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
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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
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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
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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
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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
Games
Art
Movies
New Century
New 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 Century
New 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 Century
New Initiatives
• Biblioredes (Biblio-nets)
Phase 1:
– Training
Phase 2:
– Generation of local contents
Phase 3:
– Generation of digital services
New Century
New 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:
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435 Public Libraries
378 Libraries with BiblioRedes service
16 Prison Libraries
9
Hospital Libraries
60 Mobile Services
More than one hundred different lending points
…but we had a pending task
The creation of a model public
library
Identity
Culture
Recreation
Community
Education
Knowledge
Encounter
Information
Access
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 thing
is 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…
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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
But
Where do we go?
What libraries do we want?
Reading is not enough
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