María Teresa Freyre de Andrade Escardó

Founder of Cuban library science; bibliographer and librarian of the Biblioteca Nacional José Martí, institution of which she was the first director upon the triumph of the Cuban Revolution, founder of the main library associations, she taught subjects related to library science and published various pamphlets and articles related to library techniques in which she exposed her ideas, concerns and initiatives in this field of social sciences.

She was born in the American city of San Agustín de la Florida, where her father, Fernando Freyre de Andrade, sought safe refuge for his family and later returned to Cuba to join the independence struggle, where he attained the rank of general.

In Paris she studied at the University of the Sorbonne, where she graduated as a professor of French and Library Science Technique.

In 1936, from April to July, she worked and took a course at the children's library L'Heure de Joyeuse of the Prefecture of the Seine, where she was issued a certification that noted the great aptitudes she possessed for work in public libraries.

From December 1, 1936 to November 15, 1937, she worked and studied the methods of French libraries at the Sorbonne. In 1938, she graduated from the Ecole de Chartes with the Diplome Technique de Bibliothecaire.

After her return to Cuba, on September 29, 1938, after having taken the corresponding exams, the Institute of Secondary Education of Havana granted her the title of Bachelor in Letters and Sciences.

In the 1938-1939 academic year, she enrolled in the degree program in Political, Social and Economic Sciences. She studied Diplomatic and Consular Law and Administrative Law, and completed the degree in the 1941-1942 academic year.

In subsequent years, she obtained a scholarship from the American Library Association ALA and traveled to the United States where she enrolled in two courses in children's literature, one at Columbia University and another at the Pratt Institute School of Librarians.

After obtaining several titles abroad, none of them at university level, at the age of 42, she entered the University of Havana.

The government in power in Cuba, poorly represented by the tyrant Gerardo Machado Morales, ruthlessly pursued her family and murdered on the same day her uncles Gonzalo, Leopoldo and Guillermo Freyre de Andrade, on September 27, 1932. It was then that she left for exile in France for the first time and from Paris she carried out intense activity against the Machado regime. She maintained intense political activity on the side of those defending noble causes, always seeking another position to fight for Cuba.

She was nominated as Senator by the Cuban People's Party (orthodox) in 1948 and suffered imprisonment, in the Guanabacoa jail, on several occasions, after the Assault on the Presidential Palace, according to the testimony of her steadfast friend Regla Peraza, who visited her in this place. For the same reason, María Teresa had to seek asylum in the Mexican Embassy; later she traveled from Mexico to France. Due to her outright opposition to the tyranny of Fulgencio Batista, she was forced to go into exile in 1957 for a second time.

Between January and March of 1941, she taught eight lessons of a course titled "Preliminary Lessons on the Handling and Appreciation of the Book and Use of Libraries."

In October 1942, the Lyceum and Lawn Tennis Club, in collaboration with the Cuban Library Association, began its second course in Library Science that lasted until March 1943. On this occasion, she taught the subject "Reference Works and Bibliography" once again.

She taught, in April of 1947, a 12-lesson course on "The Art of Storytelling" for children.
With Raquel Robés, she taught a course on "School Libraries for Teachers."

When the School of Library Services emerged, she taught at the school the subject called: Reference.

In the late 1930s, with a well-defined vocation, she began to develop a series of activities related to libraries. During her life, she was linked to various associations and institutions, such as the National Commission for Intellectual Cooperation, the Cuban Library Association, the University of Havana, the Lyceum Lawn Tennis Club, the Cuban Association of Librarians, the National Association of Library Professionals, UNESCO, the National Library.

In all these organizations she stood out as a promoter and defender of library work. Her work transcended the limits of libraries, she gave lectures, prepared courses, conducted interviews for the press and radio, participated in congresses, published articles in newspapers and magazines of the time.

Her entire life was dedicated to the study and development of libraries and culture in general; she was a fervent fighter for their accessibility and for access to libraries by the most humble sectors of society. She founded schools for library training at a time when the country needed qualified personnel to carry out this beautiful work and demonstrated clear vision by prioritizing library training, which she always considered of great importance.

She was a fervent promoter of books and reading and advocated for the dissemination and generalization of the popular library service and the bookmobile. Despite the innumerable contributions of María Teresa to library science in Cuba and being an important figure for national culture, her work was never recognized through any stimulus during her lifetime. It was not until the 1990s that her name began to be heard again, exhibitions, talks and meetings were held among those who knew her personally and professionally or have addressed different aspects of her life and work.

