Logroño Celebrates Library Day: A Toast to Books and Beyond!
Every October 24, the world raises a glass – or perhaps a dusty old tome – to celebrate Library Day, a tribute to the National Library of Sarajevo, which met an unfortunate fate during the Balkan War in 1992. You know, just when you thought a good library couldn’t be torn apart – but then again, this is the world we live in! So, let’s put on our best library card and highlight the importance of these literary havens as pillars of transformation. They generate culture, unite communities, and are often the only place where you can find peace and quiet… unless someone’s loudly shushing you!
A Day in the Life of the La Rioja Library
Speaking of libraries, we caught up with the illustrious Josu Rodríguez, the director of the La Rioja Library. He informed us that this year’s motto is “For a sustainable future,” tying perfectly with the International Day of Climate Change. Not that anyone in the library is explaining how to compost, but you’ve got to love a library that stays current – like your cousin on LinkedIn! The day will be full of activities across all Rioja libraries. Can you say “party with books”? Sounds like a wild Saturday night to me!
The Main Event: Tales of Paper Stories
One highlight will be a performance by none other than writer and narrator Pablo Albo, who will charm audiences with ‘Tales of Paper Stories’ – a delightful storytelling session aimed at family audiences ages 5 and up. I mean, it’s about time someone reminded us all how thrilling flipping through a book can be, rather than just scrolling through TikTok for 17 hours straight! The event kicks off at 6:00 p.m. in the auditorium, where we can only hope there are enough seats for all those eager little listeners – and perhaps the parents with their more-than-necessary caffeine fixes!
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Let’s talk stats! The La Rioja Library boasts nearly 45,000 registered users. That’s almost the same number of people who claim they *might* read a book this year but will probably end up re-watching ‘The Office’ instead! In 2023, there were around 160,000 loans made at La Rioja alone, and almost 340,000 across all Rioja libraries. Are these libraries more popular than Beyoncé? Not sure, but with figures like that, it’s definitely *debatable*! And, as if that wasn’t enough, La Rioja Library welcomed a whopping 382,942 visitors despite the lobby being remodeled for half of the year. They call that dedication – or maybe curious tourists who just got lost!
Reading Habits in La Rioja
According to the Barometer of Reading and Book Purchasing Habits in Spain, La Rioja ranks among the top five communities for readers over 14. We’re talking 66.6% of residents reading books at least once a quarter! That’s two and a half points above the Spanish average – enough to make even the judges of “Spain’s Got Talent” gasp. While it seems traditional books are leading the charge, comic books, mangas, and graphic novels are booming. So if you were wondering if the wee ones are still flipping through pages, the answer is a resounding “yes!” – albeit, in a very colorful way.
What’s Hot in the Reading World?
Now, for the moment we’ve all been waiting for. The most read books in 2024 at La Rioja Library? Hold onto your seat! Leading the pack is The Maid’s Daughters by Sonsoles Ónega, followed closely by Infierno by Carmen Mola, and Maldita Roma by Santiago Posteguillo. Talk about a killer lineup! And for the younger audience, it seems our beloved books like ‘The Smurfs’, ‘Dragonwall’, and even ‘Pokemon’ are keeping the kids hooked. Because let’s be honest, who can resist the charm of little blue creatures and fantastical elements?
In conclusion, whether you’re a bookworm, a casual reader, or someone who just likes to look at the pictures, Library Day has something for everyone in Logroño. So grab a book, attend an event, or maybe just pick up the latest graphic novel. Just remember to keep it down… or you might find yourself in the “naughty corner” of the library, and trust me, that’s not a place anyone wants to be!
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Logroño
Every October 24, the world celebrates Library Day, an event chosen in tribute to the National Library of Sarajevo, destroyed during the Balkan War in 1992, and as a date to highlight the importance of these spaces as pillars of transformation, generating an approach to culture and uniting the community. To remember this date, we have spoken with Josu Rodríguez, the director of the La Rioja Library, who highlighted this year’s motto also linked to the International Day of Climate Change and which is ‘For a sustainable future’.
Furthermore, Rodríguez has highlighted that it is a day for “enjoyment in all the Rioja libraries, which will carry out multiple activities” and, specifically, the La Rioja Library has scheduled a different appointment with the narrator and writer Pablo Albo and his ‘ Tales of are. Paper Stories’, an event for family audiences ages 5 and up that will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the auditorium. “This is one of the various events and cultural events that the Library hosts throughout the year to encourage the habit of reading among Riojans and also attract visitors to this historic building located in the old town and turn it into a symbol of culture in Logroño,” says the director.
The data in La Rioja
Currently, the La Rioja Library has almost 45,000 registered users and 2,700 new members registered this year. This space is one of the 24 Public Libraries of our Autonomous Community. Thus, during the year 2023, almost 160,000 loans were made in the La Rioja Library and about 340,000 in all of the Rioja libraries. Furthermore, so far this year 2024, there are already more than 120,000 loans in the La Rioja Library and almost 250,000 in the libraries of our community. In this way, during the year 2023, the Riojan libraries as a whole received 792.14 visitors. Specifically, the La Rioja Library welcomed 382,942 visitors, despite having reduced its opening hours to only the afternoon for almost six months due to the remodeling of the lobby.
According to the Barometer of Reading and Book Purchasing Habits in Spain, published last January, La Rioja is among the 5 communities with the most readers over 14 years of age. According to the data provided by the study, 66.6% of Rioja residents over 14 years of age read books in their free time at least once a quarter, a percentage that is two and a half points above the Spanish average. It is also worth highlighting the great growth in the use of comics, mangas and graphic novels, both among adult audiences and children.
In fact, books, both for adults and children, are the materials that lend themselves the most, continuing with an upward trend. However, due to changes in cultural consumption, audiovisuals are increasingly less requested for home loan. On the other hand, these users of the libraries of La Rioja, in addition to borrowing books, attend mediation and reading promotion activities, exhibitions, conferences and workshops and enjoy facilities that have long opening hours in the libraries. who share a love of reading and culture.
The most read books during 2024
In the list of most read books this year, Sonsoles Ónega’s ‘The Maid’s Daughters’ stands out, followed by Carmen Mola’s ‘Infierno’. Third in the ranking is Santiago Posteguillo with ‘Maldita Roma’. Other titles and authors such as ‘A Wild Animal’ by Joël Dicker, ‘The Armor of Light’ by Ken Follet or ‘Everything Returns’ by Juan Gómez Jurado are also not far behind.
Among children, the most requested are the collections of ‘The Smurfs’, ‘Dragonwall’, ‘Pokemon’, ‘The Terrible Adele’ or ‘The Kangaroo Club’.
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