Enma Presilla Andréu

Introduction

In his "Recuerdos de mi viaje a Puerto Príncipe" [Memoir of my trip to Puerto Príncipe], published in the Havana journal La siempreviva, between 1838 and 1839, Antonio Bachiller y Morales wrote: "I saw a large city, civilized and magnificent in the middle of an island, bordered by arid lands; I saw the second city of my homeland as a mystery in the history of the people."[1] It is interesting to once again read through the memories recorded by the "father of Cuban bibliography," because, without a doubt, the well–known scholar was trying to bring to life an image of the city and the surrounding land, which he described in minute detail, from the first moment of his arrival, highlighting not only the physical aspects of the area, but also its unique vocabulary and architecture. Historians and specialists on Camagüey agree that Bachiller's descriptions of the interiors of the houses of Puerto Príncipe are among the best ever written. [2]

Many travelers from distant places passed through the old city of Camagüey years ago on their journeys, and they, too, recorded their impressions, describing the special make–up of a region so different from others on the Island.

Legend has it that the city of Camagüey, whose official name was Puerto Príncipe, was founded in 1514, although historical sources available today give us a slightly later date, somewhere between the end of June and the beginning of July of the year 1515. For various reasons, in 1516 the city was relocated towards Caonao, on the banks of the river of the same name, and in 1528, it was moved further inland, between the Tinima and Hatibonico Rivers, where it finally remained, definitively established as Villa de Santa María del Puerto del Príncipe, a name which was shortened over time to Puerto Príncipe.

Camagüey, its official name since 1903, is a colonial city that conserves much of the charm of its past, and has gone down in history as a legendary city, birthplace of patriots, and producer of beautiful women.

Within a short time, cattle ranching had become the principal source of wealth in the region. By the beginning of the nineteenth century, with the increase in the production of cattle, and a developing sugar refining industry, Puerto Príncipe was enjoying a high level of economic growth and prosperity.

By the seventeenth century, Puerto Príncipe was known as a city with its own unique culture and style. Around 1608, Espejo de paciencia, the first work of Cuban literature, was written here. It has been attributed to Silvestre de Balboa Troya y Quesada, a native of the Canary Islands who lived in the city.

The latifundio system–in cattle–ranching at first, then in sugar refining–endowed Puerto Príncipe with a certain cultural profile and a special way of life, typified by a close attachment to the land, and to art and culture in general. These conditions facilitated the creation of special cultural characteristics, such as the use of traditional elements in the city's architecture, and the preservation of Spanish customs, especially those of Andalucía.

The city's celebration of the festival of St. John, which dates from the end of the eighteenth century, marks the end of cattle sales for the year, and has continued to be a part of our traditions today, albeit with profound changes.

Cubans active in intellectual and literary endeavors of the nineteenth century included:

• Francisquito Agüero Velazco, considered to be the first martyr for Cuban independence (1826)

• Gaspar Betancourt Cisneros sponsored railroad construction, and fought for the economic modernization of the area, as well as for improvement in public education

• Ignacio Agra Monte y Lorna, Salvador Cisneros, Bernie Boza, and Eduardo Agramonte, among others, illustrious Camagüeyanos outstanding in their fight for independence during the Ten Years' War (1868–1878)

• Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda, one of Iberoamerica's most important lyrical voices, whose homeland is reflected in works such as the legend El aura blanca and her novel Sab

During the neo–colonial period, certain people and groups attempted to achieve some progress for the region. Among these, the scientific research of Carlos J. Finlay, and the work of Luis Casas Romero as bandleader, composer, and radio pioneer should be mentioned. In the field of fine arts, there was Fidelio Ponce de León, symbol of the pictorial avant–garde of Cuba.

The literary culture of the nation has been nourished by Camagüeyanos such as Nicolás Guillén, Emilio Ballagas, Felipe Pichardo Moya, and Mariano Brull. During the 1950s, the figure of Rolando T. Escardó created a literary environment which fostered the development of authors like Raúl González de Cascorro, Luis Suardíaz, and others whose work has enriched Cuban literature.

The triumph of the Cuban Revolution allowed a great enrichment of the nation's culture: the literacy campaign, the preparation of and attention to the amateur sports movement, the consolidation of the system of artistic training—all of these programs helped to begin to erase the differences between urban and rural areas, and to make cultural activities available to all citizens.

