Role of the public librarian in the educational and cultural tradition of Medellín, 1870 - 1950

Abstract

The article presents the results of the research with same name, whose objective was to identify and determine the role of librarians as characters of the development of public libraries in Medellín, showing their relations with the history and educative and cultural tradition of the city. Based on a qualitative focus and with the development of documental research techniques, the paper does, first, a historical contextualization of the librarian profession in Colombia, with reference to the political, social, and cultural projects that were developed in the broad temporary frame, to view the history of librarians in Medellín. The second part traces the propagation strategy for illustrated reading in the dissemination of useful reading. This model, predominant in the XVIII century in Europe, finds in Colombia an interesting example with the profusion of magazines and newspapers, of religious character or guided towards the dissemination of determined moral perspectives and, of course, the creation of libraries that configure the role of librarians and their relations with the educative and cultural tradition of Medellín.