One Hundred Years of Libraries and the Library Profession in Catalonia

Reference Type Journal Article
Year of Publication
2018
Contributors Author: Alex Cosials
Author: Mònica Baró
Author: Teresa Mañà
Journal
Libraries: Culture, History, and Society
Volume
2
Issue
2
Pagination
202-220
Language
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Region
Library Type
Chronological Period
Abstract
The creation and development of the library system of Catalonia (Spain) started in 1915 with the drafting of a project to determine the structure and relevant elements of public libraries. The project was greatly inspired by the Anglo-American “Free libraries” model. This article discusses the implementation of the first “People's Libraries” that functioned as a network, with the support of the Biblioteca de Catalunya. It also describes the establishment of the Escola de Bibliotecàries, a pioneering school of librarianship, which was only open to female students. Finally, it argues that the quality of the current Catalan library system is largely due to the strength of the initial project, which was not abandoned even in the dark times of the two dictatorships in twentieth-century Spain. The uninterrupted operation of a library science school has also played a key role, as it has ensured the training of professionals who have contributed to the continuity of the public library project.