Catherine Marsicek, Director of LACIC, was invited to attend the X Feria
Internacional del Libro de Caracas by the Centro Nacional del Libro (CENAL), an
institute affiliated with the Viceministry of Culture of the Ministry of
Education, Culture and Sports in Venezuela.
The Fair took place in an
outside venue, El Parque de Los Caobos, in downtown Caracas from May 31, 2003 to
June 8, 2003. Over 80 vendors, including publishers, research institutes and
centers, book dealers and bookstores, from Venezuela, Colombia and Cuba were
represented, along with nightly book presentations, author readings, workshops
on literacy and promotion, and children’s events.
By extending
invitations to international guests, CENAL hopes to increase the international
presence at the Fair, increase exposure to Venezuelan authors and publications,
and improve business negotiations between Venezuelan publishers/book dealers and
buyers. June 4 and June 5 were professional days, with a series of Roundtables that included publishers, book dealers and buyers.
In the future these "Rondas de Negocios" hope to facilitate the negotiation of
publication and translation rights.
The FIU Libraries' Venezuelan
collection has grown as a direct result of this attendance. Over 80 recent Venezuelan imprints in the social sciences and
humanities were purchased and the Libraries received a very generous donation from the Archivo Nacional de Venezuela.