El Biblioburro!

[alexiscartwheel]

Did anyone else catch this morning's NY Times article about the Biblioburro? The Biblioburro is like a bookmobile, only with donkeys. The service is run by Luis Soriano, a teacher in La Gloria, Colombia, who carries books to readers in nearby towns. I don't necessarily agree with the writer that the Biblioburro is "whimsical", because I think that downplays the fact that Soriano is providing an amazing service in an underprivileged area.

Anyway, check it out! I think it wins the coolest library of the day award.

Comments

[vegablack62.livejournal.com]

Thanks for posting this. I really liked reading about this man and his work. I'm with you. I don't understand what is whimsical about bringing books to people who don't have them and have no other way to get them. He uses donkeys because that is what works in the poor rural region where he lives. How is that different from a bookmobile or Andrew Carnegie building Libraries for working class Americans 100 years ago.

The word implies it's whimsical to expect such people to want books which is offensive.

I'm being too sharp about a wonderful article about a man who is truly doing noble work on his own in his own way and has endangered himself to do it. Librarian as action hero. Yeah!!! (I want to send him books. My husband is a fan of Ruben Dario -- he'd be thrilled.)

Again thanks for alerting us to this.

[alexiscartwheel.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I definitely didn't mean to be too harsh with the author about the "whimsical" comment, since that was pretty much the only negative about the article. And I think you've got a good assessment--he really is an everyday hero, cause what he's doing could make such a big difference in people's lives.