The Sofia Barat Library in Barcelona
Sophie Barat was a woman of her time, yet she remains an enduring reference. All of us have the responsibility of making her current, of rereading her as a person and looking at what drove her throughout her life.
In Barcelona, in the Eixample district, there is a space dedicated to knowledge, to personal and cultural exchange, where one can read and listen to others. This space is the Sofia Barat Library, a public service for the area, which opened in 1971 (50 years ago!) on the first floor of the Sagrat Cor Diputació school, and which was moved to its current location in 2000. A familiar, welcoming space, open to the neighborhood, a place designed to cultivate knowledge.
Surely Sophie would be proud to be associated with this welcoming place, where the wisdom of her name is reflected upon so many faces, in their memories, and in lifelong learning for everyone.
Teresa Gomà, rscj