Items needed for summer program

We just checked our supplies and here are some things that will be needed for the summer program:
-->School supplies: pencils, markers, paper (loose sheets of printer paper & drawing paper, pads of lined paper, preferably with wide lines for children learning how to write).

-->Dry-erase white board easels: 1-2 aluminum stand/easel for a dry-erase white board, to prop it up on. We use these for instruction.

--> Costumes, particularly anything pertaining to circus themes, as we will be repeating our children's circus finale to the summer program again this year. Suggested costumes would be clowns, ballerinas, animals, preferably nothing too commercial (no tv or movie characters).


OTHER ITEMS WE NEED:
>>Cash donations to help us pay our devoted staff and other operating expenses. Please consider giving what you might otherwise spend on toys or other items to donate. Without actual money we can't keep the library open.

>>Interior and exterior paint. We are due for a facelift. We need about 10 gallons of blue exterior paint and 3 gallons each of interior paint in the following colors: yellow, orange and white.

>>We are still seeking donations of used/recycled heavy wood doors to put on our annex building

>>Volunteers for:
-- repairs, gardening, computer upkeep, etc. We always have odd jobs from the small to the large that need to be done
--working with the kids: teaching, doing arts & crafts, just about anything you'd like to organize to do with the kids at the library

>> toys to use for prizes for our after-school reading program:
please remember, NO broken toys, NO big toys (no room in crowded homes), NO toys or games that require knowledge of English, and NO toys that need batteries (no money to replace them).
some suggested toy items:
Ball caps, sunglasses, backpacks, cool notebooks. binders or folders, frisbees, jump ropes,
toy car sets, stuffed animals (does not matter what kind), jewelry-making sets, bracelet/necklace/bead making kits, hair accessories kits and sets, any kind of art kit (paint by number/velvet/water-color), dolls, doll clothing, anything Dora the Explorer or Diego the Animal rescuer, kites, soccer balls, pog sets, airplanes, toy car kits, simple puzzles (jigsaw), coloring books, punchy balloon things, any kind of tote bag or backpack.

>>puzzles for younger kids (200 pieces or less) and board games in Spanish (locals and visitors alike enjoy using these items, especially on rainy days! )
We have quite a few 500 piece puzzles, but these are too challenging for the kids. Puzzles with larger pieces, and especially floor puzzles are well-liked.

>>Items for our fabulously popular clothing bazaar fund-raisers. We are having bazaars about every other month, so if you're coming down and looking to clean out a few closets, we'd be happy to get your gently used clothes!

Our most popular item is clothing for kids. Small or medium adult sizes also sell well. Anything XL or larger is simply too big for the locals who come to the bazaars.
Other items we sell well:

--anything for infants or youth sizes, or small adult sizes, LIGHT clothing-shorts, t-shirts, shorts, bathing suits, camis, flip-flops, sneakers, b-ball caps, sun hats, umbrellas, any trendy clothes - Old Navy, Circo, Gap... Light SHORT skirts - long ones are too long for locals.

Questions? Email us: akumallibrary@gmail.com

Running low on toys

Well we never thought we'd see the day, but our toy supplies for prizes for our after school program have actually started to run low. In part, this is due to being open during the Easter break (we often close for a portion of the break) so the kids really racked up the points! Of course this also means they were actually learning during their vacation, so it's not a bad thing.

We know you all don't have much trouble finding appropriate, small toys for the kiddos here, but we'll give you a few suggestions (if you have kids of your own they can also probably clue you in on desirable items):

Please remember, NO broken toys, NO big toys (no room in crowded homes), NO toys or games that require knowledge of English, and NO toys that need batteries (no money to replace them).

>>We are usually short on gifts/toys for older kids (age 10-14): Ball caps, sunglasses, backpacks, cool notebooks. binders or folders, and kites.

>>For younger kids, both boys and girls like the car sets, stuffed animals (does not matter what kind), jewelry sets, bracelet/necklace/bead making kits, hair accessories kits and sets, any kind of art kit (paint by number/velvet/water-color), dolls, doll clothing, anything Dora the Explorer or Diego the Animal rescuer, kites, soccer balls, pog sets, airplanes, toy car kits, simple puzzles (jigsaw), coloring books, punchy balloon things, any kind of tote bag or backpack.

>>puzzles for younger kids (200 pieces or less) and board games in Spanish (locals and visitors alike enjoy using these items, especially on rainy days! )
We have quite a few 500 piece puzzles, but these are too challenging for the kids. Puzzles with larger pieces, and especially floor puzzles are well-liked.

OTHER ITEMS WE NEED:
>>Cash donations to help us pay our devoted staff and other operating expenses. Please consider giving what you might otherwise spend on toys or other items to donate. Without actual money we can't keep the library open.

>>Interior and exterior paint. We are due for a facelift. We need about 10 gallons of blue exterior paint and 3 gallons each of interior paint in the following colors: yellow, orange and white.

