After a 35-year career, Pilar Lapuerta stepped down as director of the Guissona Library in December, citing retirement. The former director described her job as “a privilege and a gift,” assuring that she never found it difficult to go to work. In recent weeks, she has received numerous tokens of affection from the residents of Guissona.
“"In a public place like a library, one must speak Catalan, which is the language of our country."
One of the facility's strengths, according to Lapuerta, is the diversity of the public, which includes people of all ages and cultures. This diversity has not prevented Guissona from having an exceptional reader index: in a population of 7,500 inhabitants, 5,634 hold a library card, representing 72.16% of residents, far above the national average of 42%.
The library has historically acted as a support point for newcomers, offering them cards and explaining how it works, even assisting them in English or French if necessary. Furthermore, in the late 1990s, the facility was a pioneer in offering Catalan classes with volunteers, a task now assumed by the City Council.
