Mexico aids Mesa library
The Arizona Republic
Jun. 13, 2005
Srianthi Perera

When Mesa resident Virginia Aguero spotted a collection of Spanish-language books at the Mexican Consulate office in Phoenix, she immediately thought of her hometown library. Cuts in the Mesa budget had resulted in a lack of funds to buy new books and the library was seeking donations.

"I am concerned," said Aguero, an artist who has lived in Mesa since 1969 and was a former library board member.

With the help of Susana Ibarra, program coordinator at the consulate, Aguero was able to facilitate the donation of 141 fiction and non-fiction books to the Mesa library, augmenting its Spanish collection of 7,211 items for adults and 3,702 for children. "We were very pleased that Mesa showed an interest in Spanish books," Ibarra said.

Mesa children's librarian Rosa Hamilton, whose section received 25 books, was particularly happy to receive a Spanish translation of The Giver, by Lois Lowry.

"This was a very good addition to our collection," said Hamilton, adding that it is difficult to find translations of English books.