The José Saramago Municipal Library in Odemira reopens to the public on Saturday, October 5th, the date of its 26th anniversary, after undergoing renovation works. The intervention, according to the Municipal Council, aimed to create a "renewed, more modern and innovative space", designed to meet the new cultural and information needs of the community, reinforcing the Library's role as a space for knowledge, learning, encounter and cultural development.
To mark the occasion, the municipality is promoting, starting at 4:00 PM, a special programme dedicated to culture and creativity. The reopening ceremony features the presence of the Mayor of Odemira, Hélder Guerreiro, the President of the Municipal Assembly, Rita Balbino Costa, the President of the José Saramago Foundation, Pilar del Río, and actress Maria do Céu Guerra.
The programme includes a reading of José Saramago's text "And Also Those Days" by Sónia Barradas, in tribute to the writer who lends his name to the facility. This is followed by the performance "We Would End Up?", by Nisa Eliziário and Mário Trigo, the inauguration of the exhibition "Substance – Art and Psychoanalysis", by João Adolfo Nogueira, a stamping workshop with objects run by Emma-France Raff, and editorial presentations, including the children's book "Sing Me Everything: When the Rain Returns, It Is Time to Sow" and the publication "Stories in the Shade of the Montado (No. 4)".
The celebration also includes the traditional moment of "blowing out the candles" for the library's 26th anniversary and ends with a concert by the Flower Power Street Band.