Lino on the journey

I am Lino Gálvez Blanco, from the El Ahijadero community, in the district of Bambamarca, province of Hualgayoc.

I have known the Rural Libraries for about 28 years, although it has not been continuous; I was a librarian for a time and afterwards I have resumed as coordinator.

For me, reading is learning, the value of self-education, information, training and knowing our reality, what we live, as well as knowing literature.

Having books in the library or going to the library is self-love, self-esteem, training. It gives energy for good behaviour, for its own sake. It is also to value literature and be together with books.

Currently there is a neglect of reading, both for adults and young people. They are caught by too much television and cell phone; that takes their time. For students in schools and colleges there are books, but another thing is cultural, experiential or communal literature. What comes from books for tasks only means to take the books of the State and with that to examine a subject, according to them. But another thing is the experience of Andean literature.

The challenge would be to reach communities and also educational institutions, work with youth to read what is our reality, about what is ours, read those who wrote about Andean nature, our customs, our communities, first of all.