Libraries in Portugal

Coimbra University old campus, Joanina Library (the country's first, established i the 1500s) on the far left.

Warning:  I am once again overstepping my areas of actual knowledge, semi-winging it here -- and it's library stuff, so not for everyone.

To some extent libraries reflect a country's support of literacy/education.  Steve and I usually try to check them out in new places.  When we first arrived in Lisbon and asked about public libraries, we were directed to the National Library of Portugal, located in Lisbon.  It is a huge place, impressive from its size and security, primarily a research library with extensive archives.  No photos allowed, nothing much circulates, dour, officious -- not inappropriately so.  Nice huge card catalog; computerized as well.  Clearly a point of national pride, but not what we were looking for.

We happened onto another more seemingly more public library in the little walled town of Evora east of Lisbon; it was equally uninviting, equally unusable. 

We were chased out of this room into which we'd just wandered -- only open room on the first floor.  No signs.

They did let us use the WCs, for which were appreciative.  And the bound volumes on the way to the WC were from the 1700s, agricultural records.  Another archival library - so change the name?

A big reason to go to Coimbra in northern Portugal is to visit the Biblioteca Joanina (completed in 1728), part of the library of Coimbra University,the oldest in the nation.  It is certainly the most gilded library I've ever seen (outdoes the Vatican library for gilt), and also pretty useless for real people, even the U's students, although there are other highly functional libraries on campus, obviously.  A few things about the Joanina:  

• it has about 70,000 gilded, hidebound volumes , 
• it includes a library prison below which was used for -- among other crimes -- book abusers (OPPL has one, and it also doesn't allow photos there)
• it is reported to be cleaned by a colony of bats which eat the bugs interested in the velum, paper and leather of the old volumes; but the colony is in trouble these days -- a chiroptologist visited while we were there and there's hope they may be able to save the colony.  I asked, and the issue is not white nose. 

From a postcard.  No photos allowed. 

Purloined photo of a library prison cell. No photos allowed in the prison either.

Library prison from the outside.

And we visited other small town public libraries, too, all the same; I was feeling sad from what we'd seen, libraries seemed to be a bust for fun, for reading, for real people, for technology.  Then we visited the town of Guimaraes, just outside of Braga.  Guimaraes is pretty seriously a tourist town with draws like a Moorish castle, a palace, great gardens, famous for its medieval square.  And there, on the streets of the old historic part of town, we ran into a fully functioning people's library, with a good children's section.  Yay!

Even a nice library-promoting poster!

At one point we had a chance to talk with a local guy briefly about libraries.  I asked him if he had a card, he said "no."  I asked why, and he said he didn't need one -- he just went into the library and signed out whatever he wanted.  Yay for ease of use!  

Feeling much better, although seeing the tax support differences in a Portuguese light. Then we found another fully functioning one in the southern town of Faro. It had a pamphlet (also in English!) with something like a mission station including gives "everyone the opportunity to achieve knowledge, through culture and information . . . it is the community hub . . . based on equality of access for all . . . collections include all types" etc.  Nice.  

And Steve found one in the town of Porto, with a big computer area for regular folks' use.  

And gorgeous tile murals, which grace most public buildings.  

Modern computer room.

And a huge card catalog!

Portugal's economic problems are huge.  We'd read that school systems were especially in trouble, and library cuts likely preceded those cuts.  But, in some parts of Portugal, libraries are supporting readers and learning.