#librarylove

Não queimaram apenas uma biblioteca.

Em 1992, durante o cerco de Sarajevo, a Vijećnica, que abrigava a Biblioteca Nacional da Bósnia e Herzegovina, foi incendiada. Grande parte do prédio e cerca de dois milhões de livros e documentos foram destruídos.

Mesmo assim, bibliotecários e moradores entraram no prédio em chamas tentando salvar o que conseguiam carregar. Uma delas foi Aida Buturović, bibliotecária que ajudou a resgatar livros naquela noite e morreu pouco depois.

Sei lá... acho impossível olhar para as ruínas e depois para a Vijećnica restaurada sem pensar que destruir livros também é uma tentativa de destruir memórias.

Step into an opulent world of literature within Asheville's Biltmore Library.

Imagine renovating your home and finding a library book inside a bricked fireplace. That happened in Kiama, Australia. The book, Antiquities of Athens, the 1858 edition, was borrowed 150 years ago. It was recorded as the 506th item added to the Kiama Library collection.

Do you return a book when the overdue fee reaches 28,000 dollars? Luckily, the library chose to forgive the debt and put the historic volume into their local history section instead.

A Calling in Favor of the Library and Other Subversions by Mario Miranda Ramírez, illustrations by La Karbex, edited and translated by Sophia Elizabeth Ibarra; Editorial Halfbreed; 2023

The library isn't just a building; it’s a site of subversion. ✊🏽📖

We here at the San Diego Public Library Zine Library are thrilled to highlight A Calling in Favor of the Library and Other Subversions (2023) by Tijuana poet and bookbinder Mario Miranda Ramírez. Published by Editorial Halfbreed, this handmade zine is a poetic manifesto for the library as a sanctuary of free knowledge outside the reach of commercialism.

As a cornerstone of the TJ-SD binational DIY scene, this work bridges the gap between our two cities, proving that the fight for accessible community spaces is universal. From its artisanal encuadernación to its radical heart, it’s a beautiful reminder of why we do what we do. 🇲🇽🇺🇸 = <3

“the library is a calling

for a life with more apt pleasures,

for a reflection of the soul

that does not fit here,

a way of being

that is impatient to multiply its internal life.

A pleasure that requires time.

A literary pilgrimage through Dublin's iconic Trinity College Library.