The tiny island of Tobago in the West Indies is less than a day's ferry ride from Port of Spain, Trinidad but in many ways, is a world unto its own. Unlike its Sister island (Trinidad & Tobago are one country), it is graced with sandy beaches, sparkling azure seas and a more relaxed manner of living. Over the years, many from North America have sailed into the lee of Tobago and decided to make it home. Among them are Californians Paul London and Janet Barter and Jane Young-Anglim, who travel between a home in Tobago and another in Connecticut. What the Londons and Young-Anglim have in common is an uncompromising dedication to raising the level of literacy in Tobago.

To accomplish that objective, Young-Anglim has single handedly begged and bought enough books and materials to establish libraries at Black Rock, Bethesda, Montgomery, St. Andrew’s Anglican and Buccoo Government Primary Schools and the Signal Hill High School. Youngsters at Canaan (Sister Jo’s) and Buccoo pre-schools are also enjoying new libraries. Scarsborough Secondary High School is the current library project.

Paul and Janet established the very first computer education center in the small village of Charlottesville. There are now four additional computer centers, including those at Patience Hill, Buccoo and Black Rock established by Jane Young-Anglim. The London and Barter provide the curriculum for all locations. Locals David Williams and Deborah Peiser are among those who provide on site supervision. Peiser is Director of the non-profit Tobago Life Centers. Shipments of books, materials, computers and software are received by Tobago Life Centers and distributed to the school or center currently being established.

The building of libraries on Tobago is on ongoing project, now operating under the auspices of Boaters for Books. Each library contains a fiction section divided into Beginners, Early Reading, Middle and Advanced. Non-fiction is divided into sections for Science, History, Biography, Geography, Sports, Holidays and Religion. Children's magazines like Highlights for Children are in much demand, as are puzzles and arts & crafts. It remains the responsibility of each school to establish a separate air-conditioned room and metal shelving to house the books. Without such an environment, according to Jane, "these books would disintegrate in the heat and humidity in eighteen months. The dry wood termites can do tremendous damage."

For More Information on Tobago's Project and how you can get involved, email Kathy1@boatersforbooks.org.