Located in the heart of the Little Havana area, this branch library was established in 1976 with a federal grant to serve the special needs of Miami’s Hispanic population. One of the functions of this library is to preserve the community’s cultural heritage. A monument to Cuban national poet, Agustin Acosta, was inaugurated in front of the building in 1983 by the Cuban Rotary Club in Exile.

The branch serves an immediate population that is 90% Hispanic. The collection of 60,000 items is 80% Spanish with emphasis on literature, history and linguistics. The juvenile collection focuses on student needs and literacy in Spanish and English. The adult collection includes special clipping and pamphlet files focusing on Hispanic culture. The Spanish reference collection is particularly strong and is used by students, general researchers and scholars from throughout the community and the United States. Dictionaries and encyclopedias represent Latin American and European Hispanic culture. The Cuban collection includes a number of rare books.

The library also emphasizes English as a second language with books, audiobooks, videocassettes and language instruction materials. Over fifty magazines in English and Spanish are available as well as a bilingual video and book/cassette collection. Free programs include language and citizenship classes, social security information services and a variety of cultural presentations for all ages. The Hispanic Branch has access to the Internet and other computer programs in English and Spanish. The bilingual staff has close ties with the community. The Hispanic Branch is easily accessible by public transportation and offers free parking for patrons.

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