Marta Terry González (May 7, 1931 – June 18, 2018) was a

Cuban Cuban or Cubans may refer to: Related to Cuba * of or related to Cuba, a country in the Caribbean * Cubans, people from Cuba, or of Cuban descent ** Cuban exile, a person who left Cuba for political reasons, or a descendant thereof * Cuban Americ ...

librarian. She is known for her leadership of several important libraries in post-revolutionary Cuba, including those of the Junta Central de Planificación (JUCEPLAN),

Casa de las Américas Casa de las Américas is an organization that was founded by the Cuban Government in April 1959, four months after the Cuban Revolution, for the purpose of developing and extending the socio-cultural relations with the countries of Latin America, ...

, and the

National Library José Martí The National Library José Martí (Spanish: ''Biblioteca Nacional José Martí'') is the national library of Cuba. It is located in Havana and named after the national hero José Martí. This library was established on October 18, 1901. BNJM is a p ...

, as well as her role in the

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) is an international body representing the interests of people who rely on Library, libraries and information professionals. A non-governmental, not-for-profit organizati ...

(IFLA). In these roles, she worked with well-known Cuban revolutionaries such as

Che Guevara Ernesto "Che" Guevara (14th May 1928 – 9 October 1967) was an Argentines, Argentine Communist revolution, Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, Guerrilla warfare, guerrilla leader, diplomat, and Military theory, military theorist. A majo ...

and

Haydée Santamaría Haydée Santamaría Cuadrado (December 30, 1922 – July 28, 1980) was a Cuban revolutionary and politician, regarded as a heroine in post-revolutionary Cuba. She participated in the assault on Moncada Barracks in Santiago de Cuba on July 26, 195 ...

Early life

As a child, Terry González helped her grandmother collect cigar butts after curfew so that her great-grandmother could smoke them in a pipe. She was homeschooled as a child due to her poor health. Her mother had died when she was young, so she was taught at home by her grandmother and her aunts, who worked as teachers. Several books left a strong early impression on her, including Corazón de Edmundo de Amicis and works by

José Martí José Julián Martí Pérez (; 28 January 1853 – 19 May 1895) was a Cuban nationalism, nationalist, poet, philosopher, essayist, journalist, translator, professor, and publisher, who is considered a Cuban national hero because of his role in ...

Education

In 1948, Terry González entered the

University of Havana The University of Havana (UH; ) is a public university located in the Vedado district of Havana, the capital of Cuba. Founded on 5 January 1728, the university is the oldest in Cuba, and one of the first to be founded in the Americas. Originall ...

to study philosophy and literature. Her thesis for her master's degree was on the impact of chattel slavery on White society. In 1953, she visited the United States, where she experienced racial segregation in a Maryland restaurant. She saw American racial discrimination as puzzling and different from the anti-Black discrimination in Cuba.

Professional work

In 1961, Terry González was appointed to lead the library at JUCEPLAN, the body responsible for economic planning in Cuba. In 1980, she was one of the first two Cuban librarians to attend an IFLA conference. Gonzalez was appointed National Librarian of Cuba and director of the José Martí National Library in 1987, serving in that capacity for ten years. By 1994, she had become vice-president of IFLA and was also vice-president of its Havana Organizing Committee. Marta was recognized by IFLA as an honorary fellow, which is the federation's highest honor. Throughout her professional career, Terry González strove to ensure that libraries serve the general public, rather than an educated and moneyed elite. She died in Cuba on June 18, 2018.

References

1931 births 2018 deaths {{DEFAULTSORT:Terry Gonzalez, Marta Cuban women librarians Cuban librarians International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions Honorary Fellows University of Havana alumni