Participants at Rare Books and Special Collections Meeting, Buenos Aires, Argentina

The importance of preserving cultural heritage is global. All cultures and groups create works that tell the story of their past and present in ways which can both inspire and inform future generations. By acting globally – bringing together experts from different countries and with different specialisations – IFLA can help national actors achieve their goals more effectively.

 

On 27 and 28 September 2017, IFLA’s Rare Books and Special Collections Section sponsored, alongside the Mariano Moreno National Library, a conference on ‘Cultural Heritage in Latin American and Caribbean Libraries’. IFLA President Glòria Pérez-Salmerón offered a welcome message to all participants, underlining the importance of the work being done.  

 

With speakers from eight different countries across Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as representatives of the National Library of Brazil and UNESCO’s Memory of the World, participants benefitted from a wide range of experiences. The region itself has a long history of research and conferences focused on special collections and rare books, but the international nature of the event marks a useful step forwards in IFLA’s work in the region.

 

Reading Room, Mariano Moreno National Library, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Topics addressed included the management of bibliographic heritage, research into bibliographic heritage, and legislation linked to the protection of this heritage. There was strong interest in work around the illicit trafficking of rare books, and the potential to develop cross-border collections in Latin America and the Caribbean.

 

Presentations will be available shortly on the pages of the IFLA Rare Books and Special Collections Section.