Contacts

   Branch Manager: Patricia Vega
   Assistant Director: Sonia Araujo

Location

Main Library, 4th Floor
Phone: (201) 547- 4541

Hours

Monday: 9:00am - 5:00pm
Tuesday:9:00am - 5:00pm
Wednesday: 9:00am - 5:00pm
Thursday: 9:00am - 5:00pm
Friday: 9:00am - 5:00pm
Saturday: Closed

 

Kids surfing the net In the early 1970s, former Assistant Library Director Mrs. Mary Duffy observed that Spanish patrons had not made full use of the Main Library, for reasons of language difficulties and of intimidation of the multi-floored, imposing structure itself. Mrs. Duffy developed a grant proposal that was submitted to the Office of Services to the Disadvantaged at the New Jersey State Library. With her idea granted, a pilot project was born.

The new branch library was called Biblioteca Criolla. Its name implies the Spanish element in its collection and its target audience. The branch had a Spanish-speaking staff and a welcoming atmosphere, which allowed for a better understanding of library services. Materials were offered in Spanish with a collection of 500 novellas, and a small record and magazine collection. The Biblioteca Criolla of the Jersey City Free Public Library opened its doors at 120 Newark Avenue in May of 1972.

The Biblioteca Criolla’s original intent was to provide the mostly Puerto Rican community with a small lending service. The rapid growth of the community and the usage of the branch soon led to the creation of other services. The library boasts one of the largest vertical file collections on Hispanics in the City, with the lending collection soon became too small for the demands of the community. A reference collection was soon installed. The demand for materials and other information led for the need for a larger space. The Biblioteca Criolla offered more to the various Spanish cultures – Puerto Rico, Cuba, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Chile and other Central and South American locales – than mere library services. Biblioteca Criolla established one of the first job centers, list of different city agencies, college admission fairs, never before offered to the Spanish community. Biblioteca Criolla has always been a place where people native in the Spanish language congregated, where they felt comfortable. Advocacy on behalf of social needs and cultural presentations also took place at Criolla.

The Biblioteca Criolla occupied the second floor on 194 Newark Avenue for several years. The library soon needed additional space for its growing collection, the second floor space made it difficult for patrons to access its services. Ms. Sonia Araujo, one of its original staff members, petitioned the community’s support for a new storefront location. Answering the call were community leaders Eliu Rivera, Julio Colon, who then lobbied former Mayor Bret Schundler for his support. Together, “La Criolla,” as the branch library was affectionately called in the community, was relocated to its new present street level location on 280 First Street.

On April 19, 1997, the grand opening block party ushered in a new era for the Spanish-language branch library, formally identifying its focus in unifying the many Spanish communities and being presented as its new name – the Perfecto Oyola Biblioteca Criolla Y Centro Cultural – in honoring a local community activist.

Born in Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico, Perfecto Oyola joined the U.S. military in 1948, where he was stationed in Puerto Rico, Panama and Germany, then emigrated to the United States in 1956. Jersey City became his second home until 1987, when he returned to Puerto Rico.

Of his many efforts that benefited local Spanish communities, Perfecto Oyola is best remembered for being the founder of the Jersey City Hispanic Merchants, founder and organizer of Puertorriqueños Asociados for Community Organization (P.A.C.O.), and as president of the Puerto Rican Lutheran Housing Corporation, which was responsible for the 242 housing units at the Villa Borinquen complex on Grove Street and Paulus Hook Towers on 100 Montgomery St.

After 32 years of servicing the Hispanic community, Perfecto Oyola Biblioteca Criolla continues to generate enthusiasm in the community by offering services relevant to its patrons. Man checking out a book

The branch continues to employ staff members fluent in both Spanish and English in order to relate and better understand the needs of the every growing Hispanic community.

The following services are offered free to Jersey City residents at the Perfecto Oyola Biblioteca Criolla & Cultural Center:

  • Library orientations to groups
  • Exhibit area for local artists and students
  • Public access computers connected to the Internet and Research Databases
  • Pre-school story hour sessions (in Spanish and English)
  • Cultural Programs for children, adults and young adults
  • Lectures, recitals and exhibits for the entire community
  • Artist gallery


 

Site Map | Search | Policies | Library Card & Book Renewal | Hours | Branches | Ask a Librarian
Contact Us | Comments & Suggestions | FAQ's