The award, presented at the II International Conference of Public Libraries Galicia-North of Portugal, distinguishes the center's efforts to rescue, preserve, and make available to the public documents essential to the history and collective memory of Ortigueira. The initiative arises from the need to recover scattered documents from private homes, private collections, or old archives at risk of being lost.
The mayor of Ortigueira, Valentín Calvín, highlighted that the award represents a “collective pride” and institutional support for the “work that the municipal library carries out daily and silently.” He noted that preserving the memory of Ortigueira “is the best way to build its future,” thanking the “joint effort of technicians and residents.”
The project, based on the premise that local history also resides in photographs, postcards, or festival programs kept in homes, added a total of 867 new documents between January 1, 2024, and August 5, 2026, of which 802 came from private donations (92.5%). Notable contributions include those from Federico Maciñeira Teijeiro and the family of Luis Alonso Santiago.
The Councilor for Culture, Ana Cartelle, emphasized the project's “social value and future projection,” demonstrating that culture in Ortigueira is “participatory and alive.” She announced that the award will drive “new actions focused on bringing these historical funds to schools and younger generations.”
In addition to expanding the documentary collection and establishing a dedicated space for its proper treatment and physical conservation, the project collaborates with the Biblioteca de Galicia for the digitization of funds. Currently, the digital repository Galiciana offers access to 126 items from Ortigueira, with more documents to be added throughout 2026.
