InternationalMarketing Portugal were recently pleased to hear that Lisbon Town Hall is
investing €4 million to refurbish the Palácio Galveias library, move the
Alvalade and Hemeroteca libraries and build a new library in Marvila by the end
of 2013. This work is part of the Libraries XXI strategic programme, approved
last week during a town hall meeting, which aims to provide the city with eight
anchor libraries and 18 neighbourhood libraries by 2024.
According
to Lisbon’s councillor for culture, Catarina Vaz Pinto, the aim of the
programme “is the reordering of Lisbon’s libraries throughout the council,”
adding that these facilities “have not accompanied the modernisation that has
been seen across the country” motivated by the national public reading plan
from the Unesco’s International Federation of Library Association (IFLA).
For
this reason, Mrs. Vaz Pinto said the aim “is to bring the libraries into the
21st Century,” transforming them into “cultural centres” that will include
traditional facilities as well as active policies to combat illiteracy and
exclusion as well as small auditoriums and exhibition areas.
“This
is a great use of public money,” said our source at International Marketing
Portugal, “Portugal has some amazing libraries, and it's important to keep them
up to date, so as they can remain relevant to future generations.”
According
to the councillor, these projects that are being funded with €4 million from
the Programme for Priority Interventions and Urban Refurbishment (PIPARU)
should be completed by the end of 2013. During the next 12 years, until 2024,
the town hall aims to have eight anchor libraries in the city, including those
in Alta de Lisboa, Marvila and Benfica and 18 neighbourhood libraries, more
than doubling these facilities which only total 12 at the moment.
Our
source at International Marketing Portugal said, “I look forward to seeing the
improvements made to these libraries. Hopefully we'll see a real increase in
people making use of these buildings as they are improved and made more
accessible and useful.”
Catarina
Vaz Pinto said that the exact locations and budgets involved will be defined
“as conditions for budgets and spaces become available in the city.”
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