50 Years of Biblioteca Latinoamericana

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 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.

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!