>>A large metal easel to support a dry-erase white board for our language classes.

>>We are still seeking donations of used/recycled heavy wood doors to put on our annex building

>>Volunteers for:
-- repairs, gardening, computer upkeep, etc. We always have odd jobs from the small to the large that need to be done
--working with the kids: teaching, doing arts & crafts, just about anything you'd like to organize to do with the kids at the library

>>Items for our fabulously popular clothing bazaar fund-raisers. We are having bazaars about every other month, so if you're coming down and looking to clean out a few closets, we'd be happy to get your gently used clothes!

Our most popular item is clothing for kids. SMALL adult sizes (small or medium) also sell well. Anything XL or larger is simply too big for the locals who frequent the bazaars.
Other items we sell well:

--anything for infants or youth sizes, or small adult sizes, LIGHT clothing-shorts, t-shirts, shorts, bathing suits, camis, flip-flops, sneakers, b-ball caps, sun hats, umbrellas, any trendy clothes - Old Navy, Circo, Gap... Light SHORT skirts - long ones are too long for locals.

Questions? Email us: akumallibrary@gmail.com

Things the library needs-- 2009

>>Desperately seeking the donation of some bookcases! We have over-run our shelf space with all the wonderful book donations we've received and simply have no more space for them.

>>Furniture for the main library building. We need 1-2 card-sized tables & chairs to go with them. These need to be made out of wood or something sturdy, plastic won't hold up with all the wear and tear our furniture gets.

>>We are still seeking donations of used/recycled heavy wood doors to put on our annex building

>>Cash donations to help us pay our devoted staff and other operating expenses.

>>Volunteers for:
-- repairs, gardening, computer upkeep, etc. We always have odd jobs from the small to the large that need to be done
--working with the kids: teaching, doing arts & crafts, just about anything you'd like to organize to do with the kids at the library

>>4 laptop locks

>>1 black toner cartridge, number 12A for an HP 1020 laserjet

>>Items for our fabulously popular clothing bazaar fund-raisers. We are having bazaars about every other month, so if you're coming down and looking to clean out a few closets, we'd be happy to get your gently used clothes!

Our most popular item is clothing for kids. SMALL adult sizes (small or medium) sell best. Anything XL or larger is simply too big for the locals who frequent the bazaars.
Other items we sell well:

--anything for infants or youth sizes, or small adult sizes, LIGHT clothing-shorts, t-shirts, shorts, bathing suits, camis, flip-flops, sneakers, b-ball caps, sun hats, umbrellas, any trendy clothes - Old Navy, Circo, Gap... Light SHORT skirts - the long ones for Gringas are too long for our locals.


Questions? Email us: akumallibrary@gmail.com

Christmas Wishlist

This year HB will give out wrapped Christmas gifts to around 80 children, so it takes us awhile to accumulate enough presents! We are still short on gifts for this year's party, coming up on December 20th.

Here are some suggested items that the kids like and have been asking for:
-stuffed animals of any kind
-dolls
-any type of action figure, for both boys and girls. some favorites are: superheroes (batman, superman, spiderman, wonderwoman, fantastic 4, etc.), diego & dora, power rangers, bratz
-any sort of Disney/Pixar/cartoon figure (McQueen, Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, etc.) in the form of a stuffed animal or action figure type of toy

Questions? Email us: akumallibrary@gmail.com

Low season library needs

We will be holding another clothing bazaar November 1 so if you're coming down and looking to clean out a few closets, we'd be happy to get your old clothes, especially kids' stuff!

Our most popular item is clothing for kids.
But here's a longer list of things:

--gently used clothing, especially newborn & youth sizes, or small adult sizes, LIGHT clothing-shorts, t-shirts, shorts, bathing suits, camis, flip-flops, sneakers, ball caps, sun hats, umbrellas, any trendy clothes - Old Navy, Circo, Gap... Light SHORT skirts - the long ones for Gringas are too long for our locals.

--old but still functional electronics such as radios, CD players or small stereo components, DVD players [as long as these items are used (not new) & packed in luggage (rather than in their original boxes) it should not be any problem to bring them into the country]

--used but still functional household items such as light weight linens, sheets or towels, curtains, anything that is in good condition and you think could be used by another family.

Other needs:
--Right now we are in dire need of cash donations to help us keep our staff paid and electricity on during the low season when visitors are scarce. For more information on how to donate, see our donation blog: http://hekab-be-paypal.blogspot.com/

--We need new tables and chairs for the main library, the ones we have are old and falling apart. These would obviously have to be purchased locally. We are looking for 2 sturdy card- tables, either wood or durable plastic (the plastic furniture for outdoors simply won't hold up with all the use they get in the library) and accompanying chairs.

--We need new doors for our annex building, as the ones we have now are not sturdy enough. We are looking for heavy/solid wood doors or steel doors that have a frame, as well as assistance in hanging them.