In order to provide this description of Camagüey summarizing the most important historic and social facts about the city from its founding to the present day, I consulted the Cultural Program of the Biblioteca Provincial. [3]

The province of Camagüey occupies an area of 16,000 square kilometers, and is home to a population of 781,815 inhabitants, of whom 595,393 live in cities, and 196,422 in rural areas. Following the political and administrative re–districting of the country in 1974, the province of Camagüey was divided into 12 municipalities; the principal cities are Nuevitas, Florida, y Guáimaro. The economy of the region centers around cattle ranching, the generation of electrical power, and sugar production.

Today, the city of Camagüey occupies 70,500 square kilometers, the largest urban area in the country, after Havana. Its population of nearly 300,000 is exceeded only by that of Havana and Santiago de Cuba. Historically, as the city kept moving, its area and boundaries kept changing; the present configuration of Camagüey's city boundaries was established only in the middle of the last century.

The tinajón, a large earthenware jar used for collecting rainwater, is the symbol of Camagüey, an image so deeply rooted in the history and culture of the area that the city is often referred to by its symbol rather than by its geographical name. For this reason, Camagüey is known throughout all of Cuba as the "city of water jars." [4]

The Camagüey area boasts a vigorous education system, with students assigned to particular school centers throughout the province offering varying levels of instruction ranging from elementary grades to high school.

 A brief history of public libraries in Camagüey

The province of Camagüey has been known for having libraries since the nineteenth century. The first public library was inaugurated in 1831, under the sponsorship of the Sociedad Económica de Amigos del País. Other libraries were established during this century as well, although they served the patrons of private schools or educational and recreational societies, rather than the public.

Also worthy of mention is the public library founded at the beginning of the twentieth century by the Círculo de Trabajadores, and operated by the workers themselves. They were able to count on support from the government, sporadic though it was, which enabled them to continue providing services up until 1959. Libraries of the upper and middle classes had a better chance of survival, since they served a much smaller circle of patrons.

The March 1950 issue of the Boletín de la Asociación Cubana de Bibliotecarios notes the existence in Camagüey of 18 public and 36 private libraries. [5] With rare exceptions, these libraries performed poorly, and lacked the dynamic character of our modern libraries.

In 1959, educational and cultural opportunities opened up for the Cuban people, opportunities accessible to all without regard to sex or race. Along with other basic programs, the Cuban government successfully oversaw the Campaña de Alfabetización–the campaign for literacy–and in 1961 created the National Library Network, an action which assured the development of libraries in Cuba.

Although a public library was opened in Camagüey in January of 1960, it lacked a sophisticated organization, and there were no qualified professional staff members to maintain its operations. As a result, a short time later, its collections were merged with the holdings of the Biblioteca Pública "Isabel Esperanza Betancourt", located in the Ignacio Agramonte Provincial Museum. These institutions were subjects of risky popular debates, which called for official endorsement of both the library and the museum in order to assure their continued operations at a high level. The Isabel Esperanza Betancourt Library remained in a formative stage until the Cuban Revolution, and opened shortly thereafter, in 1960.

But it was with the opening on June 1, 1963 of the Julio Antonio Mella Library, the very first library established in our province by the National Library Network, that our goal was finally realized of having a truly modern cultural center to meet the needs which had emerged in a moment of enormous cultural growth.

The Juan Antonio Mella Library has a well–structured and functioning organization, with trained professional staff members who serve the library users at the highest levels, making it an effective institution for raising the cultural level of the community. [6]

Beginning in 1963, municipal or town libraries were also established. Camagüey's public library system consists of thirty–one libraries: one provincial, twelve municipal and eighteen branch libraries, with thirteen of the branches located in sugar refineries, and five in communities.

 The public library system in Camagüey in rural areas and cattle–ranching communities.

The growth of public libraries in the province can be divided into four basic stages:

1963–1969. During this stage, three libraries were created, including the Biblioteca Provincial, on June 1, 1963; and two others in the towns of Nuevitas and Florida. The Bibliobus, or traveling library, was also started that same year.

