Biblioteca Nacional del Perú expands rural library network in Huancavelica

The Biblioteca Nacional del Perú (BNP) celebrated the first anniversary of the Yachaq Sunqu library in the Nueva Esperanza de Chonta community in Huancavelica, Peru.

This facility serves as the first public rural library in the country and marks the beginning of a national network of rural libraries. The BNP has established 10 of these rural library spaces across eight regions of Peru to date.

The Yachaq Sunqu library provides books and cultural resources to a farming community that specializes in growing native potatoes. Since its opening, the library has provided access to knowledge for more than 2500 people, including residents of the local village and five nearby communities. The library serves as a multi-use hub for the community. It provides spaces for early childhood education and serves as a site for school activities, pedagogical experiences, and teacher workshops.

Public institutions, such as the Policía Nacional and the Ministerio de Agricultura, use the space to deliver services to the population. The facility also hosts communal assemblies. To mark the anniversary, the BNP organized reading sessions and artistic workshops for children. These events featured works like Fábulas quechuas by Adolfo Vienrich and Canciones viajeras by Pepita García-Miró. The celebration also included a film screening of national and international short films.

The BNP also visited a school in Tullpacancha, where it distributed books to students and provided a new book module to the school library.