Libraries

The total number of libraries in Baja California Sur is 51, holding a total of 413,649 books. These libraries, including Baja California Sur’s central library, were initially given 10,000 volumes in 1988.[1]  One library was founded in each state capital city in Mexico; “Filemon C. Pineda,” is the main library in La Paz. Of the 6,610 libraries in the Public Library National Network,[2] 45 are in Baja California Sur – 15 in cities and 30 in rural areas.

The state is considered among those with the least number of libraries in the country, together with Quintana Roo (47), Colima (51) and Campeche (53).[3] If we take into account the number of inhabitants per library of the best and worst equipped states, Baja California Sur is in the middle – Baja California Sur has 10,096 inhabitants per library, while Baja California has almost 30,000 residents per library.  Therefore, library coverage is limited to urban areas; many rural communities have neither a library nor access to any existing library.  Furthermore, existence of a library does not predict quality or quantity of its holdings.  Finally, most public schools do not have a library, placing further stress on an inadequate system.

In 2003, there was a drop in the total number of books taken out from the state’s public libraries, both in the general and the children’s collection compared to 2002.  It is encouraging that a new library in Comondú opened in 2003; in fact, the number of users in Comondú surpassed those reported in the same period in Los Cabos, the second most populous municipality in the state.

Most activities to promote reading are targeted toward children, thanks to the coordinated efforts of primary and secondary school teachers during holidays and the Centers of Basic Education.  The Special Fund to Promote Reading in Baja California Sur – with an annual budget of $100,000 – carried the first module in February 2004 to train reading hall coordinators.  Twenty-six reading hall projects in DIF social development centers were approved for various neighborhoods in La Paz.  There has been no evaluation about the population that has benefited from these reading halls.[4]

The least number of activities to promote reading is among young people, although the new internet services are targeted toward this audience.  Most libraries in the national network do not have computers with access to the Internet.  In 2001, Baja California Sur’s central library was given equipment for five Internet computing stations.  In 2002, only 522 users were able to use the service because of a problem with the central server.  In 2003, there were 1,519 users, and at the beginning of 2004 another fifteen computers were added.[5]   During the second stage of the program in early 2004, Cabo San Lucas’ libraries were given three computer stations, San Jose del Cabo’s was given six and Ciudad Constitucion’s received three.[6] It would be beneficial to assess the impact of this service.  Unfortunately, the program to improve this infrastructure has been postponed because of a lack of resources.

Public and private resources supplement the public library system.  Higher education institutions in the state have libraries, research centers, and bibliographic collections, including the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur (UABCS), the Technological Institute of La Paz (ITLP), the Center of Biological Research of the Northeast (CIBNOR), the Interdisciplinary Center of Marine Science (CICIMAR), the Urban Teachers’ School, and the Higher Teachers’ School of the State of Baja California Sur.

Commercial and nonprofit bookstores are also good sources for reading, yet good information on the number of bookstores is limited.  The national Cultural Information System shows 1,146 bookstores across Mexico, of which just eight are in Baja California Sur.  These eight shops serve three municipalities and over 80% of the state’s population.  Furthermore, purchasing books is expensive and the bookstores often have low inventory for popular titles.

Assuring adequate library facilities and reference materials should be a priority in the coming years.  Aging buildings are still in use with the same space originally designated, while the need for additional children’s rooms and programming is growing.  Book scholarships for students to help with textbook expenses will encourage further study; affordable bookstores throughout the state would also help achieve that goal.