Our new campaign: Full Shelves, Happy Hearts - filling the shelves of Rosarito’s five libraries

Did you know that Mexico ranks second to last among 108 nations on UNESCO's index of reading? Less than half of the population reads, and only 2 percent have the lifelong habit of reading.

Through our Rosarito Lee (Rosarito Reads) program, we lend books to 2000-4000 children each year. And through the children, we reach their families, including parents and grandparents. Once excited about reading, they need to find their libraries to be a rich resource. Our new fundraising campaign strives to fill the five local library branches with appealing books for all ages.

Why do we need to do this?

Because it has become increasingly apparent that the book collections of Rosarito’s five library branches are in a state of crisis. Shelves appear full but are actually stocked with outdated encyclopedias, outdated periodicals, and many titles of little interest to local readers. The few popular titles are often in deteriorating condition. How can this be? The plain truth is that government funds have not been there to purchase books.

So, in 2017 we stepped up to put a substantial budget behind book purchases.  We call it our “Full Shelves, Happy Hearts” campaign, Estantes Llenos, Corazón Contento in Spanish.

We have begun our deliveries,  finding help in all kinds of places. Bookstore Libreria el Día in Tijuana helps fill the librarians’ Wish Lists and recommends additional titles suitable for all ages, securing them for us with a discount. Publishers in the US, such as Houghton Mifflin, Scholastic, and Spanish Publishing, sell us titles from their Spanish catalogs at discounts of as much as 50%. Funds raised at our Benefit Piano Concert helped us make further purchasers at the annual Feria del Libro in Tijuana.

But these initial deliveries have barely made a dent. And we will not cease until each library greets visitors with shelves full of appealing books. 

Please help. Become a Full Shelves Patron at the level of your choice today. Your donation of  will help us transform the libraries’ collections.
  Blue Patron $25 - enables us to purchase 5 books
  Silver Patron $50 - enables us to purchase 10 books
  Golden Patron $100 - enables us to purchase  20 books
  Platinum Patron $200 - enables us to purchase 40 books
  Diamond Patron $500 - enables us to purchase 100 books
Every Patron will be recognized with book plates with their names in the purchased  books. Platinum and Diamond Patrons will have shelf plaques placed on their “full shelf” in one of the library branches. Diamond Patrons may specify a specific genre or area, if they desire, and have their recognition plaque placed appropriately such as in the Picture Book Area, Young Adult Area, Non-fiction, Mystery, AudioBook Area etc.

You can be part of our campaign as an individual, couple or group: a book club, a group of golfers/bridge/mahjongg/gin/poker players, a group of friends or neighbors, a religious group – any and all can help fill our libraries’ shelves. And what better birthday, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Christmas or Chanukkah gift could you give to your family and friends?