Diario las Américas Newspaper, April 21, 1957, Page 25

ie The National Library of Vene- zuela looks back upon a -rather long history, since the first bodks were brought to Venezuela by Spanish missionary friars in the se- cond half of the sixteenth cen- tury. However, the actual base for a public library was not laid down until 1698, when the first collec- tion of literary works was formed in the newly established Seminario Tridentino (Tridentine Seminary) in Caracas. And it was in 1811, when the il- lustrious Venezuelan hero of the Independence and distinguished in- tellectual, Juan German Roscio, published a leaflet urging the creation of a national public lib- rary. At the same time, he started to gather important works and manuscripts by native and foreign authors, with the patriotic idea of organizing the library for the free use and benefit of all people. Unfortunately the long and tur- bulent years of the War. of In- dependence did not allow him and his helpers to accomplish that cul- tural project, as the government was much too busy liberating the country from Spanish Domination, and quite unable to lend Roscio financial assistance or any other encouragement, But in 1833, the Acting Presi- dent of the young Venezuelan re- public, Andrés Narvarte, issued an official resolution ordering the es- tablishment of a publie library in Caracas which, “in an appropriate building, would house a ‘collection of books, publications, and other literary material of interest not on- ly to students, but also to men-of science, researchers, historians, and all those showing an interest 3 KAILA IIIS IAL ISSA II IIIA SS IAAI AIA SISA IASI, product accounted for 59 per cent of the value of all exports from Brazil, 83 per cent of Colombia’s, 76 per cent of Guatemala’s, 66 per cent of Haiti’s, 47 per cent of Cos- ta Rica’s, 46 per cent of -Nicara- gua’s, 26 per cent of Ecuador’s, and 13 per cent of México’s. The Bureau distributes literature on in- ter American relations and the his- tory of coffee to school children and booklets on brewing the bever- age to housewives. It also runs an economic and markét research ser- vice to help growers and distribut- ors. So it feels it can claim a good ‘Fantastic fireworks displays delighted crowd at Manizales Fair SUNDAY, APRIL 21, 1957 deal of the credit for the rise in U. S. consumption from an average level of thirteen million bags (of 132 pounds each) a year in the de- # eade before World War II to twenty million today. Certainly the 3 Bureau deserves universal appre § ciation for its efforts in promot. 9 ing the/coffee (or milk; or tea) break, an institution enjoyed daily by nearly 75 per cent of all work-: ers in the United States and Ca- nada, How about a cup With .Analida, of course. . right now? ‘ in arts and letters.” Several years later, in 1839, a group of ‘enthusiastic young Cara- eas intellectuals founded a so-call- ed Literary Society with the. name of Liceo Venezolano to take up again the task started by Roscio. On the 19th.-of April, 1841, the first small reading room~ opened its doors to the public in the Con- vent of San Francisco, thus be- coming what may be considered the first Venezuelan public library. There it was operated until 1844, when, by official decree, its literary collection was transferred to the Department of Public Instruction. In 1874, enterprising President Antonio Guzman" Blanco ordered the integration of all smalJ librar- ies existing in the country, such as those of-the Archbishop’s re- sidence, the Tridentine Seminary, the Central University, and the Di- vision of Public Instruction into one single large collection duly as- sembled in an independent section. of the Central University building. Finally, in 1911, the National Li- brary was moved by order of Presi- dent Juan Vicente Gémez to the building it now occupies, which. was reconstructed an enlarged in 1936. Since 1937, late Venezuelan au: thor and bibliographer Don En- rique Planchart undertook a thorough organization of the Na- tional Library, after the pattern of the United States Library. of: Congress. After his death, in 1953, the present director, Dr. José Mon- eada Moreno, is engaged in an am- ple program of expansion in such modern branches as sound record- ings and musical and micro-film archives, as well as in the organiza- tion of photographic files, and phi- latelic’and numismatie divisions. Today, the Library owns more than 300,000 books by native and foreign authors, as well as a vast collection of newspapers and mag- azines. Among the most interesting books and manuscripts are the writings of Henry Clay on Pan Americanism. Some of these do- ‘cuments actually were unknown to historians until they were made available now to the public library of Lexington, Kentucky, where a complete edition of Clay’s works is being prepared. Other literary treasures kept in the Venezuelan National Library include, . among ™many others, such rare editions as the Works of Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam (1540); Opera Om- nia, by St. Jerome (1530); Works of St John Chrysostom (1540) Opera Omnia, by Marcus Tullius Cicero (1584); a valuable edition of the works by Diodorus Siculus (1548); Corpus Poetarum Latino- - rum (1713); De Rerum Natura, by Lucretius (1514); Exempla, by Va- lerius Maximus (1546); Amatoria, by Ovid (1546); Venetiis (1542), COLLEGE INTO LIBRARY — Present home of the Nation University building, Caracas, reconditioned for the Library. Vergil (1512); and Horatius (15- 49). Numerous donations have been made during recent years to the National Library, both by private persons, and by national and for- eign official organizations. Special mention must be made of the gifts presented by the Swedish residents in Venezuela (4,000 volumes); the Government of Argentina (1,033 volumes); and the Spanish govern- ment (1,300 books). The library closely cooperates with the Cultural Division of the Ministry of Labor which operates a network of reading rooms throughout the country, besides 13 mobile units of lending libraries to serve smaller towns and villages. At present the country has 284 municipal libraries, distributed as follows: Federal District 60 Tachira 26 Anzoategui 19 3 Miranda 16 ~ Aragua 12 Lara 35 Zulia 20 Trujillo 17 READING ROOM — A corner The Library has of been reorganized, with new services added and new acquisitions coming in daily. ‘HEMISPHERE al Library of Venezuela, in the old Central Caracas Library has Grown to National Institution Carabobo 15 Other States 64 The Venezuelan Central Univer- sity offers well attended three- year courses for librarians _,file clerks and polygraphs, A monthly bulletin entitled Guia de Lecturas (Reading Guide) is edited by the National Library to review all new publications received; and the Anuario Bibliograéfico Venezolano (Venezuelan Bibliographical Year- book) presents a complete list of domestic editions. A very important branch of the lic. Last year a total of 63 events fers free performances to the pub- library is the new Division of Cul- tural Events, which regularly of- fers free performances to the pub- lic. Last year, a total of 63 events were programmed, including 26 movies, 15 concerts, 14 lectures, 5 theater pieces, and 3 poetical re- citals. The lending division operated with a record efficiency of 99 per cent returns. Even two books taken. abroad by one forgetful reader were duly sent back with an apologizing letter, the National Library in Caracas,