“Folks in the arts don’t always talk to folks in economics, for example,” Bonilla said. The initiative, called Bridging the Divide, is meant to foster collaboration between professionals in various disciplines. The grant will help Centro bring together academics, journalists, and artists to study issues confronting Puerto Rico and create publications on those issues. In January, Centro announced that it had been awarded a $1.2 million grant from the Andrew W. “The ability of people from Puerto Rico to connect to our events has been wonderful.” “It’s a way to make our resources more accessible,” said Cristel Jusino Díaz, Director of Digital Humanities, of the changes. “We’ve had international audiences,” Bonilla said. Hosting virtual events and webinars throughout the pandemic allowed Centro to expand participation beyond New York City. “Even during the pandemic, we were able to assist researchers, students getting their PhDs, scholars writing books.”
El centro library hunter archive#
“Centro has the largest digital archive of the CUNY system so we were already highly virtual,” she said. dedicated to the Puerto Rican experience. Centro is the largest university-based research institute in the U.S. “All our events are now bilingual and the next step is to make the website bilingual as well,” said Bonilla.ĭuring the pandemic, Centro “leaned into technology” to continue serving researchers, Bonilla said, as its physical library and archives at the Hunter College campus were not readily accessible. Since July 2021, Centro has provided sign language interpretation for all of its webinars, as well as English and Spanish interpretation. “It’s a way to make our resources more accessible and interactive, a digital tool that helps to visualize and to better understand the Puerto Rican experience.”Ĭentro’s commitment to accessibility is not unique to its new website. “We are developing digital initiatives with the purpose of showcasing the research we do at Centro,” said Cristel Jusino Díaz, Centro’s Director of Digital Humanities.
and on the island, and we think it’s an important time to reconnect with community activism and to put Centro at the service of those struggles and to speak directly to those issues,” Bonilla said. “There are a lot of community struggles going on in Puerto Rican communities both in the U.S. Redesigned by Tembol, a Puerto Rico-based design firm, the site will be employed as a tool to advance Centro’s role in responding to concerns of Puerto Ricans across the diaspora.
The site is fully compliant with ADA guidelines to make it more accessible and was redesigned to be more user-friendly and easier to navigate.īonilla referred to the new website as “a living space” that will include interactive materials, research tools, details on Centro events, and important news from the Puerto Rican community. “The work that we do is in the service of those who want to improve the lives of Puerto Ricans,” said Bonilla.Ī new-look Centro website was unveiled on March 28. “We’re an academic research center and an historical archive but the work that we do is in the service of those who want to improve the lives of Puerto Ricans,” said Bonilla.
“That is a nod to our activist roots, but also to the role we want to play as an amplifier of community issues and community concerns.” The new logo, shaped like a bullhorn, is a nod to Centro’s activists roots.įounded in 1973 by a coalition of students, faculty, and activists, Centro produces original research, films, and books, and publishes The Centro Journal - the premier peer-reviewed academic journal devoted to Puerto Rican studies. “The new logo is represented as an amplifier, like an old-school bullhorn,” said Yarimar Bonilla, Director of Centro. The rebranding includes a new logo, new colors, and a revamped website. The Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College has launched a major rebranding effort.Ĭommonly known as Centro, the organization is the largest university-based research institute, library, and archive in the United States that is dedicated to the Puerto Rican experience. “The work that we do is in the service of those who want to improve the lives of Puerto Ricans,” said Centro Director Yarimar Bonilla.