LaredoBuzz.Com

Courtesy Xochitl Mora,

Petition, letter writing campaign and Christmas story telling are just some of  the planned events to promote Laredo Reads

  Laredo, TX—Mon., Dec. 21, 2009— “Once upon a time. . . .”   “It was the best of times, it  was the worst of times.”  These phrases are much more than just the opening lines of famous books; for  the citizens of Laredo, time is running out for them and their one and only  bookstore.  And just like in the fairy tale, citizens hope that Prince Charming – in the form of a major bookstore company – will come in and save the day.

 But this is the real world, and unlike those fairy princesses, these citizens aren’t  content to wait around for something magical to happen.  They are going to make their own happy ending.

 When the devastating news that B. Dalton, Laredo’s only bookstore, was going to close its doors for good in January 2010, a core group of communication professionals sprang into action, forming a committee and planning a campaign to show corporate America – and the rest of the world – that a bookstore in this bilingual, bicultural border community, would be very profitable indeed. 

 The committee, and the campaign, has a simple message:  Laredo Reads.

Contrary to popular belief, B. Dalton, a fixture in this community for 30 years, was a successful, profitable store, according to David Deason, a vice-president of real estate for Barnes & Noble, parent company for B. Dalton and Kenneth Beckmann, general manager for Mall del Norte.  However, the economy, and technology more than anything, have taken its toll on the small bookstores, and  companies are cutting costs and closing divisions, in a move to the large-format bookstores, that sell books and so much more.  On January 16,  Laredo’s bookstore, as well as 50 other B. Dalton’s across the country, will close their doors for good.

   So, what does that mean for Laredo?                                    

 In a resolution expected to pass this evening by the Laredo City Council, officials hope that “by encouraging the community to demonstrate their love for reading,” by “supporting the efforts of the Laredo Reads Committee to approach bookstore corporations to open a bookstore in Laredo,” it will help dispel the image of Laredo currently being portrayed in the national media as a backwards, uneducated community.

 “This is a community who has embraced authors and literacy activities at every level,” said City of Laredo Mayor Raul G. Salinas.  “I have been at the launch and culmination events of both of the City’s One City, One Book initiatives, and you cannot tell me that people in Laredo don’t read.  I saw the sea of faces – young and old – of people who wanted to get closer, get more information from the authors who had been brought in for the lectures, who had been participating in the various activities tied to the program and who were reading the books.  I know that Laredoans read,” he concluded.

 The committee just has to get that message across to the bookstores corporations and plans to use an online petition, as well as the traditional pen and paper variety, to show their love for reading, demonstrating that there is not only a need for a bookstore in Laredo, but also, a demand.  The website, www.laredoreads.com, will allow anyone who logs on to sign the petition, which reads:

 “Reading books illuminates our minds and our community.  Sadly, that

light is about to go out with the closure of Laredo’s only bookstore. 

Bookstores play a vital role in a community, helping to foster literacy,

share knowledge, acquire information, spark curiosity and

engage the imagination.  Bookstores are wonderful resources for

students, teachers, schools and other literacy related activities.  No

community should be without a bookstore.  Keep the light and bring a

bookstore to Laredo.  Add your voice to ours.”

 Currently, the campaign has only one scheduled event:  Christmas Story Time at Mall Del Norte, 5300 San Dario Avenue, in the Sears’ Courtyard, on Tuesday, December 22, 2009 from 5:00 – 7:30 p.m.  At this event, committee members, teachers, and librarians will be reading aloud from children’s books, while others will be standing by, encouraging everyone, children and adults alike, to sign the petition.  However, as the campaign continues, more events and activities, including a media campaign will be added.  Check the website for more information.

 Every educational organization in Laredo has pledged their support for the campaign, including Laredo I.S.D., United I.S.D. and the Catholic Diocese, as well as Laredo Community College and Texas A&M International University.  Each organization has pledged letters of support, as well as encouraging students, faculty and staff to write letters and sign the petition. 

 “Texas A&M International University is proud to partner with this initiative, which we hope will be successful for all Laredoans,” said Dr. Ray Keck, president of TAMIU and avid reader, book collector and expert in Spanish literature.

 Laredo Reads Committee members hope that any other business or organization out there who would also like to express their support through letters, to contact them via the website for more information. 

 In fact, letters will be a big part of the material that Laredo Reads is gathering to be able to send off to the bookstore companies, highlighting the level of support from its elected officials, including:  U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar; Texas State Senator Judith Zaffirini; Texas Representative Richard Raymond; Texas Representative Ryan Guillen, who have all pledged letters of support.  Of course, committee members know that there is no voice as powerful as that of a child’s and hope to continue to receive letters from children of all ages to be able to send off to the companies, as well. 

 Additionally, the committee understands that the sweet pleading letters from students and a stack load of petition signatures will not be enough to convince any corporation to come down to Laredo, and so Laredo Reads is also working closely with the Laredo Development Foundation, the Laredo Chamber of Commerce and the Mall Del Norte’s management to provide an economic picture of the true potential of what Laredo has to offer.

 Many companies often overlook Laredo’s strategic position as a border city, a city with a population of only 230,000 citizens, that easily swells to about 350,000 on weekdays as people from Laredo’s sister city across the river, Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, come to work, study, shop and play.  This doesn’t include the many more that come from further into Mexico, as well as the surrounding rural communities of Laredo, who come exclusively to shop and enjoy Laredo’s unique bicultural atmosphere.   In fact, according to both the Laredo Chamber of Commerce and the Laredo Development Foundation, many of the retail stores in Laredo are often the companies’ top-performing stores in the country.

 Finally, Laredo Reads committee members also understand that they are in this for the long haul.  Because of the economy, and the processes of fiscal budgets for all major corporations, it will be a minimum of 18 to 24 months before anything might happen.  But this won’t deter this committee – nor this community – from painting a vastly different picture to these companies than the one they are getting now.  In the end, it will take perseverance and hard work for everyone involved to show to the country that Laredo does, in fact, read.

 “The academic success of every child begins with a love of reading books,” says Dr. Marcus Nelson, superintendent for Laredo I.S.D.  “When a child enjoys picking up a book, everything else will fall into place.  Reading books is essential to doing well in school and becoming a productive member of society,” he concluded.

 With an entire community coming together to make sure there are plenty of books for future generations of children – and adults – Laredo Reads is hopeful that their happily ever fairy tale after will be written very soon.