Georgetown’s Lauinger Library celebrates Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month with an exhibit of books purchased at the International Book Fair of Bogotá (FILBo).

The book exhibit, titled “Lecturas colombianas: Books purchased at the International Book Fair of Bogotá,” features over 70 books from Colombia. The books will remain on display for the rest of Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month, which lasts from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.

The books were selected at the FILBo by Jade Madrid, the Latin American Studies and Iberian Languages liaison and reference librarian at Lau. Madrid attended the fair with Alejandro Herrera-Prada from Enhacore Books, a book supplier that covers books from Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

Madrid said she worked with representatives from different publishing presses at the fair to select the most suitable titles for Georgetown’s collection.

“It was amazing to visit stands with Alejandro and have a hands-on book buying experience and choose each title. At each stand, I introduced myself as the Latin American Studies librarian from Georgetown and talked about our programs and our collection interests,” Madrid wrote to The Hoya. “Over the years, I have identified areas of interest for the collection at Lauinger Library — including Afro-Colombian studies, literature, protest and activism, human rights, the Peace Process, and gender studies.”

Harriette Hemmasi, dean of the library, said Madrid has the greatest expertise and knowledge about the materials featured in the exhibit.

“We are very proud of this exhibition prepared by Jade Madrid, who was also involved in acquiring many of these fabulous titles,” Hemmasi wrote to The Hoya.

The books on display were published by Colombian academic and independent presses. The academic presses are Ediciones Uniandes, Editorial Universidad de Antioquia, Universidad Nacional de Colombia and Universidad del Valle. Some of the independent presses include Luna Libros, Escarabajo Editorial and CainPress.

Madrid said she was particularly impressed by the strong showing of books published by local independent presses.

“I remember very vividly, being so impressed by the books and starting to simultaneously think about the formidable contingent of Georgetown faculty and students that are interested in contemporary literature,” Madrid wrote. “Something clicked, and I realized that by focusing on local independent presses at the fair, I could ensure that my purchases went the extra mile.”

“As far as contemporary literature, I was so impressed by Escarabajo Editorial, which specializes in young Colombian contemporary authors,” Madrid added.

At the fair, Madrid also purchased posters printed by La Linterna, an alternative letterpress print shop in Cali, Colombia. These posters have been digitized and added to the Booth Family Center for Special Collections art collection.

Madrid said she had already worked with Herrera-Prada prior to the FILBo to select some Afro-Colombian themed posters printed by La Linterna.

“Having this type of unique material at the library helps us engage in essential conversations with the Georgetown community — whether in the classroom, in an exhibit on the fifth floor, or one-on-one with a student,” Madrid wrote. “At the fair, I was able to visit La Linterna’s stand, a popular place to be. Working with La Linterna representatives, I was able to identify four more posters to be added to the collection.”

Madrid collaborated with LuLen Walker, the art collection curator, when purchasing more posters at the fair. These posters fit well within the library’s large poster collection, adding to its number of Latin American artists, according to Walker.

“We are always interested in work by local artists to represent the talent of a particular area,” Walker told The Hoya. “When I heard from Jade that she had been to Colombia and found these posters, I thought it was a golden opportunity. They’re affordable and originally produced, and the press has been around for decades and still uses the same classic techniques of these handmade posters.”

Walker said the posters themselves are also visually stunning and appealing.

“The posters are beautifully colored and vibrant,” Walker said. “They’re also interesting because of the technique — how they’re made — and how they communicate visually with the viewer. They’re very powerful, and they communicate very directly.”

Madrid said she hopes the Georgetown community can make good use of the exhibit to learn about more Colombian literature and culture.

“I’m always thrilled to share our books published in Latin America, and bring our collections to the forefront, so I have loved sharing this display with the Georgetown community,” Madrid wrote. “I hope everyone gets the chance to visit this display.”