La Biblioteca Latinoamericana 50th Anniversary
By Marta Morales
Good afternoon! ¡Buenas tardes! Bienvenidos, and welcome to Mayor Matt Mahan,
Councilmember Anthony Tordillos, Assemblymember Ash Kalra, Supervisor Betty Duong,
Representative Contini from Cortese’s office, City Librarian Jill Bourne, distinguished guests,
and friends of the Biblioteca. Thank you for coming to the celebration.
My name is Marta Morales. I am fortunate and honored to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the
Biblioteca Latinoamericana. We remember with deep gratitude the volunteers who are no longer
with us, including the late Reverend Cuchulain Moriarty, former pastor of Sacred Heart Church,
who played a key role in the Biblioteca’s humble beginnings and its evolution.
I want to begin with a picture book based on a true story to demonstrate the spirit that mirrors
our journey. Rain School was written by James Rumford, a former Peace Corps volunteer in
Africa.
In a village in Chad, young Thomas is excited to start his first day of school. Thomas, his mother,
older siblings, and other villagers walk along a dusty dirt road. They arrive at their destination.
Thomas looks around. There are no classrooms, no desks. The teacher approaches the children
and announces, “We will build our school. This is the first lesson.”
With his community, Thomas learns to make sun-dried mud bricks, build walls and desks, and
collect saplings for the roof. Days pass, and the first day of class begins. Over the next nine
months, Thomas learns the fundamentals of reading, writing, math, and geography. He feels like
his head is “fat with knowledge.”
Then, the rainy season begins, washing away the school. Yet, the community is not defeated. The
following September, school begins again, and Thomas is now one of the older boys leading the
younger children to their first lesson.
Rain School is a beautiful story about community resilience and how parents transform their
community. It speaks to the power of love that parents have for their children. These parents
worked tirelessly for the sole purpose of providing an education for their children—a basic
human right.
Fifty years ago, the Biblioteca began its own journey with a small group of mothers who wanted
their children to have culturally relevant library services in English and Spanish, quality books,
and a quiet place to study. Unlike the village in Chad, the small group of mothers expanded and
gained the support of university students, library staff, community members, and civic leaders.
Why? Because it is not just the responsibility of parents, but of community members and civic
leaders to set all children up for academic success.
October 3, 2026
The same spirit that built the village school, built the Biblioteca Latinoamericana; young mothers
were moved by love for their children and community. The Sacred Heart mothers, Los Amigos
de la Biblioteca Latinoamericana, and the Guadalupe-Washington and Alma communities
worked tirelessly during the first 25 years through four library relocations, securing a permanent
home at its present site. Why did it take 25 years? There was resistance. We were told to wait,
told there was a recession, and told there was no money. When there was money, we had a
lengthy feasibility study. Still, we insisted that it had to be done, and so it was.
As young mothers, we had just two options: we could complain often about the library services
we lacked that other communities enjoyed, or we could transform our reality. We worked
tirelessly to change and transform our reality. We took an unknown journey and paved our own
path with confidence and determination. When mothers and community members were told by
officials that we could not have a permanent library, we held countless meetings, circulated
petitions, wrote numerous letters to city officials, visited council members, and made City
Council presentations. We persevered.
And now, the continuation of the Biblioteca Latinoamericana rests on a new generation of
mothers, university students, the greater community, library staff, and civic leaders. The story of
the villagers in Chad and the narrative of the Biblioteca Latinoamericana leave us with a lasting
legacy: two communities were transformed by the power of love. As you can see, love is more
powerful than the power of resistance.
Thank you for your attention.
Marta Morales Founding Mother, La Biblioteca de los Pequeños del Sagrado Corazón
and Supportive Member of the Biblioteca Latinoamericana since 1976.
Timeline
1973-1974 Young mothers from the Sacred Heart Church, led by Marta Morales, organized a small
library for the community’s children and sponsored numerous fundraisers to purchase books
for the Biblioteca los Pequeños del Sagrado Corazón.
