Dear Haiti Friends,
The Rev. Sam Owen forwards the letter below regarding free books available on-line.  Internet connectivity is not possible in all of the Episcopal Schools in Haiti, but for some of them, this might be a valuable resource.  I don’t think the attachment is “live,” but the website provides good information.  Note that this program is run by a non-profit and is free.
A small piece of good news to report — the families from WORK have been able to return to their homes near Cite Soliel after being run out by gangs fighting over turf. They are now beginning the hard work of repairing their damaged, looted, and vandalized homes and businesses, including their police station.  WORK received sufficient donations that with help from local surrounding communities they were able to help house the families and provide food and necessary medical care.
Yours,
Serena
Subject: FREE DIGITAL LIBRARY FOR HAITIAN SCHOOLS – 1,000 BOOKS IN CREOLE

Hello,

My name is Paul Wicks.  I am reaching out because your organization has a program that supports schools in Haiti.  We have a small Connecticut based non-profit called The Reading Room that has worked with schools in Haiti for 20 years.  Our focus is on literacy and school libraries.

This is not a marketing pitch. I just want to let you know our non-profit has launched a free digital library that can be accessed on our website (readingroomhaiti.org) or through our app.  The library has over 3,000 Creative Commons (i.e. open source) illustrated children’s books that have been handpicked for Haitian children from twelve different sources around the world.  They are in French, English, Spanish and, most importantly, we have spent three years translating 1,000 books into Haitian Creole.

The purpose of the digital library is to provide children and schools in Haiti with free access to books on tablets, laptops and some phones.  Any school with an internet connection can access all the books right on our website.  It is also possible to go to our website, download the app (with a subset of books) onto a device’s hard drive and bring it to schools that don’t have the internet.

The library has no cost, no registration process and we are not going to ask you for donations.  We simply believe any school in Haiti could benefit from the library.  We want children in Haiti to have much greater access to books to help them reach their God-given potential.  That’s the goal of The Reading Room.

I have attached a PDF that gets into more detail.  If you have any questions or would like a demo, I can be reached at the mobile number or email address below.

You can also check out our website at readingroomhaiti.org.  If you want to see the library, just click “Explore our Library App” on our home page.  You can also follow us on Facebook @TheReadingRoomLiteracy.

Finally, please consider helping us spread the word by referring others to our website and/or to follow us on Facebook.  The digital library is ready for anybody to use.  We just need to let Haitian schools, churches and non-profits know it’s out there.

Thank you!

Paul Wicks