About Us

Biblioteca Yelapa started as a dream by Aline Shapiro to create a library in a small village in Mexico. After studying Mexican culture and mythology through a Fulbright Scholarship, Aline returned to her life as a teacher-librarian in Santa Barbara, confident that one day she would establish that library and share her love of learning and literature with Mexican children.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA She created and ran Young Writer’s Camps on 4 college campuses over 10 summers, worked with the National Writing Project, the South Coast Writing Project, and earned a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership until retiring after 23 years of teaching from the charter school she helped organize.  Along with her husband, Bill Weil, she has led the Biblioteca Yelapa project. The majority of the books were donated by the library and teachers of Peabody Charter School in Santa Barbara, California. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Both local (including a number of students from the Secondaria school), and english-speaking volunteers have been absolutely crucial to our success.  We are always looking for additional helpers.