Havana, February 4th.- Dr. Araceli García Carranza passed away today in this capital at the age of 88, announced on its Facebook page the Cuban Association of Librarians, which described her as one of its distinguished members.
She was "our honorary librarian, an outstanding bibliographer, researcher, professor, and a sweet and caring human being who loved above all else her profession and the National Library (José Martí)," the note on that social network elaborates.
The text concludes: "Just a few days ago, she proudly said she had completed 64 years of work in her beloved Library Institution. Glory to heaven, white flowers for you, dear Araceli."
Born on October 10, 1937, in Guanabacoa, Havana, she began her studies at the University of Havana in 1955, where she earned a doctorate in Philosophy and Letters in 1962.
During her professional career, the prestigious Cuban intellectual compiled the bibliographies of renowned figures of national culture such as Alejo Carpentier, José Lezama Lima, Fernando Ortiz, Emilio Roig de Leuchsenring, Eliseo Diego, Roberto Fernández Retamar, Eusebio Leal Spengler, Cintio Vitier, and Che Guevara, among others.
Her extensive work includes various books and pamphlets, in addition to nearly a hundred contributions to national and international journals.
Starting in 1976, she compiled the Martian bibliography for the Yearbook of the Martian Studies Center, completing a total of 45 volumes by 2023.
She was awarded the Distinction for Cuban Culture, the Alejo Carpentier and Nicolás Guillén medals, the Raúl Gómez García Distinction, the 2003 National Award for Cultural Research, the Carlos J. Finlay Order, and the First Grade Félix Varela Order, the highest distinction granted by the Cuban State to personalities who make extraordinary contributions to national and universal culture.
At the 31st Havana International Book Fair in 2023, she was honored as an outstanding figure. At that time, she was described as "the most important living bibliographer of Cuba."
