Catherine Marsicek, the LACIC Librarian, made a trip to La Havana, Cuba in December 2004 to build relationships with Cuban libraries, book vendors, publishers, editors and librarians in order to advance the FIU Libraries' Cuban Studies research collection.

During the productive trip, she investigated potential purchases of Cuban research materials, signed an agreement to exchange duplicate publications with the Biblioteca Nacional Jose Martí (BNJM), and identified and purchased journals on Cuban music that would support the Díaz-Ayala Cuban Music Collection now at FIU Libraries. She also met with publishers, editors and librarians from Casa de las Américas, Ediciones Unión de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba, Fundación Fernando Ortíz, Ediciones Cubanas, BNJM, and BISE (a publisher of statistical information).

This trip was made possible with financial support from the Cuban Research Institute, which supports the goal of increasing Cuban materials in the FIU Libraries. Thanks also go to Luis Retta, of Retta Libros, vendor of Cuban research materials, who worked with Catherine while in La Habana.