Embassy Events

Public Diplomacy Officer Donated Books and Opened Art Exhibits in Santa Cruz

Public Diplomacy Officer Cyndee Crook Donates Books to Santa Cruz Students

On August 22, 2007 Public Diplomacy Officer Cyndee Crook donated a collection of books to the Santa Cruz Municipal Library.  During her remarks at the Contemporary Museum of Art in Santa Cruz, she encouraged the gathered students to enjoy reading as a way to succeed in life.  The book collection is part of the program “Bolivia and the United States United in Reading”.  Also during her visit to the museum, Crook opened two rotating art exhibits “United States Education” and “American Heritage”.  These exhibits teach viewers about the system of Education in the U.S. and about American people.  The exhibits were displayed in the museum from August 22 until September 7. 

More about the Book Program

The books of American authors, translated into Spanish, are traditionally distributed by the U.S. Embassy in Bolivia to Municipal Libraries, University Libraries, and other public libraries.

Since 2004, the Book Program developed a new approach, with the perspective to reach children, youth and indigenous populations that do not have support for their libraries. 

In this context, a five-year campaign has been developed with the National System of Public School Libraries (“Banco del Libro”), the Municipal Governments of the different Bolivian cities, the Rural Academic Units of the Catholic University, Teachers College, and other libraries opened to disadvantaged populations.

The national campaign “Estados Unidos y Bolivia unidos en la lectura 2004-2009” intends to reach all the Bolivian territory, with the support of different institutions. 

The U.S. Embassy has committed itself to donate books from the “Scholastic Collection” to approximately one hundred public libraries.

The cost of each collection is about $us 1,800 and it is supplemented by publications from our Information Resource Center, IRC (around 200 publications on history, geography, economy, democracy, and other topics of general interest).

To date the U.S. Embassy has already donated around 16,500 books and by 2009 we hope to have donated 40,000 books