WTI Magazine #37    2014 July, 2
Author : Biblioteca Italiana Seattle      Translation by:

How can you promote Italian culture in the United States? A group of volunteers in Seattle, WA, believes that books can offer a great contribution in this direction. Therefore, a few months ago, they decided to start a library and collect books written in Italian or works of Italian authors translated into English.

Thanks to numerous book donations from the community, BIS - Biblioteca Italiana Seattle was created. The over 700 books found a home at the Gelateria D'Ambrosio in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. The owner, Marco D'Ambrosio, immediately liked the idea of the BIS and generously offered a space on the shelves of his shop.

Franco Tesorieri, honorary consul of Italy in Seattle, is actively involved in the organization and promotion of the library. "Seattle is missing a proper Italian cultural center", he said. "BIS is a great project. This can be the big first step towards a center that can be a point of reference for the Italian and Italian-American community in Seattle. There is a lot of work to do, but I believe that with this exceptional group of volunteers things will move forward fast".

BIS is a no profit organization. Membership is free and users can borrow books at no charge. Library books can be picked up by visiting the Gelateria D'Ambrosio (1542 12th Ave, Seattle) in person every Sunday between 2 and 4 pm. Holds can be placed by simply writing an email to bibliotecaitaliana@gmail.com. A complete list of books is available on Shelfari, at the following link: http://www.shelfari.com/o1514773841/shelf.

"We have an incredible collection of books of important Italian authors, but also numerous contemporary international novels. There is also a section dedicated to kids. It is very important that kids born in the US from Italian and Italian-American couples get exposed to Italian language since early age, so it does not get lost with time", said Valeria Vasta, president of BIS. The library is also starting to collect DVDs of movies in original language, and it is always welcoming new donations. Watching movies is a great way to learn a language. For this reason, BIS can be of interest not only to Italians and Italian-Americans, but also to all people who are interested in the Italian culture and want to be exposed to the language of "Bel Paese".

The Italian community in Seattle is very enthusiastic about this new project. More than 70 people participated in the opening ceremony in April. Even though Italian gelato and books are a perfect combination, BIS is hoping to find soon its own space and become an organized Italian cultural center. Among the ideas that the volunteers have in mind for the future there are exhibits, cooking classes, language classes and other events that can help promote Italy and its beautiful culture in the Northwest.

Are you interested in learning more about the BIS? You can find more information on its Facebook page, "Biblioteca Italiana Seattle".