Some days with a future

Last October, the II Conference on archives and heritage libraries in Bolivia, organized by CODICIS UMSA (Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, La Paz).

Although the main theme was the conservation of said archives and libraries, on this occasion, the call placed emphasis on university libraries and intellectual libraries. Another innovation consisted of the presentation of short documentaries about institutions as well as very specific archives and libraries.

In this case, the speakers talked about the libraries of several Bolivian personalities and their conservation. Last October, the II Conference on heritage archives and libraries in Bolivia was held, organized by CODICIS UMSA (Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, La Paz). These libraries include those of Enrique Finot, Gonzalo Bedregal Iturri, and Mario Ríos Gastelú about which short videos were also presented. Another important person was Víctor López Arias, a mining leader who bequeathed his books and documents to the Union Documentation and Information System that depends on the Bolivian Mining Workers Union Federation. Likewise, the libraries and documents of personalities such as Isaac and Franz Tamayo, José de Mesa and Teresa Gisbert, José María Velasco Maidana or Armando Alba were evoked.

On the other hand, there was an important reflection about the situation of university libraries in Bolivia. A video brought us closer to the valuable work developed by the UMSA Literature Program around the formation of an oral history archive. Finally, two exhibitions offered views on “different” archives: on the one hand, the collection of musical documentary heritage preserved in various Bolivian archives, and on the other hand, the conservation of documentary heritage in the Metropolitan Archive of Quito.

We cannot fail to mention an important review of the archival and library regulations in Bolivia, which are constantly updated. The event was virtual, which allowed for the participation of exhibitors from different places in the country; Furthermore, in the city of La Paz itself, the hectic political-social situation also led us to preserve the safety of exhibitors by inviting them to remain in their offices or homes. But the advantage was that, in the midst of this complicated environment, we could count on the attendance of numerous listeners from all over the country.

There is great expectation surrounding the publication of the exhibitions held this year, which will be added to those of 2021. Apparently, the public interested in these topics will continue to pay attention to these activities, so we affirm that these days have a good future.