Our library is all about making reading and learning accessible to Pedro and hundreds of children like him in the community of Chajul.
Library users have access to universal shared knowledge t
hrough a growing collection of books and other resources. We also value local knowledge and encourage an emphasis on the rich Maya Ixil culture.
In Chajul, the knowledge of community elders is passed on orally from generation to generation. Every month, we invite a community elder into our beautiful space to tell a story at cultural story hour. The themes are diverse, but they all tie into the history and culture of the Ixil region.
Our library’s space also honors the Ixil culture. One room’s walls are covered with pictures and writings depicting traditional Ixil food and dress, the history and culture of the region, and the alphabet used for writing in Ixil.
Help us continue our valuable programs and nurture a pride and an interest in local Ixil knowledge. Please give to enable our library to continue growing and serving the community of Chajul.
Marilú really shines at bilingual story hour, where she reads in both Spanish and Ixil for up to 60 captivated children at a time. Marilú also loves our monthly cultural story hour and believes that it is important “for those that cannot remember” and “to rescue our culture” for the children and the youth of Chajul. She knows that there is a risk of loss and forgetting that we can prevent with active measures to preserve culture and memory. 
Marilú’s warm smile and bright energy ensures that the library is a welcoming and open place for Chajul’s youth to meet, to read, and to learn.
Last Week’s Cultural Story Hour: Marriage Traditions
Just last week, elder Pablo Bop spoke with the children of the library about marriage in Chajul and how the tradition has changed in his lifetime. The cultural story hour was presented in Ixil and recorded and translated by LHI staff. We’d like to share a snippet with you today:
In the past, marriages were not a decision between two young people, but were arranged by their parents. Unmarried men and women did not speak with each other in the streets as they do now. Marriages were initiated with negotiations between the parents in the presence of a spiritual guide. When the woman was married, she would wear a huipil (traditional blouse) as a veil.
Pablo Bop’s description of a former time sparked much interest, delight, and laughter from our curious young library members.