1970–1977. The province's own socio–economic and educational development during this period promoted the creation of municipal libraries in Esmeralda and Céspedes, and two branch libraries in Santa Cruz del Sur and Florida. In addition, agreements between the Ministry of Culture and the government office of sugar production fostered the creation of libraries in sugar mills, refineries, and communities near these industries.

1980–1989. This was the period of greatest growth, bringing the number of libraries to twenty, consisting of eight in provincial capital cities, nine branch libraries in areas of sugar production, and three in cattle–ranching districts. For the most part, the libraries located in sugar producing areas were defined as small towns, because of the small number of residents–under 10,000–and the limited radius of service. Libraries in cattle raising areas were considered strictly rural, with fewer than 2500 residents.

1990–1997. The close of the twentieth century saw the creation of four new libraries: two in cattle areas, two in sugar refining areas.

At the present time, the number of registered library borrowers exceeds 10,475 in the thirty branch libraries. Some of these libraries are located in remote areas such as Minas, Santa Cruz del Sur and Sierra de Cubitas. However, the library staff, in conjunction with those promoting cultural activities, work together to carry out the mission of a modern–day public library, which is to contribute to the development of the people of a community, and to their sense of identity; as well as to serve as a bridge between accumulated stores of culture and free and open access by the community to information, knowledge, and entertainment.

With the creation of the public library system in our province came an ongoing interest in promoting reading to children and teenagers, and along the way improving the cultural and educational formation of the community in order to forge the ethical characteristics of our nationality.

Figures in the following table summarize the results of these activities to promote reading:

We cannot leave this panorama of the library system without mentioning the attention paid to handicapped people: nine municipal libraries have special areas for the blind and visually handicapped. In addition, libraries provide activities in old age homes, maternity homes, hospitals, and family clinics.

Library service to farm cooperatives, sugar cane factories, and work centers located in rural zones is made possible through the creation of mini–libraries and home–libraries.

By 1999, there had been a sizeable increase in this type of service which offers effective ways to bring books to people who, for various reasons, are not able to use the library, usually because it is too far from their homes. In the first quarter of this year, the number of rural mini–libraries rose to sixty–seven, and rural home–libraries to twenty–six, together offering a total of 879 activities to promote reading.

The Sistema de Información de la Education of Camagüey province, with which the libraries maintain close and productive working relationships, offers traveling collections which provide service to 317 schools in rural areas without libraries. This service is operated by librarians who transport their collections to these schools, organize activities to promote reading, and insure that local teachers have the resources they need to educate the children. Books and other documents—bibliographical and audiovisual—are deposited in the schools, which become operating libraries. Borrowing is done on a weekly basis. The public libraries support this effort by participating in inter–library loan projects, or through the Library Extension Department, which organizes mini–collections to be used on loan for consultation by teachers and students.

The application of new technology to library operations has placed in the hands of librarians valuable tools which increase information and knowledge. The web page of the provincial library includes a complete directory of the thirty municipal and branch libraries; and at the same time, the libraries are listed on the web pages of the municipal offices of culture, which are periodically updated. The web pages have been received with great enthusiasm by people interested in knowing important events and services of Camagüey's public library system.

The local organization of the Cuban Association of Librarians offers summer courses in July and August for library staff, aimed at improving their cultural and professional training. Some of the courses which have been offered include: initiatives to promote reading; public relations and communication; and an origami workshop. This year, a "hands–on" course is being prepared, which will include technical assignments, and a special program on organizing and administering community projects.

Also worth mentioning are the consulting services–part of an overall community health initiative—offered to the staff of the library network by a specialist in the Children's Division of the Provincial Library on the appropriate application of early childhood bibliotherapy to school—age children who experience behavior problems as a result of poor parenting. The municipal and branch libraries in Esmeralda have seen satisfactory results in children with respiratory problems using reading and stories as part of their therapy. These results have been presented at scientific and community conferences, as have the efforts of the Children's Division of the Provincial Library, which were noted at the Convention of UNESCO Associated Libraries in Cienfuegos in 1996.

 Here comes the Library!

The Julio Antonio Mella Library's Bibliobus began operating in 1963. From the beginning, it offered services to specially selected rural areas on a bi–weekly basis, and the response was so favorable that its route was expanded. When conditions permitted, the Bibliobus carried with it photographic exhibits furnished by the provincial office of the Instituto Cubano de Amistad con los Pueblos, or documentary films provided by the Empresa de Cine, which were shown in schools, grange halls, and small towns.

