BiblioRed, the Media Library of Bogota, recreates social ties among the population
Bogota, capital of Colombia, is a UNESCO Creative City of Music since 2012.
In recent decades, the city, through its public policies that recognize culture as a main pillar for development, has underwent several urban, economic, and social transformation.
Facing the current challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the city of Bogota, together with its public libraries, has been reflecting on various creative ways to circulate quality information and guarantee access to knowledge for its citizens.
BiblioRed, the digital library of Bogota, has launched new measures as part of its larger strategy ‘Leer para la vida’ (Read for life), to further broaden the outreach of the various public libraries’ actions through virtual channels.
Amongst these initiatives, Café Literario is a virtual meeting space held every Wednesday. The space allows residents to discuss various topics ranging from specific literary topics, such as Afro-Latin writings, to current topics such as the situation of writers in confinement. As the modus operandi, BiblioRed representatives lead the sessions and moderate online conversations amongst participants. Literary playlists related to the topics covered in each meeting are made available for its participants. The Café Literario sessions are also uploaded on social media networks giving everyone the opportunity to listen to the discussions, which are popular with residents.
‘Experimental LAB – Family Knowledge sharing’ is another platform offered by BiblioRed to recreate social and intergenerational ties during the confinement period. Regarded as a creative laboratory, the initiative aims to trigger creative moments amongst families to find solutions to issues related to homeschooling, children’s rights, or parenting. You can find the related short video resumes via the Media Library’s YouTube channel.
In the same framework, the programme ‘Leer en Familia’ (Read with your family) encourages parents and caregivers to read aloud so that other family members such as children can also benefit from it. The initiative gives daily reading recommendations and tips to enrich the daily lives of children experiencing home confinement.
To know more about the initiatives launched by the Digital Library of Bogota, please visit the official website.