The Professor Arlindo Corrêa da Silva Library is in celebration mode. The space, which opens the doors of literature to children and young people in situations of social vulnerability, residents of peripheral areas in rural Betim, celebrates 50 years in April with a program full of culture, enchantment, and fun for all ages.
The celebrations began on Wednesday, the 17th, with the presentations “Duaz Vozes, um show” by storyteller Nana Encanta, and the show “Beyond Magic” by magician Evan.
This Thursday, at 6 p.m., the celebrations continue with the presentation of the Ramacrisna Philharmonic Orchestra, the Lua Crescente Soiree – with writer Didi Alves and musicians Marcos Zam and Zé da Viola. The event will also feature a special moment: the launch of the book “Arlindo: the Man who Transformed.” The book, written by the library coordinator Cleide Moura, tells the story of Arlindo Corrêa da Silva, founder of Ramacrisna and namesake of the library. The book was illustrated by students from the Ramacrisna Educational Support Center (CAER).
“All presentations are open to the community, after all, the space was designed for them. Over the course of half a century of library history, we have served thousands of people and I can say that we have transformed the lives of many through reading,” says Solange Bottaro, vice-president of Ramacrisna.
Book Launch
The choice of date for the official launch of the book Arlindo: the Man who Transformed was carefully chosen. April 18th is marked by the celebration of National Children’s Book Day – a date chosen in honor of the birthday of Monteiro Lobato, the first Brazilian author to write for children. “We chose this date in homage to this Brazilian author who transcends generations and inspires us so much,” says Cleide Moura, coordinator of the Ramacrisna library.
She also tells us about the process of creating the book named after the Institute’s founder. “We wanted to honor Professor Arlindo, and what better way to honor a journalist and writer than with a book? To make the material even more special, we involved our students in the process. Through our digital board, they unleashed their imagination and created incredible drawings to illustrate the material,” she explains.
Here’s what’s coming up:
April 18th, Thursday, 6 p.m.
Presentation of the Ramacrisna Philharmonic Orchestra, Lua Crescente Soiree – with writer Didi Alves, Marcos Zam, and Zé Antônio da Viola, book launch “Arlindo: the Man who Transformed.” The book, written by librarian Cleide Moura, tells the story of Arlindo Corrêa da Silva, founder of Ramacrisna, who names the library. The book was illustrated by the children of CAER.
April 24th, Wednesday, 9 a.m.
Live chat and artistic creations with Cartoonist Pedro Nicola.
The Library
With 194 m², the space has a rich collection of children’s and adult literature, with over nine thousand cataloged books. In addition to sparking interest in reading among students enrolled in the Institute, employees, and the entire community of 13 municipalities in the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte are served by the project.
Regularly, the library promotes storytelling activities, author chats, illustration workshops, and cordel (a type of Brazilian folk literature) workshops. “Reading by Ear” activities, where children recite poems literally in the ear of their classmates, enchant the children.
With comprehensive and accessible service for the entire community, in 2023, the library loaned out 1,299 books. In the Reading Suitcase project, which takes the library outside the walls of the Institute, four kits filled with various books were distributed, resulting in the service of 6,265 people in Betim and neighboring cities.
