The reopening of the municipal library of Arrecife, almost simultaneous to the demonstrations of students in the streets of the capital, forces me to highlight the importance of these centers as key pieces in the system ...
The reopening of the municipal library of Arrecife, almost simultaneous to the demonstrations of students in the streets of the capital, forces me to highlight the importance of these centers as key pieces in the educational system. In a world where information has become one of the most precious assets for the economic, social and cultural growth of any society, having updated libraries with modern technical resources is essential.
On International Library Day, today, October 24, I want to emphasize the importance of these spaces full of fantasy and intelligence. Jorge Luis Borges said that while some could not imagine a world without birds or without water, he could not imagine a world without books. I have the same impression. Reading has accompanied us and accompanies us in every stage of our lives, it calms us in the early years, encourages us in later times and ends up becoming an inseparable companion of our path.
The written word is one of the strongest vehicles of communication and coexistence that we have. Because knowledge and information have in the word and its reading the best ally. That is why it is important to promote the use of the word and reading, especially among the youngest, our best defenders of the future.
In a society like ours, of diverse and multilingual culture, it would be a mistake not to dedicate time to reading and its industry, especially on an island like Lanzarote that welcomes a population of so many nationalities, cultures and languages. From the Culture Secretariat of the PSOE, we advocate putting an end to the deterioration of reading centers in favor of a continuous development of them, not only in Arrecife, but throughout the island.
Libraries are an effective tool to stimulate thought and enrich our society. A reading society is a developed, free and creative society. That is why the recovery and strengthening of public libraries must form a main part of the government programs of all political groups. In the responsibility that I assume in the Culture Secretariat of the PSOE of Lanzarote, I congratulate the initiatives aimed at creating new spaces for reading and consultation and I encourage public managers to continue in this work.
*Inodelvia Torres, Secretary of Culture of the PSOE of Lanzarote.