Celebrating 4 years since the transformation of the Hernán Santa Cruz Library

July 2020 marks four years since the Library reopened its doors in 2016 after a year of complete renovation. Now that the physical space of the Library is closed due to the pandemic crisis, we reflect on the transformation of the Library over the past years.

We also take this time to think about how we can continue to improve library facilities and services to provide the best experience for users in the post-pandemic era.

The 2015-2016 renovation transformed the Library into a modern and flexible space, which invites staff and external audiences to own the facilities. Its reading and study areas have gained popularity as one of ECLAC's emblematic sites for individual and collaborative work, training, external visits and institutional events.

Between 2015 and 2020, we have sought not only to improve Library facilities, but also to change the service model towards virtual access, which becomes even more relevant at a time when teleworking as a result of the current pandemic forces us to access information resources and services in an exclusively virtual way.

In this period of Covid-19, we have focused on improving remote access to electronic resources from outside ECLAC, facilitating contact through Libchat and organizing numerous virtual training activities.

Do you want to experience the transformation process of the HSC Library? You can do so by viewing this video: https://youtu.be/qSHB1zP7tf0