General Information
The Library of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) is located at the United Nations building in Santiago, Chile. The Library was established in 1948 to provide specialized information services on the economic and social development of Latin America and the Caribbean, in accordance with the programme of work of the Commission.
Mission of the Hernan Santa Cruz Library
Provide access to all information resources in in their different formats, training and other services to support research; through the acquisition, organization, preservation and dissemination of information resources, particularly ECLAC intellectual heritage; in a timely, reliable and pertinent way according to the specific needs of the ECLAC Programme of Work and the community in general.
Hernán Santa Cruz Barceló (1906 – 1999)
Chilean lawyer and diplomat. In 1947, he was appointed Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Chile to the United Nations. In that same year, he proposed the creation of the Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLA) to support economic and social development in the region. As a member of the Drafting Committee of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was proclaimed in 1948, he was instrumental in ensuring that economic, social and cultural rights were included as inseparable from political and civil rights.
Renovation
Finalized in May 2016, the renovation has transformed the library into a modern and flexible space, accessible not only the staff of the Commission but also of those attending meetings, workshops and events organized by the organization, and the community in general. With a new concept of open shelving, with its collections in sight and quick access, the library invites all to make use of these areas of study, individual reading and group work. A place to escape for a moment from an office to inquire, investigate, reflect and also to discuss and work collaboratively.