First Presidential Message SALALM LX

• By: Luis A. Gonzalez
• On: 09/19/2014 20:03:21
• In: Presidential Messages

Dear Colleagues:
As I write these lines, the memories of SALALM LIX are still fresh in my mind.  Past President Roberto C. Delgadillo and the Local Arrangements Committee, chaired by John B. Wright with support from the SALALM Secretariat led by Executive Director Hortensia Calvo, offered us a remarkable conference experience.  The variety of sessions in the academic program and other conference activities, including a live performance of the famed Mormon Tabernacle Choir, provided ample opportunities for academic, cultural, and professional advancement.  The panels and conference sessions showcased the breadth and depth of both the individual and collective expertise in our organization.  Participation by new, mid-career, and veteran colleagues is a healthy sign of SALALM's continued role as a vibrant forum for the discussion, exchange, and dissemination of library practices and scholarly issues related to the Latin American Studies field.  I particularly enjoyed the panel session “SALALM: Back in the Day.” Presented by David Block, Paula Covington, and Mark L. Grover, the session offered an enthralling account of SALALM's achievements as an organization.  Over the years, SALALM members have spared no effort in building collections documenting historical and current Latin American affairs.  Paula and David shared vivid memories of traveling to Nicaragua in the early years of the Sandinista Revolution looking for materials to enhance library collections on this historical event.  Reflecting on SALALM's decades-long history in the light of current developments in the library profession, Mark reminded us of the centrality of our expertise as Latin Americanists in the work we perform as research librarians.
SALALM will be observing the 60th anniversary of its foundation in 2015, making it a landmark year.  For the occasion, I have selected Brazil as the core theme of the SALALM LX conference program: “Brazil in the World, the World in Brazil: Research Trends and Library Resources.”  Hosted by Princeton University, the conference will take place on June 13-17, 2015.  The motivation for this theme is fully explained on the SALALM website.  But succinctly stated, I drew inspiration from thinking about the implications cooperation agreements between North American and Brazilian universities, research centers, and cultural heritage agencies may have on library collections and services.  These academic initiatives have been prompted by the growing recognition of Brazil's rising global influence and its artistic, cultural, and intellectual effervescence.  Taking Brazil as the core theme, SALALM LX will explore the role of the research library within the current internationalization agenda of North American universities.  For the first time in nearly a quarter-century, Brazil will be showcased in a SALALM conference.  Brazil was last featured in 1990 during the 35th annual meeting of SALALM, held in Rio de Janeiro.  Planned by Ann Hartness, Librarian Emerita from the University of Texas, the theme of the conference was “Continuity and Change in Brazil and the Southern Cone.”
Fernando Acosta-Rodríguez (Chair of Local Arrangements) and I have been working diligently throughout the year in the planning of SALALM LX.  I had the opportunity to visit Princeton on March 10-11, 2014.  During my site visit, I met with high-level library and university officials who enthusiastically supported Princeton's invitation to host our conference in 2015.  Most prominently among these officials were University Librarian Karin A. Trainer and Professor Rubén Gallo, Director of the Program in Latin American Studies, who are the heads of the two units that will jointly host the conference.  Both directors are very pleased to see Princeton as the conference host and have given Fernando their full support in the organization of the event.  Some of you may recall that SALALM has met once before at Princeton.  This was back in 1985, when then-President Dan Hazen and Peter T. Johnson, serving as chairman of local arrangements, planned the 30th annual meeting of SALALM.  Much like in 1985, nearly all of LALALM LX's conference events will take place on the university campus.  Fernando and I toured the campus to see various venues of possible interest for lodging, vendor exhibition space, as well as facilities for holding meetings, panel sessions, and other conference events.  I will report more on the conference venues in my next message.
