Crossing Worlds Hopi Projects

Shungopavi Village Library

Shungopavi Village Library
Hopi boy with new binoculars on top of cliff edge with tractor in background represents Hopi youth looking to the future and welcoming learning enrichment supplies and vision for the future

Hopi youth looking to the future by Robert Harrison.

We are coordinating with the Village of Shungopavi staff to establish a community library. 

Shungopavi has a goal to establish a village learning center including computer stations and a library.  


The first books were delivered March 24, 2021 and the start  up library is being set  up in an existing building that is used as a Youth & Elder Center in the Village of Shungopavi. 

Village Services Coordinator Twila Gaseoma and Lainie Hoglan of Crossing Worlds Hopi Projects organizing and shelving first delivery of books March 24, 2021. Photo by Susan Henderson

Village Services Coordinator Twila Gaseoma and Lainie Hoglan organizing and shelving first delivery of books March 24, 2021. Photo by Susan Henderson

This followed months of work by our volunteer library team with planning, ordering, creating a website/check out system for the library, computer donation, inputing books into system and labeling on spine of books.

Robert Harrison from Crossing Worlds Hopi Projects is sharing Shungopavi Village Library website functions with Twila Gaseoma.

Our volunteer Robert Harrison sharing the Shungopavi Village Library computer set up with Village Services Coordinator 3-25-21 (photo by Sharon Harrison)


The main focus is on youth reading literacy and children’s books–fiction and non-fiction.  We also have an adult fiction and non-fiction section and Native American and children’s DVD’s.

Hopi girl reading a book at home.


Donations are welcome to help us purchase more shelves, books, furniture, and kids activity items for the new Shungopavi Village Library.

MAKE A $ DONATION FOR SHUNGOPAVI VILLAGE LIBRARY


Library Vision

by Lainie Hoglan

“Reading opens a door to the world.  It enables a Hopi child to cross the boundary between their isolated village and the rest of the world. Children on the Hopi reservation have limited opportunities to read, whether from high quality children’s books or on a tablet. They just don’t own many books, and internet is sparse.

Down the road we can envision a few comfortable chairs and carpeting,  high school students or parents volunteering to read to the little ones, a story hour, maybe crafts related to the story, and even a teen book club.

If books are available, the idea becomes a reality, and childhood literacy becomes a path to success in this world. 

 It has been documented that the surest way to develop reading skills is to read to children from a young age.  Books to make you laugh, teach you about other people and transport you to places you probably will never visit. If a child struggles with reading, it is likely he or she will not succeed in school. 

Energy follows intention and imagination.
Please help us make this vision come true!

There will be many books for parents, grandparents, and older children to read to the younger ones, as well as donated fiction for adults who love to read.

Our primary focus is to start with children’s books, from board books for toddlers, to easy beginning readers to novels for teens, from picture books, both fiction and science oriented to biographies and joke books.

Children are naturally mimics, and if they see their mom or dad often enjoying a good book, or learning, for instance, how to make a solar heater, it is more likely they will see reading as a valuable as well as fun activity.

As we receive contributions, we can gradually expand the non-fiction section for teens and adults; such as nature field guides, cultural-archaeological, teen social issues, building a website, local medicinal plants and more.”  


Childrens books in colored coded tubs for Shungopavi Village Library

Books for Hopi Youth in Shungopavi being assembled for delivery.

Library Project Begins summer 2020

We consulted with the village office on library needs and the space they have for this.

We shipped the first sets of shelves to the village.

A young Hopi girl is reading a new children's book brought to her by Lainie Hoglan.

Hopi child receiving reading books from Lainie Hoglan to encourage love of reading.

Lainie Hoglan, our honorary Librarian, who is a former teacher dedicated to childhood literacy–has been ordering and collecting children’s fiction books for several months now.  She has set up a color coding system to make it easier to sort and find the kids books in the new library and is advising us on shelf labeling and supplies.

Lainie and Hugh Hoglan spent March 24 and 25 at Hopi helping to organize and shelve the books plus they hauled a load of books.

Shungopavi Village Library logo by Robert Harrison

Robert Harrison, a volunteer who is a web design and graphics specialist, is setting up a website with book inventory and check out system for the community to use.  He is also donating a lap top for the Shungopavi Village office to use to check out the books.  Rob designed this logo.

Sharon Harrison worked on dewey decimal code labels for the non-fiction books and fiction labels on adult fiction books along with help of Lainie and Hugh Hoglan since last fall.   Sharon continues to research books, decor and learning items appropriate for the library and is taking the lead in entering new books in the system.

Big thanks to Bob and Susan Henderson for their work in loading their pick up truck and hauling books and desk and other supplies and helping with March 24 set up work.

Sandra Cosentino is organizing the project and coordinating with the Village and is also a former teacher.  She is doing outreach in the Verde Valley area to generate funding to purchase books and for donation of  good quality non-fiction books for grade school age through adult in subject areas below.

more photos to be added soon


We welcome monetary donations to purchase new books such as these:

  • Field guides specific to Arizona and the Southwest: birds, mammals, tracks, trees, shrubs, flowers, ecosystems, medicinal herbs of this region
  • Hopi and Ancestral Puebloan Ancestor reference books (culture, anthropology, archaeology, history).  If space allows, we could include other tribal groups of northern Arizona too.
  • Science books (illustrated, non-technical, and understandable for elementary, high school age and young adult) on topics such as: geography, geology, vulcanology, weather, astronomy, planetary, biology, botany, zoology, oceanography and marine biology, toxicology, climate change.
  • Teen and young adult social issues and self-help books
  • Healthy eating guidance
  • Solar greenhouses and solar energy specific to northern Arizona climate
  • Permaculture garden and orchard growing
  • Land and water conservation practices and careers
  • Art inspiration and learning; such as, learning to draw, craft making for kids
  • Sports that may be of interest to the youth
  • Computer graphics and website set up
  • DVD’s for childrens learning and non-fiction adult DVD’s pertinent to Hopi culture and economy and sustainability (e.g., permaculture, website set up and management)

MAKE A $ DONATION FOR
SHUNGOPAVI VILLAGE LIBRARY

 


If want to donate some good quality, lightly used books in the above subject matter as well as children’s fiction books, please call 928-282-0846 


Related links:

Shungopavi Youth Learning Enrichment 

Hopi Holiday Project