Libraries Without Borders US
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Our Response to COVID-19 in Puerto Rico
For the past 13 years, Libraries Without Borders has committed itself to providing equitable access to information, education, and cultural resources for under-resourced communities around the world. During the current crises, this mission means guaranteeing every family is able to access remote learning. However, as we strive to bridge the “digital divide” exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, we recognize that communities hardest hit by this pandemic are those that are still struggling to recover from previous disasters.
In 2017, Hurricane Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico, resulting in $94 billion in damages and an estimated 3,000 deaths. This staggering loss included the closure of more than 250 public schools. In communities with high rates of poverty and crime, such as Loíza and La Perla, residents disproportionately felt the effects of Hurricane Maria.
In the wake of this disaster, Libraries Without Borders US (LWB) partnered with a local nonprofit, Link Puerto Rico, to provide two communities on the island, Loíza and La Perla, with digital tools and educational resources. By collaborating with local leaders, and through the generous support of Sony, LWB and Link Puerto Rico launched the Ideas Box program in 2018. Through this initiative, LWB brought the Ideas Box, a pop-up library and multimedia center, directly to the doorstep of residents in Loíza and La Perla. Here, they were able to access laptops, tablets, VR headsets, 3D printers, arts and crafts supplies, and an array of children’s books. The Ideas Box also became a place of learning where community members gathered to participate in digital literacy classes and other educational activities.
In 2019, the Ideas Box program evolved into “¡Empréndete Loíza!”, a 2-day make-a-thon geared to promote positive social change on the island. The event kicked off with a series of workshops on topics like social entrepreneurship, design thinking, and public speaking. It ended with a pitch competition that gave participants the opportunity to showcase their creativity and technical skills. The winning teams received laptops, tablets, and other tools that would bring their ideas to life.
In 2020, the impact of Hurricane Maria was compounded by yet another disaster: a 6.4 magnitude earthquake. From January 7th to the 16th, a series of earthquakes flattened homes, schools, and roads across the island. With only 2 days until the start of the school year, the Puerto Rico Department of Education deemed many schools unsafe to reopen. This left 240,000 students without a stable education. As 2020 continues, this number is only growing, as the spread of the novel coronavirus leads to the indefinite closure of in-person schooling.
Recent hurricanes and earthquakes as well as the outbreak of COVID-19 have only exacerbated economic and educational hardships on the island. Given these conditions, Libraries Without Borders has reunited with Link Puerto Rico to launch the ConnectED Technology Kits. These kits are part of LWB’s rapid response efforts, and aim to support the remote learning of students in the Loíza community. Since classrooms and public libraries will not be safe or accessible this fall, we are working with Link Puerto Rico to provide functional, at-home education tools through our ConnectED Technology Kit program.