In 2004, the Cuban Association of Librarians officially created the National Prize María Teresa Freyre de Andrade, which is awarded to notable individuals for their work in public libraries. Likewise, the Association of Historians of Cuba created, on a national level, a distinction bearing the name of this exemplary woman for those librarians who support the work of historians.

Creation of the Network of Public Libraries
The situation of public libraries in Cuba was so precarious that, upon the triumph of the Revolution, the Library, in its dual function as National and Public Library, assumed methodological direction of the remaining libraries. In the early years of the 1960s, the National Direction of Libraries (DGB) was created, under the direction of María Teresa.

This made it possible to put her ideas about integrating existing libraries in the country into practice. At this stage, she not only integrated them, but increased their number and created a National Network of Public Libraries. As Director of the DGB, she personally attended to each of these libraries and always, 2 or 3 times a year, traveled to the provinces to supervise the proper functioning of all and each one of the libraries that made up the network.

The Network of Public Libraries made it possible to fulfill María Teresa's long-held aspiration of providing each province, municipality, sugar plantation village or settlement with a small institution that would allow residents to satisfy their information needs. With this true information revolution, María Teresa felt satisfied to be part of this activity. Despite her age and state of health, she felt useful, she felt already tired.

Library Training
The training and professional development of personnel working in library institutions was very important to María Teresa. Aware of the need for technical personnel, given the expansion and increase in the number of libraries and their services, she, in 1962, founded and directed, in its early years, the School for Training Library Technicians with a program that included theoretical classes and practical work at the National Library. Along with residents of the capital, the school admitted scholarship recipients from all provinces. To enter this school, it was necessary to take a rigorous exam that culminated in an interview conducted by María Teresa herself. She also reviewed each curriculum that was implemented.

At the Lyceum and Lawn Tennis Club
Upon her return from France in 1938, she joined the Lyceum which at that time had one of the best libraries in the country and was engaged in the search for ways to open a public library. Above all, María Teresa not only participated actively in the organization of the new library, but was also its director. She implemented in it, for the first time in Cuba, open stacks and a circulation service for the general public.

Said library, according to testimonies by Audry Mancebo, had, in a visible place, a diagram showing the arrangement of books on the shelves and there was a librarian who guided users and executed the technical processes of the catalog. María Teresa also joined the work that the Lyceum had been conducting since 1936 in the training of librarians. Based on her knowledge, she taught several courses on different subjects.

She was part of the faculty that in 1940 offered the first course of the School of Library Services, created by the Cuban Library Association under the auspices of the Lyceum. In this course, she was in charge of the subject "Reference Works and Bibliography." It was the first time this topic was included in library educational activities in Cuba; previously, in the course taught by María Villar Buceta at the Lyceum itself, subjects such as language, writing, library bureaucracy, bookbinding, classification, reader psychology, cataloging, music materials and map library were included.

Professional Library Associations
María Teresa's integration as an active part of the library associations of the time could not be lacking; she was a founder and even promoter of some of them. In 1938, she was appointed as Member of the Subcommission on Libraries, Archives and Bibliography of the National Commission for Intellectual Cooperation.

Cuban Library Association (ABC)
In 1938, she participated intensely as a member of the Organizing Commission of the National Assembly for Libraries, which was held in November in the Auditorium of the School of Engineers and Architects of the University of Havana. It was the first attempt to pool efforts for the development of libraries in the country and to direct the sporadic efforts being made for the benefit of the social service of the book. At this assembly, she was elected vice president of the executive board and vice president of the standing committee, charged with ensuring compliance with its resolutions.

Despite having responsibilities in the organization of the event, María Teresa did not participate as a speaker in the working sessions. One of the resolutions adopted at this assembly was the organization of an association that would bring together all librarians and friends of the book; this resolution led to the creation, in April 1939, of the Cuban Library Association.

That year, she was vice president of the organization; in 1940, she was part of its executive board and in 1941, she became president. It should be noted that during the period she was part of its executive board, she promoted and directed the children's library and the public bookmobile service and collaborated in the campaign developed by this association in favor of popular libraries. That same year, María Teresa obtained the necessary technical assistance to develop the project for creating the library of the Normal School for teachers in Havana.