1975 San Jose State University students Enrique Angulo and Jerry Amaro wrote a grant that was
submitted in conjunction with the San José Public Library to the California State Library for
funding. The San José Public Library subsequently received a two-year grant, and $127,500
was allocated as seed money to purchase library materials for the new Biblioteca
Latinoamericana.
1976 The Rev. Cuchulain Moriarty offered the use of a vacant convent located at the corner of
Locust and Edward Streets. On April 25th, the Biblioteca Latinoamericana opened its door to
the public. The library was staffed by Nora Sepulveda, a Bilingual Library Clerk. Rita Torres
and Beverly Austin, the first Bilingual, Bicultural Librarians followed Nora.
1978 The Board of Directors of the Biblioteca lobbied the City Council for a permanent Branch
Library as the 2-year grant was due to expire. The City Council approved $95,000 to relocate
Biblioteca Latinoamericana to the old Woodrow Wilson cafeteria at 690 Locust Street. The
Biblioteca became an official branch of the San José Public Library system, and a dedication
ceremony was held on January 14, 1979
1987 Linda Mendez-Ortiz became the Senior Librarian at Biblioteca Latinoamericana and
organized a new Amigos group in 1988.
1988 Lucila Ledesma, Lucia Carrillo, Jose Luis Ramirez and Alejandro Tacir drafted and executed
the articles of incorporation and the by-laws of Los Amigos de la Biblioteca Latinoamericana.
Los Amigos formed a relocation committee to seek a permanent site for the Biblioteca.
1989 The Relocation Committee went before the San José City Council with petitions from the
community explaining the need for expansion and requesting a permanent site for the
Biblioteca. The City allocated $20,000 for the relocation study.
1990 A joint effort was formed by Los Amigos, San José Public Library and the City
Administration to execute a feasibility study. Five sites were selected as possibilities for the
relocation of the Biblioteca.
The City Council unanimously approved the feasibility selection report and recommended
that the Library Department investigate ways to fund the relocation of the new Biblioteca.
1995 on Los Amigos increased their fundraising activities and organized many successful events
including quarterly book sales, a caminata/walk-a-thon, a Serenata, an auction, and a movie
benefit.
1996 Mayor Susan Hammer requested approval of almost $4 million dollars from the
Redevelopment Agency to build a new Biblioteca Latinoamericana and Washington United
Youth Center rather than refurbish the Safeway/Mercado site at 921 S First St.
1997-98 The City of San José and the Redevelopment Agency held a groundbreaking ceremony and
fiesta on March 1, 1997. Construction kickoff was held on April 4, 1998.
1999 On November 20th, the Biblioteca Latinoamericana and the Washington United Youth Center
opened their doors to the public with a festive community celebration. The program included
Aztec dancing, folklórico, an author panel, and the well-known musical group Quetzal.
A time capsule was buried the following day with historical documents, books, and memoirs
from the community.
2014 On November 15th, the Biblioteca Latinoamericana and the Washington United Youth Center
celebrated 15 years of service to the community in a Quinceañera event with a dinner, dance,
and honored those instrumental in this community collaboration.
2026 The time capsule was recently excavated and found to be damaged. The San José Public
Library is digitizing what is salvagable.
October 3, 2026 50 years of Spanish language, bilingual/bicultural library services are celebrated
today
Reflections from a Founding Mother on Our 50th Anniversary
It is wonderful to see the San José Public Library (SJPL) website commemorating the 50th
anniversary of the Biblioteca Latinoamericana. The blog provides a moving chronological view
of the library’s evolution from 1976 to 2026, reminding us the library preserves the history of a
community that yearned to support its children's education.
My own journey began before the opening of the Biblioteca Latinoamericana branch
library. La Biblioteca de los Pequeños del Sagrado Corazón, started when a group of young
mothers met at the Sacred Heart church hall to discuss our children's education; we realized then
that the Washington community lacked a library to support its youth.
We took action. Our parish priest granted us use of the old baptistry—essentially a closet
—to store our books. Every Sunday, we mothers would set them out for checkout in the church
hall, slowly growing our collection through church fundraisers.
