The Biblioteca Publica of SMA [] Rotary Club Presentation

Rotary Club of San Miguel de Allende
– Rotario Midday, A.C. –

The Biblioteca Publica of SMA:
Past, Present and Future

Guest Speaker
Miguel Angél Barquet Fuentes

Recorded: Tuesday, May 25, 2021

YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/3s-BY-AtXBM

The San Miguel de Allende Midday Rotary Club hosted Miguel Angél Barquet Fuentes, the Executive Director of one of the largest English language libraries outside of the United States.  Our speaker specialized in Business Administration in England with over 35 years of managerial experience.

Those of us who have lived in San Miguel since before the pandemic recall this organization as a hub for social gatherings, a place to enjoy breakfast and coffee while perusing the local newspaper, a host for all kinds of entertainment and a source of many thousands of books to borrow, and some to buy.  The library is administered by a board of directors headed by President Debra Broussard.

The library’s founder was a Canadian-born expatriate, Helen McGregor Wale, who also spent years living in the United States until she settled in San Miguel in her later years and started the library for the benefit of the children of the community in the 1950s.    Residents of San Miguel have helped to support the library through film, live entertainment, cultural programs, home and garden tours and other fundraising activities.  And the programs it offers include library services for rural schools, tours, educational activities, a Latin American Studies center and scholarships for needy students in a high school or baccalaureate program.

The building that houses the library has a long history including a refuge for the poor going as far back as 1734.  The government took the building over in 1862 and it eventually fell into disrepair until, by 1958, it was restored and offered as a public library which is now operated as a Civil Association (AC).   Parts of the library were under the ownership of a private family until 1993, when the last member of the family died and the government added the properties to the Biblioteca.

In addition to multiple floors of library books in both English and Spanish, the Biblioteca now displays original art murals, and runs a gift shop, a special room for children, a coffee shop, a theatre, and meeting rooms.  The Biblioteca also features a large open courtyard for leisure and socialization.

Our speaker updated us on how the library is governed, how it has managed during the Covid 19 pandemic and what the residents of San Miguel de Allende can expect for the future.

Rotary is where neighbors, friends and problem-solvers share ideas, join leaders and take action to create lasting change.