CASA's LibraryProviding the Community Books, Videos, Music, and Free Computers
Since the founding of CASA, there was a demand for a collection of resources that would fit the needs of our teenage outreach workers, each of whom develop their own materials for their various classes on sexual education, reproductive rights, and other diverse themes related to the improvement of family and community life. In order to provide them and the community sufficient, up-to-date, and engaging information on these regularly shied-away-from topics, CASA established its first library on Umarón street in 1990. At the time, it was the only library which offered such services to the city's youth, who came often to prepare for their school presentations and to do homework.
Bit by bit, the library increased its text and video collections such that they could offer to the greater San Miguel public all the resources of CASA's specialized library. The same intention informed the move, in 2000, to the new and current facility in the Santa Julia neighborhood, a move which successfully captured the attention of neighborhood residents, students, teachers and all ages of San Miguel inhabitants.
Government Cooperation and Growth
As the population grew, and technology progressed, CASA has cooperated with various state and national organizations in the pursuit of providing the community with a consistently. After years of cooperation with SEEVyT (now INAEBA), CASSA, and INEA, all government education programs which dedicate themselves to continuing education and technology improvement, CASA's library now offers state-of-the-art computers, educative software, videos, games, as well as its over 20,000-book collection.
Helping Us Build a Better Future The only cost of these services to the people of San Miguel is the one dollar fee to cover their library-card. In order to continue offering our books, videos, computers, high-speed internet, classes, and workshops, we always accept donations of materials – and of personal time – but even more importantly, we seek out sponsors for the library itself. Help us continue our programs by sponsoring the running of our library: click here to donate.
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The CASA Computer Lab offers to all library members 9 computers equiped with the latest software, encylcopedias, and high-speed internet. At least once every week, each day-care class spends over an hour learning how to use the computers, to write on a keyboard, draw on paint, and use computer-encyclopedias. Our midwives come to the lab to do research, our promoters come to finish their homework from continuing education classes CASA helps sponsor, and local children and adults come for free internet and word processing.
Two San Miguel Women Practice Sewing and Exchange Experiences The CASA Library offers its community not only a collection of over 20,000 books, videos, CDs, and a fully-up-to-date computer lab; it also offers a variety of classes in crafts, including sewing, computing, English, candle-making, quiltmaking, painting on fabric, hair-cutting and tailoring, reading and writing, dancing, aerobics, yoga, and much more. |