Our concerns were eventually heard by the wider community. Through the dedicated
efforts of Father Moriarty, SJSU students, and civic and community members, the California
State Library provided the seed money to fund the Biblioteca Latinoamericana. It was a difficult
struggle but a meaningful journey.
I hope this website serves as a platform for the community to share their own stories and
perspectives on how the library has impacted their lives. I would love to hear from other
mothers, library staff, civic leaders, and community members about their personal connections to
the development of the Biblioteca. After all, it’s the many contributions that made the dream
come true.
Thank you for this 50th Anniversary tribute. I believe it is a beautiful recollection and
reflection on a long and meaningful community struggle.
Marta Morales Founding Mother, La Biblioteca de los Pequeños del Sagrado Corazón
and Supportive Member of the Biblioteca Latinoamericana since 1976.
To Community, And Beyond.
Biblioteca Latinoamericana through the years.
The First Biblioteca: April 25th, 1976 - 1979
It all started when La Comision Honorifica Mexicana conceptualized a library specifically addressing the needs of their community. With support from the community, including La Comision board members: Mrs. Carmen Moroyoqui, the Rev. Cuchulain Moriarty, Jose Angulo, Ray Mojica, Enrique Angulo, Mrs. Bertha Lopez and Camille Lopez arranged with the City of San Jose, the California State Library, and the Biblioteca Board to obtain a federal grant that funded the library dedicated to Spanish language speakers. A former convent building was selected, generosity of the Sacred Heart parish, located in the Gardner Alma neighborhood. According to a report, "A Latin American Library in San Jose (a dream becomes a reality)" by Biblioteca Latinoamericana Inc. President Enrique Angulo, "each Sunday at Sacred Heart Church this dedicated group of people provided books and material to be lent out to the community free of charge. Mrs. Marta Morales and her small volunteer group worked very hard to bring the community books that could be read in
Spanish." According to Luis G. Juarez of the San Jose Mercury News, the neighborhood was 60 percent Chicano in the 1970s. La Biblioteca had bilingual staff and an ever growing Spanish language collection, including books, magazines, newspapers, etc.
The Second Biblioteca: January 14th, 1979 - 1999
While the convent building on Locust Street served as the home of Biblioteca Latinoamericana, it quickly outgrew the space. The search was on for further funding and a new location as the federal grant ended in 1979. The City of San Jose approved funding, and it became a branch of the San Jose Public Library at a new home just a few blocks north on Locust Street at the former cafeteria of Woodrow Wilson Junior High.
As reported by the San Jose Mercury News on January 10th, 1979, "we begin things on a cultural note today with announcement of the dedication Sunday at 1:30 p.m. of the Biblioteca Latino Americana, or Latin American Library, at 690 Locust St. Flags will fly, mariachis will be heard and members of Centro Cultural de la Gente will perform. Muralist Jaime Valadez, an instructor at Centro Cultural de la Gente, will present a mural he painted for Biblioteca. The library is the creation of a dedicated group of rresidents (sic) in the Gardner-Alma area who wanted a center devoted to the Spanish speaking community.
This location also hosted genealogy programs, noted in the San Jose Mercury News in 1989. The program was led by Librarian Linda Mendez-Ortiz, and Evelyn Romero Martinez, director of Founders and Friends of Santa Clara County, a organization founded to preserve the history and heritage of the county.
The New Biblioteca Latinoamericana: November 20th,1999 - Today
Finally, enter. Biblioteca Latinoamericana on South First Street. Opened in 1999 at First Street and Oak Street. The current Biblioteca Latinoamericana will go under renovations soon, but before then a time capsule will be unearthed, marking over 25 years since this location opened. The time capsule was placed in 1999 to honor the first 25 years of BLA and projected to be opened to honor the 50th anniversary. We are currently planning a renovation of the branch and plan to hold a community celebration later this year where the time capsule will be opened.
Further Reading
California Room Digital Collections
San Jose Mercury News Archive through Newsbank (available with SJPL Library Card)
Property Research and Genealogy Collections available in-person at the California Room including:
City Directories,
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps,
High School Yearbooks,
Aerial Photographs,
Building Permits,
and much more!
Add a comment to: 50 Years of Biblioteca Latinoamericana