Despite the fact that there are tens of millions of Spanish speakers and readers in the United States, there is a chronic shortage of Spanish language books and bookstores throughout the nation. New York City-based artist and educator Pablo Helguera has created a unique way to highlight the issue. Libreria Donceles is a traveling pop-up bookstore, art installation, and cultural meeting space with more than 10,000 donated Spanish language books.
The traveling bookshop/exhibition has surfaced in Boston, Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco, Phoenix, Indianapolis, and Brooklyn. Now it’s popped-up in Anchorage Alaska of all places. Sponsored by the Anchorage Museum, which is well worth a visit, the Libreria Donceles is selling low cost books and serving as a cultural center, performance and workshop space until January 2019.