The Ana de Castro Municipal Public Library in Valdepeñas is celebrating its 75th anniversary with a series of special events in honour of Library Day. The programme aims to combine humour, creativity, and collective memory to commemorate its long-standing commitment to culture, reading, and knowledge.
Vanessa Irla, the Deputy Mayor for Culture, emphasised the library's role in fostering a more critical, free, and participatory society. She noted that the library was established in 1951 when the Valdepeñas City Council allocated a dedicated space and staff to a collection of books, making essential public library services, such as consultation and home loan, freely available to the community.
Irla highlighted that, 75 years later, the library boasts a collection of 41,500 volumes and serves a community of 10,190 registered users, alongside 12 reading clubs. The goal remains to engage new generations with the library and culture.
Upcoming events
Among the planned activities, a performance titled Inteligencia Artificial by artist Mario Ezno will take place on 22 October at 20:30 in the La Confianza auditorium. This comedic show, suitable for all audiences, uses improvisation and puppetry to explore the impact of artificial intelligence and new technologies on modern life.
The central event of the anniversary celebration will be the Gala del Lector, scheduled for 24 October at 19:00 in the same venue. Hosted by Ana Griott, a well-known storyteller and writer, the gala will reflect on the library's 75-year history and honour those who have contributed to its evolution into a vibrant community space.
Attendance at the Gala del Lector will require an invitation.
Festival of words
Mari Francis Marqués also announced ongoing activities as part of the Festival of the Word. On 21 October, two sessions featuring storyteller Maricuela will be held at La Confianza: Historias de risa sin prisa for children and families at 18:00, followed by Historias de Sanquetepueblos for youth and adults at 20:30. Both events are free until capacity is reached.
The following day, Maricuela will lead a storytelling workshop titled Voz, cuerpo y mirada from 16:00 to 20:00, aimed at teachers and anyone interested in oral storytelling, with registration through the Universidad Popular.
On 24 October at 12:00, Ana Griott will present El secuestro de la bibliotecaria, a performance for children and families, also at La Confianza, with free entry until full capacity.
The festival will conclude on 4 November with a workshop by Guti, Memorias en conserva, from 16:00 to 19:00, aimed at adults, particularly educators. Guti will also present the show Lobadías at 20:30 that evening, with free entry until full capacity.
