Paget's Belize Journal #8
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Stumble It!September 10: Can You Help the Library?
I will be leaving for a four-month stay in Belize in two weeks. One of the things I want to do in Belize this time is to help
the Dangriga librarian, Mrs. Cornelia Ciego, expand the book
collection at the public library there. The library budget is
so small, Mrs, Ciego says she rarely can purchase anything other
than reference materials and a few children's books. I have visited
the library and this is undoubtedly true.
The good news is there is no import duty on books, the bad
news is shipping costs are heart-stopping - the best rate I've
found from Portland, OR is about $1.25/lb and that's a book rate
in particular weight ranges and a total of 100 lbs or so shipped.
That translates to $12 to send about 30 paperbacks. This e-mail
is to ask you to consider helping me with this project. I already
have a few contributions for shipping costs and one generous
pledge. I can use more.
I also can use good quality paperbacks of various sorts -
adult or juvenile/children's, English or Spanish, fiction or
recent non-fiction, used is fine. Ultimately the books need
to be packaged in approximately 10 lb boxes so if anyone can
assemble a box, that would be great.
I'm leaving the morning of September 23 so I'd like to get this
project done by next Friday. I know it's not much notice, but
sometimes those projects turn out the best. Anything you can
do will be greatly appreciated.
September 22: Thanks for (almost) All the Books
Thanks to everyone who gave books and/or mailing contributions
to support the Dangriga library. I have no idea if the librarian
will be thrilled or appalled, but I'll let you know (and my guess
is - a little of each).
I pretty much sent on what you contributed. I found that the
US Postal Service book rate for the "M bag" to Belize
is $.79 US/lb. (see how I'm practicing to be sensitive to other
monetary assumptions). The customs declaration was pretty straightforward
on this end, but I don't know how it will play in Belize. My
sponsors have offered that their customs guy will take care of
it. I don't know yet how big a favor this is.
There were a few things I did not send on.
1. Anything about cute puppies and kitties and how to make
them your friends. In Belize, the dogs either work or hunt for
food in the roadside ditches and the cats are prey. I didn't
want an impressionable Belizean child trying the "speak
softly and confidently" trick on a feral (but otherwise
reasonable-looking) mongrel. Not that they would be that dumb.
2. Readers Digest Condensed Books (you know who you are).
3. The Baseball Season 1985 (puh-lease).
I did actually send on two copies of "Jonathan Livingston
Seagull," but only because they filled up a hole better
than the newspaper stuffing did.
So, I'm off in the morning. Will be in Dangriga by dinner
time on Thursday and possibly eating lobster. Look for another
missive on Monday or Tuesday.
