The Contemporary Cultures Library confirms its position as a new cultural benchmark with nearly 36,000 users in its first year

The municipal facility, which occupies eight floors of the Mirador del Carmen, has hosted more than 200 events since its opening and has registered 4,000 book loans. The official anniversary ceremony will take place on December 19, with the participation of writer Elvira Lindo, actor Pepón Nieto and singer Alondra Bentley, who will close the event with an acoustic concert.

The Library of Contemporary Cultures of Estepona, located on eight floors of the Centro Sociocultural Mirador del Carmen, celebrates its first anniversary confirming its position as a new cultural reference in the city. This is supported by the activity data recorded in this first year of operation. In total, nearly 36,000 people have passed through this municipal facility, designed as a cross-cultural center, dynamic and oriented to the future and the needs of users.

Its uniqueness has made it a space of national reference, the center is equipped with the most advanced technology and means, offering citizens a complete range of uses for all ages. This facility has attracted the attention of the younger public, which represents nearly 40% of the users who have visited the facilities during this first year.

The official ceremony to celebrate the first anniversary will take place on December 19, at 8:00 p.m., with a special program that will bring together the writer Elvira Lindo, the actor Pepón Nieto and the singer Alondra Bentley, who will close the event with an acoustic concert. Admission will be free until full capacity is reached in the concert hall of the cultural center.

The library is designed for the user to live a unique experience when visiting it day by day, so that it becomes an extension of their home, which can live the cultural and technological space. In addition, the municipal commitment to this space has gone hand in hand with a full program of activities that have kept this facility alive throughout the year.

Thus, it has hosted nearly 200 activities including children’s workshops, workshops for adults, conferences, seminars, dialogues (21), presentations (20), guided tours for children (46), guided tours for adults (18), storytelling (2), adult reading clubs (13), children’s reading clubs (3), concerts (12), film screenings (5) and exhibitions (Coco Dávez and Manuel Moreno, on Terraza Street). In addition, the award ceremonies of the last two editions of the International Poetry Prize were held in its facilities, with a meeting with the authors.

This municipal facility has not only revitalized local culture, but has also boosted the city’s national presence in cultural circles. Its regular program has managed to bring together thousands of people who have known closely to fundamental names of creation in Spanish as the Cervantes Prize Sergio Ramirez, the filmmaker Oliver Laxe, writers Andrés Trapiello, David Uclés, Mara Torres, Jorge Bustos or Megan Maxwell, artists like Soleá Morente, Anni B Sweet, Coco Dávez, Manuel León, and poets such as Elvira Sastre or Luis García Montero.

The Literary Festival of Estepona (FLEST), is another reference event for lovers of the arts and literature; a festival that breaks the boundary between genres and disciplines, in a cross-cutting and community way. The festival brings together leading figures of international culture with the general public, while involving local social agents such as the Aprona Foundation or the Brotherhood of San Isidro, both entities committed to solidarity and the closest society. In its first two editions, FLEST has established itself as one of the most attractive literary events in Spain, bringing together more than 8,000 people, involving the province’s bookshops and bringing the reading experience closer to the public.

The Library of Contemporary Cultures also has an extensive catalog of bibliographic references. In this first year it has reached 4,000 book loans. To make use of the loan service, users must have a membership card of the Andalusian Public Library Network, which can be requested at any time both in the Mirador del Carmen library itself, in person, and through the website www.bibliotecasdeandalucia.es.

The library maintains an extensive program of events throughout the year. To keep up to date with the activities, those interested can join the Friends of the Library of Contemporary Cultures Club by sending an e-mail to bcc@estepona.es to receive the newsletter with all the information.