the enchanted libraries: a story of transformation

The Enchanted Libraries: a story of transformation

Clara Budnik

• The Directorate of Libraries, Archives, and Museums (DIBAM) is an entity of public character linked to the Government through the Ministry of Education. It was created in 1929, and gathered the old patrimonial institutions as the National Library, The National Museum of Natural History, and the National Museum of Fine Arts. Embracing also the Public Libraries

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THE HORROR

To look back to the past, is to look back to horror

El Cubismo

To burn a book is to burn a dream

a dream can not be changed, a life can not be halted, a book can not be forbidden.

Trying to wake up

“Chile… happiness is coming soon”

The way to democracy starts

Formation of a Public Libraries System in Chile

• Up until the early 90’s, a considerable amount of communities already had operating public libraries

• Poorly supplied• Almost every one with closed shelves• Few and unqualified personal.• No budget• No programming

Formation of a Public Libraries System in Chile

• Started the work in the year 1993• First programs implemented:

– Children’s corners

– Child & Youth Literature Selection Committee: Librografía

– Traveling boxes

– First mobile library (Bibliobus) in Public Libraries, serving the rural sector

A dream…

In each corner of the country there is room for the dialogue

Libraries without walls

Creation of a System; a network

• Agreements with municipalities• Establishment of the first book purchase budgets• Implementation of the first qualification courses• Integration of jails and hospitals into the system• Obligatory open shelves• Creation of the “Participative management System” • “Bibliometro”: lending points in the subway stations

Bibliometro (Library Net)

These are lending points in subway for books in twelve Metro

Stations in Santiago.

In the last decade they have perfomed about 600.000 book loans

amongst the regular users of this means of transportation.

Through way, persons of all ages have been attracted to the

pleasure of reading.

Participative Management in Public Libraries

• The aim of the Mechanisms of the Participative Management is that the Public Libraries - in agreement with the DIBAM - establish a dynamic, permanent and fluid relationship with their respective communities.

• Each library, from its specific nature, constitutes a space for reading and cultural development, where men, women, boys and girls, find a place where their different information and cultural needs are welcome.

Other initiatives created up to the year 2000

• BIBLIO-BOATS• BOOK CARTS• BOOKS MESSENGERS• THE YELLOW LIBRARY BIKE

BIBLIO-BIKE• BOOK POSTMEN• OTHERS…

Other initiatives created up to the year 2000

• KIOSKS IN VALPARAISO• COMMUNITY LIBRARIES• COMMUNITY INFORMATION

SERVICES - (SIC)• DIBA-MOBILES and

CULTURAL BUSES

Books

Cassettes

CD’s

Art

Games

Movies

New CenturyNew initiatives

• Open Air Market Lending Point – This project involves the creation of book

lending points at Open Air Markets. That is, between lettuces, potatoes and tomatoes, near the onions, baskets with books appear, which the neighbors will be able to borrow as members of this new service.

New CenturyNew Initiatives

• Biblioredes– Project developed with the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates

Foundation, aimed to provide computers and Internet connection to Public Libraries as a way to overcome the digital gap in our country: Qualification courses, creation of local contents, creation of digital services.

New CenturyNew Initiatives

• Biblioredes (Biblio-nets)

Phase 1:– Training

Phase 2:– Generation of local contents

Phase 3:– Generation of digital services

New CenturyNew Initiatives

• Project for automation of all the public libraries– By the end of year 2010 all of the public libraries will have their

collections in a standarized catalog, and will be doing their loans automatically.

– A member of any location in the country, will be a member of the Public Libraries System.

Spaces for encounter…

…for everybody

Summing up:

The Public Libraries Network in Chile is made up of:

• 435 Public Libraries• 378 Libraries with BiblioRedes service• 16 Prison Libraries• 9 Hospital Libraries• 60 Mobile Services• More than one hundred different lending points

The creation of a model public library

…but we had a pending task

Identity

Culture

Education

InformationAccess

Community

Knowledge

Recreation

Encounter

New Technologies

Our main objective is the

delivery of information services,

cultural spreading, personal

development and self-training.

We pledged for the equity in the

access to information and for

the integration of people

through services specially

designed for the community,

with extension activities and

training.

• We built this library as a model for the creation of many more libraries in each corner of the country: a model of service, of philosophy, of what a library nust be, a model of dreams.

• Books don’t matter• Neither do librarians• Nor furniture• Nor computers• Nor the building’s quality • Nor budget

We strongly believe that,

in a public library,

none of this is really important.

We believe that the only important thingis people

The form and structure of the Santiago Public Library is based on the principle that the human being is the main focus.

And therefore, we’re interested in having the best books, the best technologies, the best librarians, the best furniture and the prettiest building

But in that order, not backwards.

Some concepts, basic ideas• No prohibition signs, they are not

necessary• Books are not arranged by DDC

or LC• Front facing books; we want to

look like a bookstore• Any format is accepted • Every social groups are

accepted, except for intolerant ones

• Every expression• Every ethnic groups and

nationalities• We favor the most deprived

groups • We accept ideas and projects,

with the condition of being innovative.

• Decisions are taken in function of people and not of the staff or materials.

• The most welcome are the marginals

• A story, a poem, or any text is read daily in the library.

• Being cost-free is fundamental for access

• If the space is required, this is always charged (reward)

• Participation of the community in the decision making is a key issue.

• Everything is possible in the library.

Some data…

• Between 3 to 4 thousand daily visits

• 30 thousand members of the library

• 18 thousand monthly loans

• 10 thousand visits on Saturday following the inauguration; 15 thousand on Sunday, 18 thousand on Tuesday next.

• One million visits in the first 10 moths.

What happened with all of that?

• Public libraries are now seen as relevant places in the national tasks..

• Regional experiences

• Recognized by the authorities

• Public Libraries in the political agenda

• Public libraries in the Nation’s economic agenda

Reading is not enough

But

Where do we go?

What libraries do we want?

The public library as a mediator between the accumulated culture and its community

• The library in production, programming, promotion and information roles, and as a knowledge and entertainment motivator.

• In a global world, the library speaking about us and to us.

• The library as a place of our own.• The library as the new civic center.• The library as the new public square

“only with an impassioned patience, we will conquer the glorious city that will give light, justice, and dignity to all men”

Rimbaud

“Take good care of the earth. It does not belong to us. It belongs to our children. We must give it to them in better conditions than when we received it. And with it, we must deliver the words that name everything that exists in the Universe. And with the words, the value of life”-.

African Saying