The Escuela interamericana de bibliotecología of the Universidad de Antioquia and its influence in Latin America

Abstract

In the twentieth century, several countries in Latin America documented the efforts made to train library staff and to educate them professionally in order to respond to the complex world of information. This was paramount for achieving a universal culture and for accessing science and technology achievements which were required by these societies. Later, outstanding work was carried out in the creation of the Escuela Interamericana de Bibliotecología. It was founded on October 19, 1956, and its name intended to outline its destiny and objectives: A university entity, part of the Universidad de Antioquia (Colombia), with Latin American vocation, training professional cadres for the libraries of the region, with aspirations of modernity and a quality curriculum that would include the current trends of world librarianship. This article addresses the importance that this institution granted to its library and academic staff which, from the beginning, has been fundamental to the Escuela Interamericana de Bibliotecología's development. It also highlights the work and the influence of the journal Revista Interamericana de Bibliotecología in the surrounding countries, as well as the contribution to international meetings and the renewal of academic exchanges in order to consolidate the discipline of librarianship.