During their time at the Latin American School of Development Studies (ELADES), an ECLAC programme that brings together young professionals and recent graduates from across Latin America and the Caribbean to study development issues, students from different academic backgrounds turned the Hernán Santa Cruz Library into much more than a study space. It became a place to conduct research, access ECLAC publications and resources, exchange ideas, and build connections that often extended beyond the classroom. 

Around lunchtime, the ECLAC Library would begin to change its rhythm. Little by little, the tables would fill up, conversations could be heard, and groups of young students would arrive with their laptops and notes. The usual quiet gave way to a livelier atmosphere. They were students from the Latin American School of Development Studies (ELADES), who, during their stay in Santiago, turned the Library into one of their main places to study.

“After lunch, we would ask each other if we were going to the Library,” recalled Juana Moseinco, 21, with a laugh. Having recently completed her university studies in International Relations, her research focused on endogenous governance, inequalities and domestic work. For her, the choice was often an easy one: “It’s very comfortable here, and there’s plenty of space.”

A few metres away, 32-year-old Inés Torres worked on her research. Her study focused on the centre-periphery relationship developed by Raúl Prebisch, one of the fundamental concepts of the economic thought that has shaped ECLAC’s history. Surrounded by books and documents and through conversations with her fellow students, the Library also became a connection between the topics explored during the programme and the sources that allowed them to delve deeper into their research.

Azul Fourcade, 33, researched technical and vocational education and training and its links with the world of work. Much of her research drew on digital publications available online, particularly those related to education, employment and skills development.

But she also highlighted something more everyday: the spaces available to meet and work with other students. And those meetings, she admitted with a laugh, could sometimes last much longer than expected. It was not unusual for a study session that began after lunch to continue until nearly 9 p.m.

Renato Rojas, 33, shared a similar experience. A lawyer specializing in environmental issues who completed a master’s degree in International Development last year, his research focused on the circular economy, examining the Latin American context and the gaps and opportunities for moving towards new development models.

For Renato, exchanging ideas with students from different disciplines helped enrich their individual research. It became one of the key spaces where those conversations and collaborative work took place.

Much of the information they used came from ECLAC’s digital repository and publications available online. Yet physically coming to the Library continued to hold a special value.

“I’ve always loved libraries,” Renato said.

“Me too!” Juana quickly added.

They both laughed. Beyond the books and documents, they agreed on something simple: it was a pleasant place to spend time.

Their study sessions continued until Friday, 28 August, when their time at ECLAC came to an end. Their presence was a reminder that the library is not only a repository of knowledge, but also a place where ideas are shared, connections are built, and research becomes a collective experience. Until the next cohort arrives, we are left with the memory of laptops spread across tables, open publications, conversations spanning different disciplines, and a question that became part of their lunchtime routine: “Shall we go to the Library?