With this purpose, she created and presided over a small committee, composed of Antonio Alemán Ruiz, Secretary of the ABC and Jorge L. Diviñó, architect and professor at the University of Havana. In 1942, María Teresa participated, representing the ABC, in the First Congress of Archivists, Librarians and Museum Conservators of the Caribbean, held in Havana from October 14-18.

Cuban Association of Librarians (ACB)
In January 1948, at the Lyceum, a meeting was held in honor of Marieta Daniels, representative of the Library of Congress in Washington. There, María Teresa launched the idea of establishing an association that would bring together all librarians in the country, which was received with great approval among the participants. María Teresa, in the short time she headed the propaganda committee of the ACB, achieved significant accomplishments.

She visited the provinces with the aim of fostering professional interest, carrying out activities in support of its cause and exchanging impressions and experiences. She obtained press support for publicizing the establishment of the ACB, its objectives, plans and projects. She proposed that the Association grant a scholarship for studies in the Library Science courses of the Summer School and succeeded in having the Editorial Board of the Diario de la Marina cede two columns in its Sunday edition for a regular section, titled "About Libraries," for library science articles.

The call for the reelection of the ACB board, the following year, was made in María Teresa's absence, as she was working in France on assignment from UNESCO. Perhaps that was the reason she was not elected to any position, although she always advised on the various activities carried out by the association, from which she resigned in June 1952 for personal reasons.

National Association of Library Professionals
She was a founder, in 1955, of this association which later became the National College of University Professionals. The official organ of these associations was the journal Cuba Bibliotecológica. Under the auspices of the Association and the collaboration of the Regional Center of UNESCO in the Western Hemisphere and the School of Librarians of the University of Havana, the First Library Science Days were held from April 15-18, 1953. María Teresa, president of the organizing commission. In 1954, from May 4-8, the Second Library Science Days were held, in which María Teresa served as vice president and coordinator of the organizing commission.

In this edition, the work of the event was directed toward bringing together teachers and instructors so that, in close collaboration with librarians, they would take part in the debates that would arise around the base work. Thus, the aim was to achieve a practical exchange of ideas for the benefit of teachers, librarians and students and to awaken the interest of teachers in library activities.

International Organizations
As mentioned in previous paragraphs, María Teresa spent time working outside Cuba. On November 4, 1949, she was appointed to the position of programme specialist in UNESCO in Paris, for a period of one year. The Libraries Division covered all aspects of the subject: bibliography, documentation and vouchers, promotion of public libraries, etc. María Teresa worked in close contact with all sectors of the library field worldwide and was Senior Assistant to Edward J. Carter, director of the Division.

The work at UNESCO allowed María Teresa to carry out various tasks in multiple European countries and to acquire great experience that served her for her later work in Cuba. She performed several functions in the development of this position, participated in the preparation of UNESCO's "Public Libraries Manuals" and bibliographies for the "UNESCO Advanced Course," of 1951, on the role of "Libraries in Adult Education," which lasted 4 weeks. In relation to this course, she prepared a seminar, and for this purpose visited the cities of Malmö, Norrköping and Stockholm, commissioned by the Director General of UNESCO himself, Jaime Torres Bodet. As part of her work, from November 7-10, 1949, she participated in the Congress for the Organization of the Library at an International Scale.

As the selection of María Teresa by UNESCO honored not only her but all Cuban librarians, her colleagues and students hosted a farewell event for her in the halls of the Lyceum Lawn Tennis Club. Her return to Cuba was equally celebrated by friends, colleagues and students. The work done at UNESCO by María Teresa deserved congratulations from the high leadership of this organization.

University of Havana
Since 1938, at the University of Havana. There, in the General Library, she received and organized the collection donated by the widow of José Antolín del Cueto. She created and published the respective catalog. In this library, she also served as Officer of Annexed Libraries, a position that was later called Officer in Charge of Donations, Pamphlets and Duplicate Books. From December 1943, María Teresa was appointed Head of the Periodicals Department.

Also at the University of Havana, she actively participated in the functioning of the Summer Schools in the specialty. These courses, due to their short duration, covered only the essential subjects of this science. María Teresa, with her vast experience in the field, taught the subject "Bibliography and Reference" there. On May 22, 1947, she was appointed Director of the Library Courses of these Schools, replacing Jorge Aguayo.

The collective of professors attending the Summer Schools had studied at first-rate foreign schools and institutions in this discipline. When the School of Librarians was created in 1950, attached to the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters, she won, in competition with Isabel Pruna, the Chair of Bibliography and Reference. In 1955, the University Council granted her a title of founder of this school.

