Cuban president congratulates librarians

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel congratulated the workers and specialists of the José Martí National Library and those of the rest of the country on the occasion of their day on Wednesday.

On Twitter, Díaz-Canel praised the tireless work of library professionals and described those facilities as “fascinating temples of human knowledge, where it is so nice to be, even in times of the Internet.”

Librarian’s Day is celebrated in honor of the birth, on June 7, 1812, of Antonio Bachiller y Morales, one of the most distinguished Cuban intellectuals. He was a prolific journalist, historian, lawyer, and bibliographer and is considered the father of Cuban bibliography.

The date originated at the initiative of journalist César García Expósito in 1950.

The first massive celebration, sponsored by the Office of the Historian of Havana with the support of the Cuban Society of Historical and International Studies, was held that year.