Fernando crafted a packed agenda for my two-day visit, but as busy as we were, we still managed to squeeze into the itinerary a few events that were quite gratifying.  One such event was a presentation by renowned historian Serge Gruzinski on his recent work L'aigle et le dragon.  In a skillful exercise in comparative history, Gruzinski explores the radically different outcomes of the sixteenth-century European expansion into Mexico and China.  Whereas the Spanish achieved control of Mexico, the Portuguese failed in their attempt to conquer China.  The English language edition of this book is scheduled to come out under the title The Eagle and the Dragon later this year.  We also had the opportunity to share a close moment with Princeton University Professor Emeritus Arcadio Díaz Quiñones, the prominent scholar and former director of Latin American Studies.  Professor Díaz is one of the 27 Caribbean authors and intellectuals that are featured in Las Antillas letradas, a portfolio by graphic artist Antonio Martorell, recently acquired by the Graphic Arts Collection in the Firestone Library.  The portfolio consists of woodcut prints of the letters of the Spanish alphabet representing a selected author, or letrado, from the region.  For each letter, an image of the individual and excerpts of a representative work in the original language (English, French, and Spanish) is presented on the text.  This pictorially rich composition is juxtaposed on an image of a map of the Caribbean.  More information on this splendid work is available on the Graphic Arts Collection blog.
During my site visit, I had the pleasure of meeting in person Lilia Moritz Schwarcz, who will deliver the keynote address at SALALM LX.  Professor Schwarcz is a distinguished Brazilian anthropologist and historian at the University of São Paulo and a Princeton Global Scholar.  A prolific scholar, she has published extensively on the institutional history and the collections of the Brazilian National Library.  Her works include A longa viagem da biblioteca dos reis (2002), O livro dos livros da Real Biblioteca/ The Royal Library's Book of Books (2003, bilingual edition), and most recently a chapter in Mestres da gravura: Coleção Fundação Biblioteca Nacional (2013), a book that features the unique collection of European prints and engravings in this impressive repository.
One of the oldest national libraries in Latin America and one of the largest national libraries in the world, Brazil's Biblioteca Nacional has a peculiar history.  The provenance of the core holdings of the original library collection—over 60,000 volumes plus manuscripts, maps, and prints, and other rare materials—can be traced back to the personal library of King João VI of Portugal.  In 1808, the Portuguese crown, the government, and many members of the aristocracy resettled in Rio de Janeiro, fleeing from the Napoleonic invasion of the peninsula.  Rio became not only the new seat of the vast Portuguese empire, but also underwent important social and cultural transformations.  Besides introducing the Royal Press and the first newspapers, João VI ordered the transfer of his treasured library to Brazil.  The complete collection was shipped from Portugal in three stages from 1810 to 1811.  The installation of the library in Rio's Carmelite monastery in 1810 is considered as the official foundation date of this institution.  The Real Biblioteca opened its doors to the public in 1814.  João VI returned to Portugal in 1821, but this time the royal library remained behind.  Control over the royal library became a key issue of contention during the negotiations leading up to Brazilian independence.  The newly independent country led by Emperor Pedro I, King João VI's son, agreed to indemnify the Portuguese crown for the property and assets left behind in Brazil, including, remarkably, the formerly royal library collection.  As this story shows us, libraries and their collections represent more than knowledge—power.
Hosting SLALAM LX in the Northeast will hopefully attract participation by specialists and graduate students enrolled in library programs as well as in Latin American Studies programs in that region.  We will tap the support of our LANE colleagues to help us reach out to this potential pool of participants.  Please stay tuned!
As Hortensia recently reported, the state of SALALM's financial health is good, which is always reassuring to hear.  So please renew your memberships on time.  This type of simple, straightforward action works wonders for maintaining our organization's strength.
Finally, I started this message by referring to two of our veteran colleagues, David Block and Mark L. Grover.  David retired just last month.  Mark had retired a year earlier, but at the last SALALM conference, he was elected as Honorary Member of the organization by the Executive Board.  This distinction recognizes Mark's multiple professional accomplishments and contributions to SALALM.  Thank you to you both, estimados colegas, for everything you contributed to SALALM during your long productive careers.
Luis A. González
President, SALALM (2014-2015)
Indiana University
luisgonz@indiana.edu