The mission of the libraries that make up Universidade Católica Portuguesa Libraries Network (RB-UCP) is to provide the necessary information resources to the academic community to fulfill its objectives regarding studying, teaching, researching, relations with the internal and external community, promotion of cultural initiatives, and the development of information literacy and digital literacy skills within the community.

To mark this year’s International Libraries’ Day, celebrated on July 1, RB-UCP has gathered some of the initiatives and projects developed in the cultural sphere throughout the 2023/2024 academic year, contributing to the promotion, access, and sharing of culture.

The Father Júlio Fragata Library at the Braga Regional Centre hosted the presentation of the book Quarto de Costura by António Machado.

Viseu Regional Centre’s D. José Pedro da Silva Library held a Creative Writing Workshop, a cultural event the writer João de Mancelos attended.

At Porto Regional Centre (CRP), Paraíso Library presented a bibliographic and iconographic exhibition dedicated to International Student Day. The library also evoked Maestro Manuel Ivo Cruz Day by holding a round table discussion on The Living Voice of Musical Archives” a thought-provoking event that explored the preservation of musical history.

The João Paulo II University Library (BUJPII) in Lisbon, fostered a sense of community by organizing collaborative exhibitions. In partnership with the Faculty of Health Sciences and Nursing, BUJPII hosted the FarDar exhibition. It also collaborated with the Centre for the Study of Religious History (CEHR) and Cáritas Portuguesa for the exhibition Cáritas Portuguesa: Um Percurso Solidário. Another collaboration, this time with the Higher Institute of Canon Law, led to the exhibition Uma Concordata para o século XXI. The library lounge was also the venue for a documentary exhibition and talk entitled António Sardinha—times of exile (1918-1921).

For a semester, BUJPII hosted the painting, drawing, and photography exhibition by Miguel Correia - a professor at the Faculty of Law – Ecos do Tempo - which was closed with a musical performance by the band Acoustic Trio. It now hosts the photographic exhibition Macau em Contrastes (2010-2018) by Marisa C. Gaspar.

More recently, BUJPII welcomed a group of participants and volunteers from the Par e Passo Project, run by Cáritas Diocesana de Lisboa, as part of UCP's Social Responsibility strategy, which aims to strengthen close relations between partner social organizations and the University.

At the Católica Medical School Library, the exhibition Dia a dia radiografado was held from March to May. 

In addition to the initiatives that took place in each library, there were also joint initiatives, such as the round table Revistas de Teologia em destaque: passado, presente e futuro which aimed to celebrate the four years since the launch of the UCP's Scientific Journals Portal and to mark the complete digitization of the previous theology journals of the various Regional Centres: Didaskalia (Lisbon), Theologica (Braga) and Humanística e Teologia (Porto).

Furthermore, as part of the national events, we highlight the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the April 25th Carnation Revolution with a celebratory exhibition at the D. José Pedro da Silva Library (CRV) and the bibliographic exhibitions Caminhos da Democracia: visões e revisões das Constituições Portuguesas, at the Paraíso Library (CRP), and 50 anos a cumprir abril, at the João Paulo II University Library in Lisbon. To mark the 500th anniversary of the birth of Camões, documentary exhibitions were held to show the academic community some of its special collections: Paraíso Library hosted Camoniana: a presença de Camões no espólio do Maestro Manuel Ivo Cruz, BUJPII hosted Manuscrito em destaque, and D. José Pedro da Silva Library (Viseu) hosted a display of rare works by the poet.

Lastly, we would also like to highlight the training and capacity-building initiatives carried out by the RB-UCP, namely presentations of the information resources subscribed to by the University, management of bibliographic references, and the organization of three training cycles on Open Access and the areas of Health Sciences and Law.