MEMORIES Two Reading Rooms and the Librarian's Office: The Evolution of the Centro Library and Archives

This article provides an overview of the history and development of the Centro Library and Archives over the course of thirty years and its transformation from a core collection and a local resource to an extensive repository and a national resource. It seeks to establish that the work of the Library and Archives has made a unique contribution to Puerto Rican scholarship and above all to the preservation of Puerto Rican history and culture here in the U.S. The article tells the story of the repository in the context of the larger Centro mission, its role in documenting the Puerto Rican Diaspora and ensuring the preservation of Puerto Rican history.