Located in Zapopan, Jalisco, the Juan José Arreola Jalisco State Public Library (BPEJ) is not only an institution dedicated to promoting reading, but also to cultural diffusion, since it offers free conferences, talks, workshops for children and adults; film cycles, art exhibitions, reading circles, guided tours, reading rooms and finally, computer services.
Similarly, in addition to housing an impressive collection of books, magazines, newspapers and other printed materials in various formats and genres; the venue offers loan of materials, consultation room, internet access and online catalogue.
Everything, open to the general public: students, researchers, academics and anyone interested in reading and culture.
Of course, the BPEJ receives its name in honor of Juan José Arreola, a renowned Mexican writer born in Jalisco.
brief history of Public Library of the State of Jalisco Juan José Arreola
We can say that Mexican libraries existed until after the establishment of the Republic in the 19th century; and in Jalisco, the first public library was founded in 1861 with the collections, mainly, of extinct convents. Although it should be noted that, due to the turbulent times in which the country found itself, it opened its doors until 1874, with twenty thousand volumes available to its users.
Later, in 1925, the public library became part of the University of Guadalajara and changed location three times until in 2011, both its historical and contemporary heritage would be transferred to the Cultural Center building of the University of Guadalajara. . Finally, the BPEJ would open its doors to the public in October 2012.
The collection of the library
- On the first floor, the enclosure has historical archives from the times of the colonial period, private archives, microfilms and a map library.
- The Álvarez del Castillo Library and the José Rosas Moreno Children’s and Youth Library are located on the second floor.
- Likewise, the third floor houses the newspapers and the newspaper library.
- On the fourth floor are the serials, the media library and the national special collections.
- Finally, on the fifth floor are the general heritage and international collections.
Public Library of the State of Jalisco Juan José Arreola
Location: Periférico Norte, Manuel Gómez Morín 1695, Colonia Belenes, CP 45100, Zapopan, Jalisco.
Schedule:Monday to Friday, from 08:00 to 20:00. Saturday and Sunday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Free admission.