The deputy delegate of the Government, María Rivas, went to the Concello de Ares to congratulate the workers of the Municipal Library for their intense work in promoting reading in the neighbors who reside in the municipality, after being recognized with the María Moliner Prize for Animation to Reading.
The subdelegate highlighted the work of the staff of the library team, composed of Caridad Nieto, Beatriz Martínez and María Serrano, who developed a program of activities attractive to the neighborhood, promoting new reading habits in children and elderly people in the municipality. “If there is a city council that has well deserved this award, it is Ares, for all the cultural activity that it develops throughout the year: an activity in which this library has a very important role” said Rivas
María Rivas stressed that the initiative of the Municipal Library of Ares is part of the 370 projects awarded throughout Spain and is one of the five awarded in the province of A Coruña, among which are the Municipal Library Concepción Arenal de Miño, the Municipal Library of Ortigueira, the Rego Library of the Balsa de Carballo and the Central Library Rialeda de Oleiros. In addition, this year the Ares library obtained the best score in the province and ranked third at the Galician level.
The project presented by the library and awarded with the María Moliner prize is entitled “Ares, a sea of activities”, and highlights the history of the town of Ares using its rich seafaring and fishing tradition with a play on words, which refers to the large size of the sea to describe the immensity of activities they offer for all audiences. In this way, the project carries out initiatives such as storytelling, reading clubs, meetings with authors, celebration of literary and cultural dates, as well as crafts and workshops, among many others.
The Municipal Library of Ares was recognized for the sixth time with the prize “María Moliner for Reading Animation” in its XXIII edition. Previously, it won the award 5 times, in the years 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021 and 2022 with projects that presented different topics, such as the healing power of reading until paying homage to the history of the building of the Artisan Alliance, which is where the library of Ares is located, and comes from celebrating its 119th anniversary.
María Rivas also wanted to highlight the constant effort of the Government for Culture, which is demonstrated by this award that allows “anyone, living in the place where they live, to have access to books. And in this sense public libraries are essential”
The “María Moliner Prize for Reading Animation” is a recognition of the work carried out by libraries of municipalities of less than 50,000 inhabitants for their role in promoting reading and cultural animation aimed at the whole neighborhood, especially groups with difficulties to access reading, in any of the official languages of the Autonomous Community.
In addition to the prize, the subdelegate said that this recognition from the Government is accompanied by a financial contribution of 2,777 euros for the purchase of books to expand the catalog of the center.