Críticas Magazine

Loida García-Febo

Public Libraries in Bogota, Colombia
April 23, 2008

I am in Bogota giving workshops to Latin American librarians to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of ASCOLBI, the Colombian library association, and presenting a workshop about IFLA/UNESCO Internet Manifesto Guidelines to the attendees of the annual meeting of Presidents of Latin American library associations.

ASCOLBI has been wonderful. Their schedule of events included conferences and visits to libraries. Today, I am highlighting two public libraries from Bogota that are part of very interesting concepts:

Biblioteca Parque El Tunal: This library is located in El Tunal Park. It is part of Bibliored -a library system of 19 libraries spread all over Bogota. Bibliored was the recipient of the Bill & Melinda Gates “Access to Learning 2002” and a million dollar to expand access to information, computers and Internet services. 

El Tunal Library is a state-of-the-art building with wide open spaces with comfortable lounge chairs where users read, listen to books on tape or music, watch movies, email friends and type resumes. The library has a beautiful auditorium with 250 seats, a computer lab where professionals teach computer classes, a CyberCenter with 46+ computers, an outdoors coffee shop, and study rooms for individuals or for groups, a spacious children wing with a playground, and a gallery space at the entrance of the library.

Bibliored is part of a new concept where city moneys are administered by a private company. The operational budget is administered by each library, and the salaries, collections, materials, programs and services by a private company. The libraries are terrific. It seems that this model of public library has worked for Colombian libraries, librarians and users.

Biblioteca Luis Angel Arango: Founded in 1958, it is the oldest public library in Colombia. It is a jewel. The library is part of a cultural center in Downtown Bogota. This center includes the Botero Museum, the Museo de Oro del Banco de la Republica (Gold Museum of the Bank of the Republic), a Concert Hall, and roof-top restaurants. This library has a Concert Hall with 300 seats where winners of grants given by the Banco de la Republica perform. Every year the Banco gives out a number of grants to musicians from low-income levels to perform abroad and at home. The music division is amazing. Students can borrow instruments (pianos included!) to rehearse in private rooms, users can watch concerts on TVs in private rooms or in wall-sized screens in various auditoriums. It is lovely! The library brings culture and information to the community.

The Luis Angel Arango Library is one of 28 libraries built and managed by El Banco de la Republica. The concept is simple: a library in every city where the Bank has a branch. There are libraries in the frontier with Venezuela, Brazil and Ecuador.  The libraries receive good injections of moneys from the Bank to purchase and maintain computers, specialized collections, and art exhibitions.

These Colombian public libraries follow management models different from public libraries in the USA. They are part of a new changing face of libraries. There are various opinions about these two models of libraries. All very interesting. All I will say is that they seem to work for Colombians.

Posted by Loida García-Febo on April 23, 2008 | Comments (1)