Francisco de Burgoa Library

Benito Juárez de Oaxaca Autonomous University

The books in the Francisco de Burgoa Library were originally part of conventual collections in Antequera del Valle. With the nationalization of religious property in 1859, these materials were transferred to the state government, which deposited them in the library of the Institute of Sciences and Arts of the State of Oaxaca (ICAEO). In 1955, the ICAEO became the Benito Juárez de Oaxaca Autonomous University (UABJO). With this change, the collection of antique books became part of the university's cultural heritage and was deposited in what would be the "5 de Mayo" School of Architecture.

Later, the books were transferred to the José Vasconcelos General Library, also belonging to the university. In 1994, the cataloging of the UABJO bibliographic collection began, with a focus on the antique collection, which includes books from convents and those used by students of the ICAEO in the mid-19th century. The existence of incunabula was noted: an eight-volume polyglot bible, written in Latin, Greek, Syriac, and Hebrew, printed by Christophe Plantin; Mexican imprints from the 16th century, among which is a work by Fray Alonso de la Veracruz printed by Juan Pablos, the first printer in New Spain; and works by the Dominican Francisco de Burgoa.

Later, it was decided that the former convent of Saint Dominic in Oaxaca would be an ideal space to preserve the collections. The collection, which comprises around 30,000 books, was placed in its current repository. In 1996, it was inaugurated as the Francisco de Burgoa Library. Since then, the Burgoa Library has been essential for research related to the history and art of Oaxaca. In 2018 it was recognized by UNESCO as "Memory of the World of Mexico".

Contact: http: //www.burgoa.uabjo.mx