And the day arrived. It has taken 20 years between planning and worksbut the Grupo Cántico public library, in Córdoba capital, has opened its doors. She did it this Wednesday with himto official opening where the three administrations that have collaborated in materializing the project have attended: the Government, which has paid for it, the Board, which will manage it, and the City Council, which gave the land. The people of Córdoba and anyone who wants will be able to enjoy the imposing building from this Thursday, February 8. It is, according to the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sports, Arturo Bernal, the most advanced library in Spain.
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The building occupies more than 7,000 square meters spread over four floors, located in the triangle formed by Avenida de América, Avenida de Cervantes and Avenida de los Mozárabes. and with the Agriculture Gardens (known as the Duck Gardens, a popular nickname for the library) as space companions. It is 100% accessible, has all the available technologies and a fund with more than 240,000 files.
Spaces that “improve people’s lives”
After a long wait and a process of handing over the keys that has pitted the Ministry of Culture and the Government of Andalusia on more than one occasion, the opening day has served to bury the controversy and highlight institutional loyalty. The Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, has come to the inauguration in his new position in Andalusia (it is the first time he has visited the autonomous community while in office). Urtasun has highlighted the importance of inaugurating a library because, he has stated, “Libraries are not just temples to house books. They are social devices for equality that improve people’s lives and stimulate participation”.
The Minister of Culture has highlighted the union of Córdoba with literature and culture in general, naming personalities from the city and the province who are good examples of this, such as Antonio Gala, Pepe Espaliú or Elena Medel. And in a city like Córdoba, he added, “Placing a library as an essential center of culture is essential”.
Urtasun recalled the very important investment that has been made in this cultural infrastructure, 20 million euros and has outlined this “institutional collaboration” because “when institutions collaborate we can do great positive things for our country”. He has also thanked the work of the library workers, whom he has defined as “the soul of this center.”
A long wait
For its part, the Minister of Culture, Arturo Bernalhas stated that “Opening a library is the best news that we can give from public institutions” and has recognized the long wait of Córdoba society to see the doors of the building open. Bernal has also made reference to the name of the Canticle Groupand the “cultural reference” that is Andalusia.
Like Urtasun, the counselor has stressed that the library It is not a mere container for books, but a center “for the dissemination and preservation of heritage”. At this point, he recalled some words that Federico García Lorca spoke when he inaugurated the library of his town, Fuente Vaqueros: “If I were hungry and helpless on the street, I would not ask for a loaf, but rather I would ask for half a loaf and a book.”
Institutional collaboration
Meanwhile, the mayor of Córdoba, José María Bellido, has recognized the “happy” day that Córdoba is experiencing, which can finally see the Grupo Cántico library in operation. Bellido had a few words of remembrance for the library located in Amador de los Ríos, whose funds have been transferred to the new one and has already closed its doors. In this sense, he recalled that He, as a neighbor of Fleming, enjoyed this space and hoped that, from now on, “many people will begin to build part of their lives” in the new space..
Also, like Urtasun and Bernal, he has valued the institutional collaboration to launch the new library and has shown the City Council’s willingness to do whatever is necessary.
The director of the library, Francisco del Río, who closed the event, concluded the event with a phrase from Cicero: “He who has a garden and a library has everything he needs.”