In 1945, María Teresa traveled to the United States of America as a scholarship recipient, commissioned by the University itself through the American Library Association, whose Head of International Relations invited her to work 4 months in the New York Public Library. On this trip, María Teresa was able to see firsthand the advances of this library in terms of library extension and lending to schools in support of teaching, where the public library acted as a central distribution center. Once again, María Teresa verified the usefulness of her ideas expressed in Cuba and the possibility of adapting the observed experiences to national conditions. On the other hand, she reaffirmed her conviction that what was needed was interest, qualified personnel and a fixed and continued budget.

Director of the National Library
In January 1959, upon the triumph of the Revolution, María Teresa was in exile in Paris, where she had to travel after the Assault on the Presidential Palace. She was called for her merits and extensive knowledge to head the Biblioteca Nacional José Martí, work that she undertook on February 24 of that year until 1967. Aware of the functions of a National Library, she nevertheless carried out atypical transformations, unprecedented in other countries, but necessary under the historical conditions the country was experiencing: Youth Room, Department of Library Extension, Popular Reading Campaign, Circulating Library and the Methodological Department, with its Room of Science and Technology, are some examples.

Organizational Restructuring of the National Library
In January 1959, the Library had 5 departments: Periodicals, Reading Room, Restoration and Bookbinding, Warehouses and Department of Photostat, Lamination and Microfilm. She modified this structure. From January to May 1959, the following departments were created, headed by graduates of the specialty:

Selection and acquisition (Regina Trobo)
Consultation and reference (Blanca Bahamondes)
Classification and cataloging (Dolores Rovirosa)
Cultural activities (Estela Giroud)
Public relations and publicity
In June 1959, the creation of the following was proposed:

Circulating public library.
Youth library (Audry Mancebo)
Music Room (with advisors María Teresa Linares and Argeliers León)
Art Room (with the assistance of Graziella Pogolotti)
By this date, the library had the following departments:

Periodicals.
Reading rooms.
Restoration and bookbinding.
Warehouses.
Department of photostat, lamination and microfilm.
The latter underwent modifications. Thus, from December 1959, the Library was divided into 5 departments, which in turn were subdivided into others, whose organization was as follows:

National and Research Library:
Selection and acquisition of books and other printed and manuscript materials.
Cataloging and classification.
Consultation and reference. Reading advisor.
Bibliographic research, Organization of the Cuban collection and collective catalog.
Reserve (valuable books).
Periodicals.
Reading rooms.
Music and visual arts.
Cultural activities: lectures, short courses, book discussions, exhibitions.
Exchange.
Publications Department.
Department of Public Relations and Publicity.
Department of Bookbinding and Restoration.
Mimeograph, Thermofax, Microfilm and Lamination.
María Teresa felt satisfied with all the work deployed for library science in Cuba and that contributed so much to Cuban culture, but her work did not end there, but continued so that a public library would be founded in each province.

Death
After a life dedicated to her country and profession, she died at 7:20 a.m. on August 20, 1975 in Havana at the age of 79 and her remains rest in the Colón cemetery in the capital.

Publications
In 1930 she created a magazine for children titled "Mañana," to which prominent progressive intellectuals from the Island contributed.

In France, in 1933 she published a pamphlet together with Enrique Martínez and on behalf of the Committee of Young Cuban Revolutionaries, titled "Terror in Cuba," with the aim of making known in other regions the atrocities being committed in the homeland of Martí.

On January 3, 1940, when the first working session of this Association was celebrated at the Ateneo de la Habana, María Teresa read her paper titled "Towards the Popular Library," a document of great value for the ideas and initiatives proposed regarding this type of library and its implementation in Cuba.
In 1952, in issue 31 of the journal Lyceum, an article titled "The Art of Storytelling"
In 1941, María Teresa succeeded in obtaining in the newspaper El Mundo a section that under the title "Libraries" appeared in its Sunday magazine El Nuevo Mundo. With articles such as "Technique and Amateurism" and "The Division of Labor in Libraries," Parts I and II.

In 1941 she published "Two Essays on School Libraries"

In 1942 she published a pamphlet "The Bibliography and Reference Service and Book Acquisition in a Library."

In 1954, from May 4-8, during the Second Library Science Days, she presented a paper titled "The Consultation and Reference Service in University Libraries."

In 1963, by the initiative of María Teresa, the bulletin "Libraries" emerged in which she published various articles.