TUWA Annual Faculty Lecture, February 22, 2008:

Doris Stone Director of the Latin American Library
Dr. Hortensia Calvo

Dr. Hortensia Calvo presented an introduction to the Latin American Library on the afternoon of Friday, February 22. It was attended by 15 to 20 women who met around a large table in the seminar room. Each person was given an attractive folder of cards and information on the library.

Dr. Calvo gave a brief history of the library, the LAL, which had its beginning in 1924 when Samuel Zemurray purchased the extensive William Gates collection of rare books and manuscripts for the newly established Middle American Research Institute. The LAL is now one of the three most important library of Latin American materials in the United States.

Dr. Calvo then exhibited and described some of the rare holdings of the library, perhaps most notable being a facsimile copy of the Codex Tulane, the deerskin original being too delicate to show. A rare 16th century book by Bartolomé de las Casas was shown to have influence to this very day. Dr. Calvo explained something of the amazing work of Merle Greene Robertson and her meticulous rubbings Mayan monuments, many of which are displayed on the walls of the library.

David Dressing, the LAL Curator of Manuscripts and Photographs, then gave a brief tour of the present exhibit in the library about the cenotes, or sinkholes, of the Yucatan. It consists of artifacts and photographs of research in cenotes.

Since food is not allowed in the library during working hours, there were no refreshments, though water was provided.