The Children and Youth Library of the Dominican Republic celebrates its fifth anniversary

The Children and Youth Library of the Dominican Republic celebrates its fifth anniversary
Santo Domingo, 05/08/2014

In addition to the anniversary, BIJRD opened the photo exhibition titled “For the Love of Books”, and presented the awards of the “Literary Bottles” competition.

The Children and Youth Library of the Dominican Republic (BIJRD) celebrated its fifth anniversary today with a ceremony led by the Vice President of the Republic, Dr. Margarita Cedeño de Fernández. An exhibition hall that bears the name of the Vice President was also opened with a photographic exhibition. In addition, the presentation of awards for artworks made by students with recycled bottles took place and an artistic show also took place.

The Vice President recognized the efforts made by the BIJRD during the past five years to promote reading, the development of experiences through culture, and bridging the digital divide by bringing people closer to technology. She also recognized its impact on children and youth from the various districts of the province of Santo Domingo, who actively participate in each of the activities that take place there.

She pointed out that it is necessary to create in the country other spaces such as the BIRD, where children and youth can draw on knowledge and teachings, and where they can learn new models, through art, creativity and education.
During the ceremony, Vice President Margarita Cedeño de Fernández received from the director of the BIJRD reports describing the work that the cultural center carried out in 2013.

“This is a unique place that only the Children and Youth Library of the Dominican Republic can offer. This house that we have built for creativity, for literature, for the development of ideas, for early stimulation of our children and adolescents, celebrates its fifth anniversary today. Five years sowing the seeds of knowledge in hundreds of thousands of young people, filling their hearts with the desire to excel through reading,” said the Vice President.

The event was attended by the Director of the BIJRD, Dulce Elvira de los Santos; Andrés Zentella, from Bepemsa Dominicana; and the Director of Patriotic Celebrations, Juan Daniel Balcácer. Hundreds of children, youth, young library users and employees of the cultural center also attended the event.

Photo Exhibition For the Love of Books

During the celebration of the fifth anniversary of the BIJRD, the photo exhibition “For the Love of Books”, which contains 35 photos representing the activities that this cultural center carried out during the last year, was opened.
These photographs reflect the project for the promotion and encouragement of reading that is furthered from each of the BIJRD galleries. The exhibition includes a variety of activities, both artistic as well as educational, which share the love of books and their wisdom.

Literary Bottles

The anniversary celebration closed with the presentation of the awards for the Literary Bottles contest, an initiative that was aimed at students in the third and fourth year of high school from the various public and private schools in the country. Its purpose was to develop artistic creations using plastic bottles to promote environmental care.

Addressing the hundreds of students who packed the courtyard of the BIRD, Cedeño de Fernández said that, by creating artwork with recycled plastic bottles, students have joined two major issues together, one is the environmental damage caused by this waste, and the second is the transformation of the problem into a great solution.

“I am very happy to see that there are still people who care about the deteriorating situation in which our planet finds itself, and who unleash their creativity and imagination to precisely devise new ways to build progress with solidarity,” said the Vice President.

The first winner was the Gesin class, from Centro Educativo Escuela Nueva, who read the story “Anticuario”, by Marcio Veloz Maggiolo; the second place went to the class from Colegio Purísima Concepción, with the poem “Esquicio de vuelo”, by José Mármol; and, the third place went to the class ICLANS, from the Professor Juan Bosch Polytechnic, who also presented the story “Anticuario”, by Marcio Veloz Maggiolo.

Each of the winning classes received the sum of RD$100,000, RD$75,000 and RD$50,000, respectively.

The following classes received special mention: the Jefmex, from Centro Educativo Siglo XXI, who presented the story “El fantasma de la calle El Conde” (The Phantom of the Calle El Conde), by Peter Peix; Bethel, from Colegio Adventista Bethel, with the poem “Hay un País en el mundo” (There is a country in the world), by Pedro Mir; and Los Palmares, with the poem “Paisaje con un merengue al fondo” (Landscape with a merengue at the bottom), by Franklin Mieses Burgos.

The honorable mentions received RD$25,000 each.

The jury was composed of writers Verouskha Freixas and Alfonso Quiñones, as well as Architect Abel Castillo.

At the end of the award ceremony those present enjoyed the songs by singer-songwriter Pavel Nuñez.