Book Day with a new library | leisure and culture

The Gran Canarian palms

Since this Saturday, International Book Day, Las Canteras has a new node of cultural activity: the Josefina de la Torre Library has opened its doors in Plaza Agatha Christie, in a ceremony attended by the President of the Government of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, the Mayor of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Augusto Hidalgo, and the Councilor for Culture, Encarna Galván. The City Council of the capital of Gran Canaria has inaugurated a building that will henceforth be a social and cultural center of reference in the surroundings of the iconic beach, as well as a true tribute to Josefina de la Torre, a pioneer of women’s activism in art and figure of reference in the lyrics and island scenarios. The municipal area of ​​Culture, through the Promotion Society of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, will manage the operation of a strategic facility for the city.

The service point of the Municipal Libraries in Las Canteras already had 7,142 registered users in 2021, with a transit of 12,830 visitors throughout the year. Its fund reaches 5,700 copies. Last year it registered a total of 9,683 book loans. In the first quarter of the year it already adds 3,070, in a trend that reflects a greater demand from users. In addition, fifty more users have registered in this period.

In total, all the Municipal Libraries of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (which are also part of the Canary Islands Library Network) have around 30,000 registered users, with some 50,000 visitors a year. And with 36,119 book loans registered in 2021 and 10,154 in the first three months of 2022. In summary, almost a quarter of the public of the libraries managed by Culture of the capital of Gran Canaria is concentrated in Las Canteras alone.

The construction of the library, an action carried out by the municipal area of ​​Urbanism in coordination with that of Culture, has had an investment of 1,273,804 euros charged to the Canary Islands Development Fund (FDCAN). The new cultural space has 1,328 square meters distributed over two floors. The building provides this area of ​​the city with a new green space, thanks to the 329 square meter garden that the new library has.

With this new cultural facility, the urban complex with which the municipal government has wanted to improve the beach area in the surroundings of La Cícer is completed, reclaiming 2,500 square meters of sand after demolishing the old car park building, and building in its place a walkway that allows connecting the promenade with the beach in a much more comfortable way.

The construction of the footbridge, completed at the beginning of 2018, and the rest of the secondary works have involved a total investment of 3.9 million euros in La Cícer, financed by the Canary Islands Development Fund (FDCAN).

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