Women in politics, children, and libraries: library footnotes about the Children’s Libraries and Resorts Association (Asociación de Bibliotecas y Recreos Infantiles)

Abstract

This article is about socialist activist women and their cultural action towards the creation, development, and promotion of children’s libraries in Buenos Aires at the beginning of the 20th century. This study is part of a major research carried out by the author about “Popular libraries and political thought: a comparative study of governmental and socialist ideas on libraries. (1900-1940)”. The methodology has been focused on the documentary analysis  —especially primary sources— statutes and accounts, parliamentary sessions records and the testimony of the social actors involved, etc. The research is aimed to reveal the influence of the political speech of the time on the development of worker’s libraries, especially children’s libraries; the socialist strategy to keep children out of streets through a strong linkage between books and reading; and, finally, the relationship found between collections and children’s reading activities both for entertainment or school support performed at those libraries.