Grand Opening Planned For Largest Spanish Language Book Collection In NJ

NEWARK, NJ — The Newark Public Library will hold a grand opening for its reimagined New Jersey Hispanic Research and Information Center on Saturday, June 13.

A ribbon cutting and grand opening event will take place at the library’s main branch from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, but space is limited. Registration is required and can be done online here. The library is located at 5 Washington Street.

Here’s what to expect, organizers said:

“This milestone celebrates more than 20 years of partnership with Newark’s Hispanic and Latinx communities, from the creation of La Sala Hispanoamericana in 1989 to the founding of the NJHRIC in 2002, now home to 75+ archival collections reflecting New Jersey's Latino communities and the largest public Spanish‑language book collection in New Jersey. Join us as we open a new space designed for research, education, and community connection.”

For more information, contact ylopez@npl.org

According to administrators, the grand opening is celebrating more than four decades of collaboration between the library and Newark’s Latino residents.

The new center's origins date back to the late 1970s, when the library began actively recruiting Latino librarians and expanding bilingual services to meet the needs of Newark’s growing Latino population. During this period, the library launched a Spanish hotline, expanded its Spanish‑language book collection, and introduced bilingual outreach programs to ensure equitable access to information.

Here's what came next, administrators said:

"As Newark’s Latino community continued to grow and diversify throughout the 1980s, the Library further strengthened its commitment by establishing annual Hispanic Heritage celebrations and, in 1989, creating La Sala Hispanoamericana—a welcoming space for Spanish-speaking patrons that houses the largest Spanish‑language book collection of any public library in New Jersey. La Sala quickly became an important cultural and educational hub for the community. By 2000, as the Latino population continued to grow, community leaders recognized the urgent need to preserve the history of New Jersey's Latino communities. Through advocacy and fundraising efforts led by community members and supporters, the NJHRIC was founded in 2002, incorporating La Sala Hispanoamericana while establishing the Puerto Rican Community Archive and Hispanic Reference Collection. Today, the NJHRIC holds more than 75 archival collections, maintains the largest public Spanish‑language book collections in the state, and provides thousands of digitized images documenting New Jersey’s Latino history. These materials serve scholars, students, educators, journalists, and families seeking to explore and understand the diverse experiences of Hispanic and Latinx communities throughout the region."

"The opening of this new space—25 years in the making—marks a major milestone and reflects the Newark Public Library’s longstanding commitment to preserving and celebrating the history of Latino communities throughout New Jersey for future generations," said Yesenia López, director of the NJHRIC.

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