Book borrowing was direct: patrons registered in the Bibliobus and were able to take out the books they requested. Children were accompanied either by a teacher or a parent. The bus made 40 official stops along the route, an indication of the extent of the support it offered to the school library system as well.

The Bibliobus that provided service to the eastern part of the province of Camagüey eventually had more than 3000 members, both children and adults, and made 112 stops on a route which covered more than 60 zones.

By 1971, the mini–libraries had begun to operate. The Bibliobus provided service to all those who happened to be situated along its route: it accepted patrons' requests at the stops along the way, and delivered the materials to them on the return trip, two weeks later. In contrast, the collections of the mini–libraries were carefully chosen so that all types of materials were easily and immediately accessible to patrons, and, furthermore, were able to satisfy the specific needs of that patron group.

Clearly, the Bibliobus provided services to a very wide public. Its route covered the most remote areas, where people had never before had direct, immediate, tangible access to culture.

The arrival of the Bibliobus was a great event in the lives of these people. As soon as they caught a glimpse of it, they began to shout, "Here comes the Library! Here comes the Library!" They would line up, and enter the bus in small groups, where they would receive the books they had requested. The excitement which the arrival of the bus brought to life in these distant places was the subject of an article which appeared in Bohemia, one of the most important journals published in Cuba. [7]

The study "Dynamics of reading in rural areas of our province," written by two staff members of the Provincial Library at the end of the 1990s, summarized the work of the Bibliobus and its relationship with its registered users, taking into account socio–demographic factors (sex, age, occupation, and level of education) along with the number of visits and number of books borrowed. [8]

The hypothesis presented by the authors was that "in rural areas of the province of Camagüey, the greatest number of adult readers would be housewives." In order to examine this hypothesis, 287 registered users, chosen from 10 different rural locales, were interviewed, and other data was assembled based on information from readers' cards, and the type of books borrowed.

The results described in the study regarding the use of the Bibliobus and its collections prepared the way for other projects in rural zones administered by the public libraries, which we will mention in a moment.

The conclusions of the study showed that Bibliobus users included adults between the ages of nineteen and twenty–five, and children between the ages of ten and twelve. Of those who had had some years of schooling, most fell into two groups: those in the economically inactive sector, who had completed sixth grade; and those in the economically active sector, who had a basic high school education. Most users were housewives, students, or workers in the cattle industry.

Students and housewives accounted for the greatest number of subjects consulted. The most popular subject areas requested were foreign literature, national and social politics, José Martí, history, and Latin American and Caribbean literature.

 Community Intervention Projects

Community intervention projects, which illustrate the interest in improving the cultural level of people living in rural areas, and in developing good reading habits in children at a very early age, include two studies undertaken by members of the provincial branch of ASCUBI.

The National Program for Reading that is being carried out in Cuba establishes general objectives, one of which is to consciously and creatively include both the community and the family in the activities of the program. The "Reading for a Better World" project, which has been run by the Municipal Library of Jimaguayú in the Los Dolores neighborhood since 2001, is the result of a careful study of reading programs, and is based on the idea that the individual and his community should appropriate the material and spiritual resources of his environment, in order to satisfy his own necessities, interests, and expectations. [9]

The barrio of Los Dolores, a rural area of 896 residents, where the chief economic activity is raising livestock, lies about two kilometers from the town of Jimaguayú. There are no other economic or recreational enterprises anywhere in the area. Because there are no sources of entertainment for the community, the Municipal Library "Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda" decided to launch a program to promote reading among very young children in their spare time, which would be led by a staff member of the library.

To make the "Reading for a Better World" project meaningful, it was necessary to consider different research methods and techniques, so that the people's perception of the quality of the services offered could be evaluated at the end of the project. The project ended up developing joint activities with cultural and health institutions aimed at capturing the interest of three–year–olds: reading activities, traditional games involving literature, and book presentations, etc. This year, the International Festival of the Book, aimed at municipalities, also benefited rural populations.

The National Program for Reading also showed the high quality of its programming and the possibility of successfully creating a reading audience, by focusing first on young children and teenagers.

