Flores

Ponta Delgada Public Library and Regional Archive
São Miguel
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  • Description
  • Features
  • Contacts

The mission of the Ponta Delgada Public Library and Regional Archive is to collect, preserve and promote access to information and knowledge, in multiple fields and in different forms and supports, with a focus on Azorean themes.

The Ponta Delgada Public Library and Regional Archive should be a gateway to knowledge, providing basic conditions for learning throughout life, for independent decision-making and for the cultural development of the individual and of social groups. With a view to implementing and pursuing a policy of the democratisation of culture, open to the community, it offers services based on equal access for all, and encourages a proactive attitude of shared responsibility and efficiency. Thus it aims to provide a personalised, dynamic and creative service, which adapts permanently to the needs of its users/clients.

The Ponta Delgada Public Library and Regional Archive depends on the Regional Secretariat for Education, Science and Culture/ Regional Department of Culture and is a multifaceted body, as it is both a public library and regional archive.

As a library it aims to fulfil the objectives of the UNESCO Public Library Manifesto, namely: a home lending service, the provision of new supports and access to new information technologies. It has a unique collection thanks to private libraries that have been acquired, donated or deposited, and also has a vast local collection of journals and monographs. Its Camões collection is one of the most complete in the world.

The purpose of the archive is to organize and provide a repository of the historical memory of the Azores, especially of the islands of São Miguel and Santa Maria. It contains documents that date back to the 16th century, which have been added via legal provisions, and from the acquisition, deposit or donation of archives and sets of documents. Having held the documentation of notaries and conservatories from a period of over 30 years, it also provides a public service of certification and registration.