Jesuit Collection in the Main Library, National University of Córdoba, XVII-XVIII Centuries
The Main Library of the Colegio Máximo de Córdoba was the most significant bibliographical center of the 17th and 18th centuries within the territory of present-day Argentina. Founded by the Fathers of the Society of Jesus when they endowed a substantial library to the early university, which gradually became an immeasurable treasure. The collection contains a rich variety of subjects within the broad framework of knowledge, with a logical prevalence of theological and philosophical subjects, devotional books, and biographies of women and men identified with the church. This collection is important not only for establishing a space of knowledge for Córdoba in the 17th century but also as the founding nucleus of the country's oldest university. There are 1,600 titles (with 2,200 volumes) dating before 1767, with a database of 1,253 titles accessible from the Online public access catalog (OPAC) of the "Biblioteca Mayor". The library is within the "Manzana JesuÃtica", a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.
Risks encountered
Environmental issues
| Identified risks | Level of risk |
|---|---|
Moisture | None |
Temperature | None |
Light (visible light, ultraviolet radiation, etc.) | None |
Dust | None |
Pollution | None |
Pests (rodents, animals, insects, etc.) | None |
Microorganisms (bacteria, mould, etc.) | None |
Management or organizational issues
| Identified risks | Level of risk |
|---|---|
Lack of maintenance, including cleaning | None |
Inadequate building | None |
Building with structural damage | None |
Lack of an adequate warehouse | None |
Lack of boxes and/or archive materials | None |
Lack of human resources | None |
Lack of security measures | None |
Insufficient budget to operate | None |
Natural disaster risks
| Identified risks | Level of risk |
|---|---|
Fires | None |
Rains | None |
Mudslides or landslides | None |
Floods | None |
Hurricanes, cyclones, storms | None |
Earthquakes | None |
Tsunamis | None |
Volcanic eruptions | None |
Temperature increase | None |
Political and/or social risks
| Identified risks | Level of risk |
|---|---|
Armed conflicts | None |
Illegal trafficking of documents | None |
Thefts or robberies | None |
Vandalism | None |
Threatening socio-cultural environment | None |
Lack of support/public policies | None |
Environment (location) issues
| Identified risks | Level of risk |
|---|---|
Material/storage units | None |
Furniture | None |
Room or warehouse | None |
Building | None |
Site or neighbourhood | None |
Area or region, beyond the neighbourhood | None |
Indicators
| Identified risks | |
|---|---|
Management Plan | Yes |
Response Protocol | No, in development |
Documentary heritage digitization | Yes, partially |
Documentary heritage availability on the internet | Yes, partially |