--Used DVDs in English or Spanish

--Used computers with flat screens or CPUs. Maybe your business or school district has just upgraded their machines and is looking for a place to donate the old ones? Anything running Windows XP or higher would be a welcome addition, as most of our equipment is quite outdated.

--The only school supplies we need are:
-pencil sharpeners and erasers
-washable (water based) poster paints, in large sizes (like the 1 liter size bottles)
- poster size paper (either posterboard or heavy paper, not newsprint)
-coloring books
- children's workbooks that have connect the dots, mazes, word finds (in Spanish), ABCs (in Spanish) or simple math excercises.
Well loves themes for the coloring/work books are Spiderman and Disney characters.

Have a question about a certain item? Email us at: akumallibrary@gmail.com

Back to school wishlist

It's about that time of year when every one's gearing up for back to school. Our needs haven't changed much from the usual requests.
But in case you're wondering what you can get for the library as you do your own back-to-school shopping, here's our list:
Please remember, NO broken toys, NO big toys (no room in crowded homes), NO toys or games that require knowledge of English, and NO toys that need batteries (no money to replace them).

--prizes (small toys) and school supplies for kids who take part in our regular after school reading activities. Below are some suggested items, but if you have kids they can probably clue you in even better than we can as to what's desired these days.


--We are usually short on gifts/toys for older kids (age 10-14). Ball caps, sunglasses, backpacks, geometry sets (like with triangles, a protractor and compass for drawing circles), solar calculators, cool notebooks, balls (soccer, basketball, volleyball, baseball) and kites.

--For younger kids, both boys and girls like the car sets, stuffed animals (does not matter what kind), jewelry sets, bracelet/necklace/bead making kits, hair accessories kits and sets, any kind of art kit (paint by number/velvet/water-color), dolls, doll clothing, anything Dora the Explorer or Diego the Animal rescuer, kites, soccer balls, pog sets, airplanes, toy car kits, simple puzzles (jigsaw) coloring books, punchy balloon things, any kind of tote bag or backpack

--puzzles for younger kids (100 pieces or less) and board games in Spanish (locals and visitors alike enjoy using these items, especially on rainy days! )
We have quite a few 500 piece puzzles, but these are too challenging for the kids. Puzzles with larger pieces, and especially floor puzzles are well-liked.

As always, we still need the following items:

--3 CPUs/computers (used is fine, as long as it can run Windows XP)

--gently used clothing for children and teens

--volunteers for improvement projects: painting, repairs, gardening, etc.

what we don't need:
--We have plenty of pencils, pens, markers, crayons to last into the school year

IF YOU HAVE VISITED THE LIBRARY AND SEEN ITS GOOD WORK:
1. Tell a friend. Perhaps you can forward this information to a friend or family member who may consider making a donation.

2. Post a photo. Did you take a photo of the library during your last vacation? Post it on a message board and/or e-mail it to us to put on our blog, we love sharing the inspiring stories of friendships people have made at Hekab Be.

3. Write about your experience at the library on a message board and/or email it to us to post on our main blog.

OUR EMAIL: akumallibrary@gmail.com

Used clothing, electronics & household items needed for fundraisers

Our last bazaar was a big success thanks to everyone who donated items. We are hoping to continue doing these fundraisers on a regular monthly or bi-monthly basis, so keep bringing your wonderful used things!

We are currently gathering up items for a yard sale/bazaar to benefit the library. The clothing that our wonderful supporters donate are sold at very reasonable rates (yard/garage sale prices). This provides an outlet for local townspeople to buy items they need at reasonable prices and gives them access to things that are not readily available in stores here. (Please note that if you donated clothing at the library and asked that it be given to needy families, we do *not* include those in our sales, we find families who can make the best use of it).

These bazaars are extremely popular among the town residents, who are always asking Maggie when the next one will be. The answer is always: "When we gather up enough stuff to hold the next sale!"

Due to the success we've had with the sale of clothing, we are expanding to include other items.

Donated items could include:

--gently used clothing, especially newborn & youth sizes, or small adult sizes,LIGHT clothing-shorts, t-shirts, camis, flip-flops, ball caps, sun hats, sunglasses, umbrellas, any trendy clothes - Old Navy, Abercrombie, Gap... Light SHORT skirts - the long ones for Gringas are too long for our locals.
--old but still functional electronics such as radios, cd/tape players or small stereo components, dvd or vhs players [as long as these items are used (not new) & packed in luggage (rather than in their original boxes) it should not be any problem to bring them into the country]
--used but still functional household items such as kitchenware, small kitchen appliances (toasters, coffee pots, blenders, microwaves), pots & pans, bakeware, small lamps, tupperware stuff, plastic (durable) plates and cups, decorative items, light weight linens, sheets or towels, curtains, anything that is in good condition and you think could be used by another family.

If you have questions about whether a certain item would be useful here or not, email us:
akumallibrary@gmail.com