Pueblo of Jemez

With this grant, the community library in the Pueblo of Jemez will continue to serve as a focal point for preserving the Towa language and Jemez Pueblo culture, traditions, and knowledge as well as to act as a strong community partner in meeting the educational needs of Jemez children, teens, adults, and elders. Library staff will acquire cultural resource materials, make them accessible to community members, and use them as a foundation for cultural workshops and for creating original books in Towa that tell stories about local Jemez “heroes” and history. In addition, pre-school children and their parents will participate in programs that promote literacy and school-readiness. In response to other growing needs, the library staff will also focus on special training topics for jobseekers and create an environment that will encourage teens to visit the library not only for study, but for leisure reading as well.