By Danita Brisson
For 290 years, the structure at Insurgentes #25 has housed charity and mercy, death and evisceration, commerce and comedy. For the last 70 years, that address has sheltered the imaginations, aspirations and memories of residents and visitors alike. The fascinating tale of the building’s evolution from a sanctuary for destitute women, to one of Latin America’s finest libraries parallels La Biblioteca Publica’s colorful history, as chronicled at their other address: www.labibliotecapublica.org. You’ll want to bookmark that.
The library began in 1954, when a community-minded Helen Wale invited young locals to her home to share her extensive magazine collection. The response was so overwhelming that she had to relocate the material to a larger space the following year. The collection grew through donations from personal libraries. It came to include educational material and children’s books that volunteers translated to Spanish. In 1957, Helen successfully lobbied the State Governor for a more appropriate facility. On November 25, 1958, after fundraising activities and renovations, the library moved to its current address. As they say, the rest is history.
If you’ve ever attended a play, borrowed a book or taken a class, you know that Biblioteca is integral to our community. It was always intended to be a gathering place, providing art, culture and education for all. That was a manageable task for the three original volunteers when San Miguel’s population was small, concentrated, and had few entertainment options. However, today it requires an eight-member Board to direct the 22-staff including seven managers, and 50 active volunteers.
Executive Director Marie Moebius explains why such organizational transparency is critical. “As an NGO, we rely on donations, membership dues and participation fees to fund our operations.” The annual budget, currently exceeding $8,800,000 mxn, would be unattainable without community trust and involvement. Access to resources in the library is free, but a membership is required to borrow items. Annual fees are $50 mxn for students, $100 mxn for adults, and $100 mxn plus a $300 mxn deposit for non-residents.
The library boasts 50,000 Spanish and English titles for readers of all ages, however their motto is ‘We are more than books’. Their vision is: “To be a multidisciplinary and inclusive cultural center that responds to the demand for training, information and entertainment of all and that promotes prosperity and peace in our community, facilitating free access to knowledge.” Asked how this is achieved, Marie explains: “We survey users to learn what people need and how they want to receive it. Our four lines of service now are reading, classes and workshops, cultural events, and scholarships.” Digital inclusion was identified as a primary concern so computing and programming classes for ages from 7 years to seniors have been introduced, as has free wi-fi throughout the building.
As well, books are sent to hundreds of rural schools, and day-long fairs are hosted each September in Plaza Civica, when the books, choir, classes, and even the theater take to the streets.
In neighborhoods on the outskirts of town, reading events are staged and residents are invited to participate in ‘A Day at La Biblioteca’ junkets. “We provide transportation, lunch, library tours and memberships, to show residents that this is their place, too. There are fewer services offered in town now for their daily life. We want to give them a reason to be in Centro,” says Marie.
The scholarship program contributes both money and mentoring for about 100 high school and university students selected each year according to their academic achievement and financial need. This epitomizes Biblioteca’s long-range commitment to San Miguel by investing today in tomorrow’s leaders.
Criteria for all programs are available, you guessed it, on the website, along with the calendar of live events and details of their popular guided tours in town and to historic and ecological sites beyond. Hours of operation are Monday to Friday – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday - 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Sala Quetzal and Santa Ana Theater operate outside these times and can be accessed through the side door at Relox 50A.
Happy 70th Anniversary Biblioteca! Thanks for the aspirations, memories and bright future you inspire!
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