Second Book Shipment

287 pounds.



Ready for delivery



   The last two barrels were shipped Tuesday January 17th, scheduled to arrive in Georgetown February 9th.
  Along with various odds n' ends, they contain over 200 books bringing the grand total of books shipped to Bartica...

Over 500!

The books have shipped!

The barrels were delivered for shipment during the last week in December.  The green one contains over 300 books!  They're scheduled to arrive in Georgetown, Guyana on January 19th.  Once Roman and I arrive to pick them up, we'll hire a truck to help us drive them to Parika.  From there, we'll catch the "Slow Boat" (a large ferry) to Bartica. The journey from Parika to Bartica will take about 4 hours. Looking forward to the leisurly cruise along the Essequibo River.  More pics to come!

Pics of Books!

 



310 books and counting!  Roman put his visual-spatial intelligence to work and the book barrel is filled almost to the rim.  Our next two donations should bring us to the tip top.

YAY!!!!!!

My home has become a mini library!

A Mi-brary, if you will.

How wonderful to see so many books for the Bartica Library!  Special thanks to Charles and Caryn for the recent shipment. 

Expecting books from two more individuals and after that I will have reached my quota for this shipment.  Thank you all for your generous donations! 

The International Book Project

If you would like to contribute towards "Books for Bartica" but are unable to donate books, I encourage you to visit the International Book Project's website at:
https://npo.networkforgood.org/Donate/Donate.aspx?npoSubscriptionId=1002441

The International Book Project is a spectacular non-profit organization dedicated to shipping books to underserved communities since 1966.  Recent projects involved the IBP sending books to Guatemala, Sierra Leone, and Costa Rica.

When I called the IBP to speak to a staff member about my vision/plan/brainstorm/gear-chugging idea for the Bartica Library, I spoke with a girl named Amanda.  She was especially excited to hear about my idea since she had just returned from - you won't believe this - Guyana!

I thought this was providential, since most people have a hard time placing Guyana on the map, and if they attempt to, they wind up somewhere in Africa.

Hmmmm, this makes me think:



Guyana is in the Northeast corner of the South American Continent.

This is the end of your Geography lesson.

Anyway -

I am partnering with the IBP for my Books For Bartica project, and I am very excited about this! 
I encourage everyone to check out their website and learn more about their shipping methods and success stories.  There is a comprehensive breakdown of how funds are used at IBP,  with a pie chart that I personally find very encouraging

Should you feel moved to make a financial contribution...

 You will find a box marked "Dedication" with an option to choose who/what your donation is in behalf of.  By specifying "Books for Bartica/Guyana", your donation will go directly towards my project!  Once enough funds are allocated (around $1500.00), the IBP will ship several small shipments or a pallet of books from their own storehouses directly to me in Bartica. I love the fact that you can add 3% to your donation so that 100% of it goes to the IBP (ordinarily 97% goes to the IBP, with 3% going towards a non-profit partner).  I also love their transparency in that they've posted their IRS 990 forms on their site, along with a graphic showing how contributions were used in 2010. 

The IBP is an open book (no pun intended) when it comes sharing how they've used donations; you can even download their IRS 990 forms as well as take a peek at their Audited Financial Statements.

More Time to Contribute

We've decided to postpone our shipment another 2-3 weeks.  Packing for a year long trip is daunting, and when are you ever finished?  There's always just one more thing to add.
And so if any of you have been wanting to get me that old box of books that's been under your bed since 1999...
 You are not too late.
A big, bloggy thank you to recent donors Shari Tuska, Amber Lecus, Anne Bowe, Debbie Knepke, Julie Everett, and Kerrie, Ella and Sabin.  Thank you for your books!

Your Official Invitation

Why, hello there.

As you can see, here I am perched atop a 55-gallon steel barrel.  Placed directly to my left are a stack of books. I am doing this to illustrate that:

A) I'm ready for my close-up
B)  Having 55-gallon steel barrels for furniture is perfectly normal
C) I'm ready to ship a barrel loaded with awesome books to a library in Guyana that really, really needs them!

If you guessed C, you are correct!  Thank you for playing.

Yes, you guessed, it - one of these barrels will serve as a container to ship the books I've collected to Bartica, Guyana.*+

As I've attempted to portray, the barrel is large, which means it can hold lots of books.

Therefore, this is your Official Invitation to contribute to this project by donating books for the Bartica Library!

For your convenience and presumed curiosity, here are some FAQ's:


When will the books ship?

The books are scheduled to ship out of Brooklyn, NY at the end of November, 2011.  Yes, that's only 2 1/2 weeks from today!

What kind of books are needed?

Guyana is an English-speaking country, and books written in English are needed.  Ideally, books with simple, easy to understand language are best (i.e. classics and high-school level literature are preferable to War and Peace).  Children's books of every subject are needed.  Short stories, Poetry, Novels, How-To and/or Craft and Hobby books are also needed.   Do you have a favorite book?  How about writing a short inscription in a copy of it and dedicating to the Bartica Library?

I have books I'd like to donate, but they are not like what you've described.  Do you still want them?

Yes!  With such a shortage, any books are better than no books at all.

How can I donate?

Send an email to sarahzanoni@gmail.com.  We'll coordinate the best method for me to receive your books.  If you live outside Milwaukee and wish to donate, don't despair!  We'll discuss a way to make it happen.


If I can't donate books, how else can I contribute?

This is an excellent question!  Please stay tuned.



*Why only one, you ask?  Please watch for future post, "The International Book Project".

+ For more information on Bartica, Guyana, please refer to the post, "The Bartica Library".