Runnin’ Down a Dream
3 weeks ago
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Downtown Santiago needs an English Library
Downtown Santiago really needs an English library. I have books to donate, but no one to donate them to. (I definitely want to be able to have access to them after loaning them.) The National Library will accept them, but only in the regular section, not in the part where you can take the books home, préstamo a domicilio. :( I've thought about donating a book in English to publimetro, but I doubt they would lend it. I have this idea it would disappear. But I should stop being so pajera and try it out and find out. I would donate most of my books in English if I thought people would eventually be able to check them out. So I'm going to donate The DaVinci Code and see if they actually make it available for checking out and take it from there. Meanwhile I have quite the stack of books.
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8 comments:
What if you started your own library?
I don't have space for books :( I would start my own library if I had a place to put books. But also I like the idea of public libraries (as long as they are convenient) because then I can share my books with others. Also I have some books I don't care to have and would love to donate them to an English library. I just really like the idea of "bienes publicos".
Plus if there were an English library, people's English students could go check out books there. Hace falta.
When I started teaching English in Chile, I NEEDED to read in English to regain my fluency. Because sometimes my students say things in English and I don't know if it's correct or not. Often it sounds right, but I don't know if that's because I speak Spanish, or if what they are saying really is correct in English. It doesn't happen all the time. But easily it happens to me a couple times a week. It's not that big a deal in the big scheme of things, but it does bother me.
I hope bibliometro is cool about this. I think it may be the way to go.
Another possibility might be to give them to the North American Institute. I haven't been affiliated with them for years, but they had a big library and students, teachers and maybe even the public could check them out.
Not public-public... but at least they'd be in a place where they would be likely to be used and appreciated!
Hey there, random lurker chiming in here. I follow a few of the well written Chile blogs since my boyfriend and I are moving down there this fall. I used to live in Italy and had a similar problem. No english library and constantly buying books became cost prohibitive. I found out that a couple of the english speaking embassies though (American and Canadian) in that city had set up a lending library for books and movies for their citizens. They were quite flexible about it also, as the American one gave me a membership even though I am Canadian. Also, a few years ago, in ... it was Australia I think (where books are ridiculously expensive), a large group of us got together and just began exchanging books. They would get passed around amongst a group of us, so that others had a chance to read something new and I got rid of something I'd already read but got something new to read myself. It required a bit more organization but also gave me a reason to meet up with people for some wine and book exhange action... Cheers ;)
Thanks for the advice. If the bibliometro fails, I'll try you guys' ideas. We have tried to get together and exchange books here, but I've never been able to make it to the get together. mmm I suppose I could organize one around my availabilty. Hadn't thought of that til now. And I'll keep in mind donating them to an institute. That's a good idea too.
Thanks ;)
What if you go to some of the english bookstores (there are several around the city,but the one I know is near the clinica alemana in vitacura) and ask about donating books? They may have some system, or even an organization that accepts used english books...those bookstores are always full of expats...someone surely had your problem before and maybe figured out something! They may even have a used books section in the store! :)
Hi my name is Alejandro and i love reading. I dont mind if we exchange or you lend me some some of your books... nice intelligent blog. I am an urban cyclist from Ñuñoa city so I can get to any adjacent comuna,
Regards.
janosalazar@gmail.com
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