José López Campos, the Galician Minister for Culture, Language and Youth, presented the 2026 Inspiring Libraries Awards today to public entities from Ortigueira and Vilalba. These projects focus on the conservation and dissemination of local documentary heritage in the A Coruña region and the literary connections of writer Xabier P. Docampo with A Terra Chá.
The awards were announced during the second International Public Libraries Conference Galicia – Northern Portugal, held at the Cidade da Cultura under the theme 'Science to think about the world'. Accompanied by Anxo M. Lorenzo, the Director General of Culture, López Campos praised the initiatives from both local entities for their contributions to preserving local memory in Ortigueira and promoting intergenerational participation in Vilalba.
López Campos emphasised the importance of the Inspiring Libraries Awards in motivating and recognising initiatives that positively impact small communities, aligning with the goals of Galicia's pioneering Inclusive and Accessible Culture Law. He highlighted the projects 'Objective: Local Memory' from the Juan Fernández Latorre Public Library in Ortigueira and 'Shared Legacy' from the Vilalba Municipal Library as examples of good library management practices that enhance services for citizens and promote access to reading.
Regarding the winning projects, López Campos noted that the jury appreciated 'Objective: Local Memory' for its focus on preserving local documentary collections. He stated, 'Local memory defines and characterises each library and the community it serves, as it identifies the people connected to a territory, traditions, and history.'
For the 'Shared Legacy' project, presented by the Vilalba Municipal Library, he praised its initiative to promote reading through the work of the beloved author Xabier P. Docampo. He acknowledged the project's aim to enhance knowledge and dissemination of the literary legacy of A Terra Chá through this writer.
Finally, López Campos took the opportunity during the International Public Libraries Day to highlight the significant role of libraries in promoting reading in Galician. He reaffirmed the Galician government's commitment to this service, as reflected in the 2027 budget, which allocates €2.5 million for improving collections and activities, as well as €14.5 million for implementing specific measures from the Galician Reading Promotion Plan, including support for the establishment of reading clubs in Galician.
