Written by Paula Andrea Cassé. For how to contribute to Library Planet look here: https://libraryplanet.net/contribute/

The Library System of the Catholic University of Cordoba (UCCb) is an academic library system that seeks to be a model in the provision of library and information services supported by new and innovative technologies, with a high level of efficiency and quality, to contribute to the intellectual, cultural and professional development of the entire community of the Catholic University of Cordoba (UCC).

The first thing you have to know about the library is that it is not contained in a single building. It actually works as a system that has three different physical libraries, which work as one in order to cover the needs of each specific faculty. And while the biggest and central one would be the Jean Sonet SJ Library, located on the suburban campus of the university, the second most known is the one at the university building downtown. This second library is the Dr. Gustavo Ortiz Library, which everyone most commonly known as the “Trejo library” (as the building is located on Trejo street). And finally, you can find the Health Sciences Library  in the Faculty of Health Sciences, attached to the old building of the Reina Fabiola University Hospital.

The three libraries are public, that is to say, open to the public in general. People outside the UCC may borrow material with their ID for consultation on site or during the day. 

At the end of 2016, the library system obtained the international quality certification granted by IRAM of all its services, under the ISO 9001:2015 standard. Thanks to this, it became the first library in Argentina to certify its quality management system with the new standard.

The main library, Jean Sonet SJ, has a contemporary architecture. As you go in through the first set of doors, you’ll notice first thing the post box  which the students can use to return their books in case the library is closed. Go through the second set of doors, and you’ll come to the hall. This is a large space that most of the time is used for presentations by the university, art expositions by certain artists that would require those kinds of services, and other times it will simply be left empty with a couple of chairs and tables for students to use to study. 

On the left, you’ll find more tables and chairs, the doors to the bathrooms and a glass wall from which you can look into the quiet reading room. And if you look close enough, you’ll notice a small glass room to the right. That would be one of the 7 study boxes which students can book for two hours to study. These boxes are extremely helpful as they offer a sense of privacy and make sure that you don’t bother anyone else when talking. 

After this, you move around a bit and following the hall you’ll find some computers in which the students and library users can check the online catalog on their own. 

Annexed to the quiet reading room, you can also find the relax area. This space has a different kind of furniture that aids to the theme of relaxation. This area is thought to help students relax between classes, or just unwind for a little while without the sense of having to follow a strict sense of order or rules. Most students use this space because of the air conditioning and Internet connection. Some of them even ask for earphones in the front desk and take the time to watch some series or movies on Netflix on their personal computers. 

The library system houses a variety of important historical collections such as the “Meisegeier Collection – Carlos Mugica Archive”, the “Jesus Company Library” and, in 2018, it became the guardian of the collection of the Library of the Maximum College of San Miguel. It also holds a Digital Library that recovers, digitalizes, disseminates and gives visibility to the scientific, academic and cultural production of the university and special collections of historical value. Currently, it is composed by the following collections: “Academic Production”, the “Magazine Portal” and the “Photographic Archive”, with institutional photographs.

At the library’s website you can take a 360º virtual tour: https://biblioteca.ucc.edu.ar