Memory of the World; 2012 - unesdoc - Unesco

It has been located in the same building in the seminary
of the Antiguo Colegio de San Juan (also founded by
Palafox) since its inception in 1646. The main vault was built
later, in 1773. Its beautiful bookcases feature ayacahuite,
wild sunflower and cedar woods and are a testament to the
cabinetmaker’s art.
The Biblioteca Palafoxiana is the only extant colonial
library in Mexico. The library was arranged in its current
format in the late 19th century and now holds more
than 42,000 books and unique manuscripts. Among
the most important books are nine incunabula (printed
books from before 1501) of which the oldest is the History
of Herodotus, printed in 1473. There is also an important
bibliographical collection dating from 1473 to 1821.
In the bibliographical collection the integration of the
development of European and American thought can
be appreciated with clarity through the organization
of subjects into those of European medieval or classical
themes and those from the American continent. As a
colonial work built on an ancient European foundation,
the Biblioteca Palafoxiana represents a model of modern
cultural development in the Americas.
After the library was damaged in a 1999 earthquake,
it underwent a comprehensive process of restoration and
cataloguing. It successfully reopened in April 2005.
The library’s founding spirit of ‘reading for all’ continues
to thrive today. The ‘Palafoxiana mobile’ is a popular service
that takes books to economically excluded communities,
which are often difficult to reach. This is a cultural lifeline
for many people in remote areas, particularly children.
234 Biblioteca Palafoxiana
Entrance to Biblioteca Palafoxiana �