Knock, Knock

When you keep knocking eventually a door will open.

Library and Literacy Foundation of San Joaquin County established in 1990, supports "programs that foster literacy and support the power of reading." First supporting the Stockton-San Joaquin Public Library Adult Literacy program, they have since expanded to include various family and community activities such as their annual Trivia Bee and participation with Family Day in the Park.

Masood Cajee, one of the Foundation's Directors, followed up with Richard Soto and I recently to discuss our intentions for the bilingual library and museum. Masood and Photographer/Author Robert Dawson toured Biblioteca San Joaquin Mueritta; they walked through the halls and basement filled with books, magazines, albums, dvds and art work.

Masood gave several examples of public library systems with successful specialized libraries such as The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture a research unit of the New York City Public Library.

Could a Latino bilingual library and museum in Stockton follow a similar framework and be a part of the Stockton-San Joaquin County Public Library resource? Yes!

We have agreed to partner our project with the Foundation's plan to improve our Stockton-San Joaquin Public Library resources. We couldn't be more excited!  This is a positive step toward making our bilingual library and museum a reality!