For a Mediterranean librarianship: side notes from the “I Seminario hispano-italiano en biblioteconomía y documentación”

Abstract

The paper offers a report of the “I Seminario hispano-italiano en biblioteconomía y documentación”, delivered online on 29 and 30 October 2020 and organized by Facultad de ciencias de la documentación de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid and by Departamento de biblioteconomía y documentación de la Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, in collaboration with other Spanish and Italian universities.

After a general overview of libraries context in Italy and Spain, the paper goes deeply on panel discussions and numerous reflections these offered about the organization of library studies in the two countries, scientific journals and research evaluation criteria, publishing market, scientific societies and professional associations, relations between libraries, archives and documentation centers and between documentary cultures and profession.

Born with the aim to build a common space for reflection between Italy and Spain and to strengthen the relationship between library traditions, the seminar allowed to deepen consonances and divergences between the two countries in terms of library practices, academic cultures and library theories, prompting to welcome the idea of a Mediterranean librarianship as a guide to give continuity and impulse to this first moment of discussion and exchange.