Jalisco’s Juan José Arreola Public Library is located on the northern Periférico (Ring Road) very near the Telmex Auditorium. This library literally has “something for everyone” and most of it is free of charge.
I have to admit I first became interested in visiting the place because of the building’s unusual and controversial architecture, designed by Gonzalez Gortázar Arquitectos. Of course, the first thing I wanted to find out was when the library opens and closes and then, how many documents and permissions I would need to take photos inside its walls.
So I called information (040) and was told that they have no record of the Jalisco Public Library. “But it’s Mexico’s second largest library and it cost 570 million pesos,” I told the operator. She replied, “I’m sure it exists, sir, but we’ve never heard of it.”
Naturally, I turned to Google and quickly found two telephone numbers, but every time I dialed them, I got this curious message: “(blank) is in a meeting. (blank)’s voicebox is full. If you know the extension you want, dial it now.”
This was a rather inauspicious beginning, but after trying 9 or 10 extensions, I finally got through to Aditi Ruiz, coordinator of Cultural Dissemination and Communication, who kindly offered to take me on a tour of the library the next day.
As for the list of requirements for taking a photo, she said, “You are free to take all the photos you want –and so is anyone who walks in the door. This really is a PUBLIC library.” (Because the library is administered by the Universidad de Guadalajara, some people might mistakenly believe users need an UdG card to get in.)
Before starting my tour, I learned that the Biblioteca is divided into two buildings, the Edificio Contemporáneo and the Edificio Histórico. You can stroll into the former without any sort of ID, but because the latter is full of venerable old documents which you must view wearing gloves and a face mask, you need certain kinds of identification, but nothing out of the ordinary.
On my tour, I discovered that this library holds one million books (Here in Mexico, only the UNAM’s library in the capital has more.) Many of these books are digitalized, of course, and there are 700 computer monitors on which to view them. At the moment, the library is not set up for lending books, but they say they’ll be starting this service in a few months.
Interested in reading a magazine or newspaper, new or old? On the third floor I found complete collections of all the popular ones. Their oldest newspaper is the Gazeta de México, with issues going back to 1784. They also have a complete collection of INEGI topographical maps, both in paper and digital forms, as well as 700 books in Braille.
On the same floor, there’s a big collection of books for children and adults in indigenous languages. “Mexico’s indigenous population speaks 68 different tongues and there are 364 varieties of these languages,” librarian Nilva Ordón told me. As an example, she showed me a book in Hñähñus, a language spoken in several Mexican states. “Hñähñus has 14 vowel sounds as opposed to five in Spanish,” she mentioned. Since I am also a language teacher, I countered that English has between 19 and 21 vowel sounds – depending on which expert you talk to – and assured her that for most readers of the Guadalajara Reporter, Hñähñus would be a snap.
I discovered that this library not only has a huge collection of children’s books in Spanish and English, but story-telling programs for kids and even a stage for puppet shows. They also have an area where you can study any one of six languages (English, German, French, Italian, Arabic and Chinese) on your own –another free service.
On the fifth floor I was quite surprised to discover the entire contents of the Benjamin Franklin Library, which old-timers in Guadalajara will fondly recall was donated by the U.S. Consulate. Next to it is another huge collection (50,000 books) all in French (the Paul Rivet Library). On the same floor you can find a big collection of books in Catalan and 500 books on China (mostly in English) donated by the Shanghai Library. Finally, on this floor is an important collection of scientific books, the personal library of the late Dr. Enrique Estrada Faudón. By the way, Dr. Estrada’s impressive insect collection is also on display on the fourth floor where you’ll find astounding film and photo collections on DVD. If there is some rare Mexican film you are interested in, they will find it and digitalize it for you – free, of course.
I toured the building for hours and only saw a little of what’s there … and I took all the photos I wanted.
Be assured that you will get a warm reception in the Jalisco Public Library. You’ll easily spot it along the northwest (Belenes) section of the Periferico, at the corner of Camino a los Belenes, 500 meters north of the Telmex Auditorium. There are stoplights at this junction. The library is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day but Sunday when the schedule is 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Their website is www.bpej.udg.mx.
And guess what? Since yours truly visited the library (and discretely complained), they fixed their telephone lines: (33) 3836-4530 and 3619-0480.