I am a librarian!

My name is Antony Llanos, and a few months ago I was invited to become a librarian at the Centro Cultural Quiritimayo. My arrival coincided with the formation of a Rural Library in the institution.

I had the good fortune to visit the central premises of the Rural Libraries Network in Cajamarca. It was a turning point in my work as a rural librarian: I entered with trepidation, but every space there tells you something. The bookshelf that can be seen at the entrance impressed me; when I asked, I was told that they are books published by the Network itself that go to the communities.

Continuing to walk through the Library premises made me feel in touch with an imaginary world: the small garden, the phrases written on the stones and the steps, turned my fear into curiosity.

In the Exchange Centre I was warmly welcomed, I was very excited to see the support they give us there. The box of books of different genres and themes that they gave me awakened in me a feeling of gratitude and responsibility towards the work I was undertaking.

At this moment, I understood that being a librarian of the Network not only implies the physical transfer of the books, but also represents a direct connection with the knowledge and culture that the books of the Rural Libraries house: we are carrying the culture of the rural communities of Cajamarca. Each book is an open door to knowledge and imagination, ready to be shared with the children of the Quiritimayo neighbourhood. 

This day we received a box of books and, to tell the truth, I have almost read them all. 

At the Quiritimayo Cultural Centre the books caused a lot of excitement. The children enjoy reading stories from the countryside. I think it brings back memories of their grandparents. Every day they choose a new book. I love to see them queuing up to sign the reader's registration form; the children write their name and sign it, which makes them feel very important.

Throughout these months I have come to understand that the books produced by Rural Libraries are not only physical objects, but powerful tools, another way of learning through the history of our people.

Antony Jahmpier Llanos Valdivia