The project

The promoter of the Massafra World Library project is the Municipality of Massafra, which has always placed particular focus on the enhancement of the cultural heritage and to welcoming all development opportunities for a territory that is eager to emerge and to have its own potential and unexpressed wealth appreciated.

The project is funded by Action 6.7, Axis VI, of the Apulia Regional Operations Program 2014/2020 and has the aim of creating a new evolved Community Library, intended as a permanent structure, which collects, catalogues and preserves an organised set of books, materials and ensures their consultation aimed at promoting and stimulating reading.

The new Massafra World Library, through the setting up of the areas, acquisition of advanced tools and technologies, aims to:

• address its services to every person, irrespective of their ethnic, religious, gender, age or social status;

• integrate within its existing cultural networks an ad hoc network, which includes associations, operators in the field of innovation, of the promotion of the territory;

• enhance the cultural services offer not only to the community but to everyone, even to passing tourists becoming a “local access route to knowledge”;

• facilitate the use of the library heritage also in the light of new information technologies;

• reassess books and reading as indispensable tools to turn the Library into a place of convergence, integration, socialisation and exchange;
• increase the number of visits to the “evolved library” housed in Palazzo De Notaristefani, in via Vittorio Veneto. Building of significant historical-architectural-artistic value and interest, located in the historic centre of Massafra, which on the ground floor will undergo restoration, redevelopment and adaptation of the facilities for the creation of areas accessible to everyone. The building has a noble coat of arms affixed to the wrought iron frieze that crowns the entrance door to the building, it is composed of three triangular pointed stars at the bottom, a comet and three crescent moons in a vertical row;

• enhance and divulge the historical heritage of the volumes recovered from the Ancient Capuchin Collection, dated 1500-1800, also through the digitisation of some of these volumes and translation from Latin to Italian and English;

• assign the management of the type B social co-operative, in order to obtain not only the performance of the activities foreseen by the Project, but also for employment programs of disadvantaged persons. The Co-operative will be flanked by a Scientific Committee composed of public and private professionals with proven experience who will assist, in agreement with the Municipal Administration and the entire community, the planning of cultural activities.

The above-mentioned co-operative shall offer:

• management of areas (opening and closing; surveillance and assistance to users;

• public orientation and management, information and lending services;

• user flow and satisfaction monitoring services;

• documentary heritage management, reordering and relocation, book process;

• organisation and management of cultural and workshop activities;

• crowdfounding and collection campaign management, private and corporate economic sponsorships;

• services orientated towards different types of audiences, managing to diversify the information offer, making it perceptible and usable at different levels, enabling diversified paths and uses, representing within it the various forms in which knowledge is manifested.

The Evolved Library will be the place where to find the documentation you need to cultivate the pleasure of reading, to be informed, and listening, in a space that guarantees adequate aesthetic qualities and intelligent, flexible and functional solutions.