank you Rachelle. I am very grateful.
Secondly, I would like to thank Mirian. Mirian is my boss and the intermediary between me and CAFEMIN.
Thank you, Mirian, for a great deal.
Thank you for having confidence in me. You knew that I knew my job and I appreciate, a lot, the respect that you showed me.
Also, and this is important to know, Mirian is my Italian grandmother.
Normally, I only eat two meals a day, but early on I was invited to join the sisters for lunch--their main meal of the day. Initially, I said no, but then realized that was rude, so I began to join them.
¨Eat, Dan.¨ Eat,¨ she exhort me.
¨But I´m not hungry, Mirian. Really. I´m satisifed with me orange.
¨No, Dan, eat.¨
And did, and it was always delicious, and then I began to look forward to lunch.
Finally, one day I was curious. ¨Mirian,¨ I asked her, ¨Is your family Italian?¨
My grandmother was from Italy, so yes.¨
Ah ah! I finally understood.
Mirian...when it´s 2:00 pm, and I´m back in New York, I´m going to start wondering...when´s it time to eat?
As a matter of fact, Mirian is an excellent cook, and I´m going to your fabulous dinners.
Thank you, Mirian.
I also want to thank Leonore. Leo came to the library many, many times to help. She became my right hand woman.
I know the job was boring, but Leo typed the catalog numbers on the labels, attached them to the books then wrote the bibliographic information in each book--almost 1,000 times.
Thank you, Leo!
I want to thank Rony. Rony was a guest here from January to March when he returned to Honduras. Rony was a man who was not afraid of hard work.
He moved boxes and boxes of books out of the library. He repaired shelving units and leveled the shelves when necessary--few of which were level. He moved shelving units out of the library and other ones in.
Thank you, Rony. Without your help my work here would have much more difficult.
I also want to thank Jose. YOu have become my friend during my time here. Thank you for all the wonderful chats--in English and in Spanish. Thank you for all of your advice, and for letting me know that the library will move forward while I´m away.
I want to thank my friend Gerardo.
Gerardo works full time and is a full time student, but twice he he cam here to help me. With his tools, he finished the shelf work that Rony began and then attached them to the wall. And two days ago he came again--this time with his drill--to hang the art work.
Thank you, Gerardo.
I want to thank Celia for making the slip cover that covers the sofa. Underneath that slip cover is a more-than-ugly sofa that, I think, had been relegated to the garbage pile. Now, with your nicely done sewing, the love seat is much more attractive.
Thank you, Celia.
I want to thank Tere and Magda. Thank you for the warmth of your friendship and for all the moral support you´ve shown since I´ve been here.
I want to thank Olga and Marisol. Thank you, Olga, for all times you helped type catalog labels and thank you for all the delicious meals you made for me.
And Marisol, sweetheart... I´m going to miss the visits and your laughter and all the times we´d color together and all the times you´d just sit with me while I was working.
Finally, I want to thank two American friends-both librarians. They helped me a great deal with the design of the library and offered wonderful suggestions that will help me move forward during the second stage.
Thank you Steve and Glenda--two extraordinary librarians.
I know that the library is in good hands. Now, CAFEMIN has a library for the center, for the church, and for the neighborhood. Now you have a spiritual center for the community of faith that you represent.
I leave for New York, but, as always, I leave part of my heart in Mexico City. But, I´m already planning to return in January. There are still lots of books to process and I have plans for the second stage of the CAFEMIN library.
Thank you, once again, for being here today.
And now, I would like to introduce the woman who will be the librarian--Leonor.
Leo, I know the library is in good hands with you, too.
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