The Villa-Lobos Park Library (BVL) is among the five finalists of the International Public Library Award of the Year 2018. The contest is promoted by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) in partnership with Systematic and offers an award in the amount of US$ 5,000 for the winning institution. The winner will be announced on August 28th, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, during an international meeting of the entity.
The contest received 35 applications from 19 countries. In addition to the BVL, Austin Central Library (USA), KopGroep Bibliotheken (Netherlands), Deichman Biblo Toyen (Norway) and Tampines Regional Library (Singapore) were also selected.
The jury is composed by IFLA members, who assessed the institutions within the criteria of local culture, sustainability, digital development, user needs, among others. For choosing Villa-Lobos Park Library, the jury considered the clear and open space environment and emphasized that that it is an active library whose interior design and architecture allow to carry out different types of activities.
The BVL is located in Villa-Lobos Park in an area where previously was an open-air garbage dump, having been born by means of an effort to revitalize and transform the place. The Library of São Paulo, Villa-Lobos’ sister entity, was also among the finalists of another international award, the London Book Fair.
About the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions
IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions) was founded in 1927 in Edinburgh, Scotland. The entity aims to represent the interests of libraries, information services and users. Currently, IFLA has more than 1,400 members from more than 140 countries around the world.