-
Learning Spanish in Chicago
-
-
Certification Exams at Instituto Cervantes Chicago
-
Cultural Activities in Chicago
-
José Emilio Pacheco Library
-
Instituto Cervantes of Chicago
- Instituto Cervantes
- E-stados Unidos
- Chicago
- Bibliotecas en español: colecciones y servicios. Instituto Cervantes en Chicago
José Emilio Pacheco Library Services
Access to the library and consultation of its collections are free of charge. The reading room provides a quiet space for study and offers Internet access (Wi-Fi), as well as access to the library catalog and collections, including films, music, and periodicals.
A valid library card is required to borrow materials, listen to or download audiobooks, and access electronic resources.
The library welcomes inquiries related to the language and cultures of Spain and Hispanic America.
Through the international interlibrary loan service, users may consult documents held in the collections of other Spanish libraries.
Schools and groups interested in visiting the library, as well as our other facilities and exhibitions, may arrange a guided tour by appointment. To schedule a visit, please contact us at biblioteca.chicago@cervantes.org.
Library Loan Service
- General: $55
General
- Books, magazines, and CDs: up to 7 items for 3 weeks
- Videos and DVDs: up to 3 items for 3 weeks
- Full access to the digital library
Remote access
- Full access to the digital library
Institutional
- Books, magazines, and CDs: up to 21 items for 6 weeks
- Videos and DVDs: up to 9 items for 6 weeks
- Full access to the digital library
- Loans of books, magazines, and CDs may be renewed once for the same loan period (three weeks), provided the item has not been reserved by another user.
- Loans of videos and DVDs cannot be renewed.
- Renewals and reservations may be made in person at the library, via the online catalog, or by email at biblioteca.chicago@cervantes.org.
- Only items currently on loan to another user may be reserved.
- Each user may place up to 3 reservations.
- Once a reserved item has been returned to the library, library staff will contact the user to inform them of its availability.
Explore all the services provided by the José Emilio Pacheco Library at the Instituto Cervantes of Chicago
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will do our best to respond to any enquiries related to Spain and Hispanic America. To do so, we use both our own resources (specialized staff, databases, and library collections) and external sources (the Internet and other information centres).
Enquiries may be made in person at the library, by postal mail, or by email.
Institutions and teachers (of Spanish or other subjects) may request guided visits for groups of students and colleagues to the library and the rest of the Instituto Cervantes facilities.
The format and content of the visit will be adapted, as far as possible, to the needs of each visiting group.
Tel.: +1 312 335 1996
Email: biblioteca.chicago@cervantes.org
The reading room offers free Wi-Fi access for all users who wish to work from their own laptops.
Internet access is also available on the library’s computers. Please note that access requirements apply.
Access Requirements
-
The Internet access service is free of charge for library members.
-
The library card must be handed to library staff at the start of each session and will be returned at the end.
-
Computers provided for Internet access are intended solely for information retrieval, research, and learning.
-
Users are responsible for reading any copyright notices that may appear in search results. Some online materials may be protected by intellectual property law.
-
Library staff reserve the right to terminate Internet access if these conditions are not respected.
Join our Book Club!
Leer en compañía
The José Emilio Pacheco Library Book Club is open to anyone interested in Spanish-language literature. We meet once a month to discuss literature, including both recent publications and literary classics.
The Book Club was founded in 2004; since then, we have read works by some of the most important authors in Spanish-language literature.
To take part, please send an email to biblioteca.chicago@cervantes.org.
Participants are required to be respectful and considerate of others’ opinions and to have read the book in advance.
Upcoming Reads:
Date Thursday 25 juny
Hour: 5:00 pm
Location: Zoom
Reading: La parcela
Author: Alejandro Simón Partal
Fecha: Thursday 23 July 2026
Hour: 5:00 pm
Location: Zoom
Lectura: Historia secreta de Costaguana
Autor: Juan Gabriel Vásquez
Date:
No reading has been scheduled for August
Date: Thursday 10 September 2026
Hour: 17:00 h.
Location: Zoom
Reading: El ejército ciego
Author: David Toscana
Date: Saturday 3 October 2026
Hour: 10:00 h.
Location Zoom
Reading: Perder el juicio
Author: Ariana Harwicz
Date: Thursday 5 November 2026
Hour: 5:00 pm
Location: Zoom
Reading: Elogio de las manos
Author: Jesús Carrasco
Date: TBA