Biblioburro crossing a stream
I first came across the Biblioburro when I saw a picture of Luis Soriano and his donkey on the cover of Alberto Maguel’s The Library at Night. I was excited and enthusiastic and inspired, and I still am whenever I come across mention of this fantastic library.
Teacher, librarian, and restauranteur, Soriano cruises around rural northern Colombia on the weekends with his own grassroots bookmobile. With the help of donkeys Alfa and Beta, he brings books to the bookless.
There have been several articles published about the Biblioburro, notably in The New York Times, The Washington Post and La Nacion. It has also been featured on Juan Gossain’s radio show, and is in the process of expanding into a custom-built library as the collection grows. I was excited to discover that the interwebs have footage of the Biblioburro and Soriano in action. Check it out on YouTube – it will make you clutch at your heart and go “Awwwwwwww!”
The best thing is that Soriano’s not the only one doing this. Take a look at the Biblioburro blog for more.
The Burning Library 