A Public Library to Promote Culture and Education among Women Francesca Bonnemaison Public Library, in Barcelona, Spain By Robertine Romeny ©

Biblioteca Popular Francesca Bonnemaison (Francesca Bonnemaison Public Library), is probably the oldest women's library in the world. It was established in 1909 in Spain. For modern day feminists, the ideals of the founder Francesca Bonnemaison are anathema. According to Anna Cabó, current director of the library, 'Bonnemaison did not believe that women should be independent; she believed that "a woman's place is in the home with her family". Her motivation for founding a library was to educate women to be better wives and daughters.' The library was established as a public library which aimed to promote culture amongst and education for women. In addition to a unique collection with amongst other things fashion magazines and cookery books, it also has many books that would not normally be expected to be found in a general public library.
This article is based on information from Anna Cabó (May 1998).

History

In 1909, a women's group in St. Anna's Parish in Barcelona decided they needed their own library. One of them, Francesca Bonnemaison (1872-1949) who had long since wanted to found some kind of social service for young women, proposed they set up a library for working women. As the wife of a public person, Bonnemaison's role was restricted to that of housewife and charity worker, but she held strong views on women's role in society. The goals of the library they established was to further women's cultural interest and to improve their level of education, in order to help them obtain better jobs. The establishment of the library was the first step towards what a year later would become the 'Institut de Cultura i Biblioteca Popular de la Doña' (Cultural Institute and Public Library for Women), in which besides the library a school was set up, where women could learn all kinds of professions and skills. Through this school, Bonnemaison disseminated her ideas about women's role in society.

Political and economic situation

Spain's turbulent history is reflected in the library, which has had as many names as there are periods in the history of Spain. Under Franco's dictatorship (1936-1975), for example, it was renamed 'Biblioteca de la Mujer' (Library for Women) in Spanish instead of Catalan, as Franco repressed minority languages. After the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) Bonnemaison, then living in exile, gave the building to the city on the condition that it would remain a women's library.
The library re-opened in 1940 after the obligatory 'cleansing'of library resources, carried out in all library's at the beginning of Franco's dictatorship. This 'cleansing' consisted of removing all books in Catalan, all books on the movement for Catalan autonomy, and books espousing ideas opposed to those of Franco. In other libraries these books were destroyed, in this library they were kept in a depository, until the 1980s when they were reincorporated into the collection. From 1942 onwards the school building was used by a school for women with a very different ideology; that of Spanish culture and Falange, an ideology bordering on fascism. The school and the other office spaces were used by the women's section of the Spanish Falange, until this disappeared in the 1970s. The library remained independent of this institution. After the re-establishment of democracy in 1975, the provincial government of Barcelona started updating library resources. In 1976, the library once again changed its name to the 'Francesca Bonnemaison Public Library'. One of the greatest threats to the library is that lack of financial resources or mismanagement will lead to it being swallowed up by one of the many public libraries in the city and that the collection will be scattered and lost.

The situation for women

There was an active feminist movement in Spain in the seventies. Many women's communities, action groups, magazines and publishing houses were set up. In the eighties and nineties many disappeared and now only the most radical remain. Besides these, women work through political factions to promote their ideas. Particularly in the nineties, the equal rights policy has led to the introduction of various organizations and institutions for women, including women's documentation centres. There are many lesbian groups, which exist both independently and within women's and gay and lesbian associations.

Collection

The first library collection consisted of 676 volumes, (51% fiction, 22% religion, 6% social sciences, including feminism and work, but also housekeeping). The initial collection was soon supplemented with books about needlework and books on languages, shorthand, geography, physical education, dressmaking, history, economics, cooking, etc.

Between 1922 and 1935 the library obtained a total of 12,712 volumes; almost 1,000 a year. Of these, 57% were donations and the rest were purchased. The periodicals collection and the reference section were the most in demand. The periodicals included newspapers and magazines from different countries about subjects such as fashion (from Spain, France, Great Britain and the USA), feminism, religion, cooking, geography and literature.
After the period of the Cultural Institute during Franco's rule, library growth slowed down, with an annual increase of only 244, amounting to a total of 32,752 volumes in 1975. At present the library has 46,000 volumes and more than 400 periodicals.
Due to its history, the library has several special collections. Cabó : "We are proud of collections like the fashion and needlework collections, the most interesting being the fashion magazine collection from 1860 onwards, which includes magazines from different countries." Also interesting is the collection on gastronomy from different cultures, including books in several languages, Spanish magazines, manuscripts dating from the 17th century and recent publications. This collection also contains books on home economics from the nineteenth century up until the present day. Due to its historical connection with the women's section of the Spanish Falange, the library has in it's collection material related to this institution. The library also has most of the archives of the Cultural Institute and Public Library for Women. These contain printed and handwritten material; the photo archives from 1909-1936 are a rich source of documentation. The bibliographical collection contains information on the development of the women's school and on a wide variety of subjects including religion, housekeeping, science and feminism. The library has an important collection of novels written by women or aimed at a female public, in Catalan, Spanish, French, English and German, including novels for teenagers as well as popular novels with little literary value.
The current purchasing policy favours sociological and historical material on the position of women in Spain and feminist classics; in addition a rich collection on fashion is kept up to date.The library is visited by a wide variety of people, such as children, students, housewives, retired people and specialists and researchers in areas such as fashion, theatre, cooking and nutrition, women and everyday life and the women's movement in Catalonia.

Communication

Besides part of the public library network of Barcelona, the library is an active member of the 'Network of women's documentation centres and libraries in Spain', that was established in 1994. The library organizes activities at different levels. For women in general lectures, conferences and exhibitions are organized. For women with little cultural background or a low reading level or women who wish to meet other women, there are amongst other things special reading clubs. The library participates in study groups concerned with co-education and promoting equality in schools. On an international level it takes part in meetings and congresses of women's documentation centres and in the field of women's studies.

Funding and personnel

The library is funded by the council of Barcelona. Four full-time employees are assisted by a number of volunteers and trainees. Although there is no tradition of voluntary work in Spain, working with volunteers has proved to be a positive experience.

Biblioteca Popular Francesca Bonnemaison, Spain
Contact person: Anna Cabó
Tel/fax: # 34 93 2680107

For questions or more information please contact: mapping@iiav.nl
Homepage