A staff member of the Municipal Library set up a casa–biblioteca or "home library" in her own house for greater access by readers, with a collection primarily made up of books for children and young people to be used there until such time as another place for reading could be built.

Another community intervention project that focused on housewives had its antecedents in a study of its patrons conducted by the Biblioteca Provincial in 2000, the results of which showed that this social group was poorly represented among those who used the library and its collections. [10] It was decided to investigate two pre–selected and stratified groups in order to learn about their informational, cultural, and thematic interests: first, housewives residing in the historic city center; and second, housewives who lived in a rural zone on the outskirts of the city, in this case La Belén, a target area in the Program for Social Prevention that the Library has been developing since 1991.

The results of the survey were important because they revealed not only the interest of the women in learning skills such as decorating, cooking, hairdressing, and handicrafts, and their desire to understand more about family relationships in particular, and human relationships in general, but also the reading preferences of housewives under 65 years old.

With all of this in mind, the program directors made a careful selection of assignments or activities which would satisfy the expectations and interests of this group of readers. Because of the distance of La Belén from the Provincial Library, a communication strategy was devised to attract this particular patron group, beginning with activities coordinated with a reading initiative. At the present time, the project is in its experimental stage. [11]

Even though we have emphasized the experiences of rural libraries in the province of Camagüey, it is appropriate and important to point out that the National Network of Public Libraries also provides similar experiences for readers in difficult–to–reach areas in the eastern and central parts of the country, as part of the Turquino–Manatí Plan. Libraries in Guantánamo, Santiago de Cuba, Granma, Sancti Spiritus, and Villa Clara–all provinces containing mountainous areas–have organized a special program for the people of the highlands through the creation of municipal libraries, branches, mini–libraries, and centers. In the city of Trinidad in the province of Sancti Spiritus, the bookmobile offers its services in mountainous areas, and in Matanzas special attention is given to the rural locales of Ciénaga de Zapata. In other libraries around the country, special programs are being carried out in logging zones, coffee plantations, and mines. [12]

 Conclusions

Although there is more to say on the subject, the short time allotted for the presentation has forced us to summarize both basic and new aspects of rural libraries in Camagüey province. This report, a synopsis of public library development in Camagüey up to the founding of the Biblioteca Provincial, has been preceded by an introduction describing the region from a socio–historical point of view, a necessary preamble to the main topic of discussion.

I am grateful to the organizing committee of this event and to the chairmen of these prestigious library organizations for extending an invitation to me, since it has given me the opportunity to exchange experiences and to represent my province at this international conference.

—Translated by Jane Carpenter

 References

[1] Antonio Bachiller y Morales,"Recuerdos de mi viaje a Puerto Príncipe", La Siempreviva, 1838-1839.

[2] Roberto Méndez Martínez, Imagen fragmentada de la ciudad, p. 15.

[3] Camagüey. Biblioteca Provincial "Julio Antonio Mella." Programa cultural, p. 1-7.

[4] Héctor Juárez Figueredo. Camagüey, de la leyenda a la historia, p. 3.

[5] Boletín de la Asociación cubana de bibliotecarios (La Habana), March 1950.

[6] Zenaida Serrano León, Historias de las bibliotecas en Camagüey, p. 13-20.

[7] The journalist who wrote the 1973 article was Jaime Sarusky, with the accounts of staff member Ester Quintero.

[8] Noemí Mendoza, Ester Quintero, Dinámica de la lectura en las zonas rurales, p. 1-14.

[9] Dailé Arce, Elda Alvarez, Validación del Proyecto de Promoción de la Lectura, p. 1-8.

[10] Enma Presilla Andréu, Dinámica de la lectura, p. 15.

[11] _________________. Estrategia de comunicación para el incremento del uso de las bibliotecas y sus fondos para las amas de casa, p. 8.

[12] Habana. Biblioteca Nacional "José Martí." Informe annual del Sistema Nacional de Bibliotecas Públicas, 2002.

About the Author

Enma Presilla Andréu is a researcher at the Julio Antonio Mella Provincial Library in Camagüey, Cuba.

Jane Carpenter is Cataloging Librarian at The Newberry Library.
Email: carpenterj [at] newberry [dot] org

© 2005 Enma Presilla Andréu

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