A topic of which we speak little, but which has an important relevance in the life of our Order, is the management of the cultural assets that we have received from past generations. Our houses, even those of more recent foundation, are rich in memory. Libraries, archives, art objects and even handicrafts for daily use fill our homes. All this memory must be recognised, preserved and made available to many people who, in different ways and for different reasons, are interested in knowing our history and our life.
For this reason, at the end of February and in the first days of March (27 February - 2 March), a training course for archivists, librarians and directors of Carmelite museums was held at the Sant'Alberto International Center in Rome, which saw the participation of about thirty people, friars O.Carm. and OCD, nuns and lay people present in various capacities. The conferences focused on theoretical and practical aspects of the management of archives and libraries. Much appreciated were the presentations of the Carmelite library in Krakow and the museum of the monastery of Granada. Participants were also able to visit the Order's historical archive and the Carmelite General Library, located at CISA, the current archive at the General Curia and the Theological Faculty of the Discalced Carmelites with the rich specialized library in spirituality.
The initiative proposed by the "Institutum Carmelitanum", in continuity with what has already been done in the past by the Association of Carmelite Librarians, has been much appreciated and we hope to continue with other similar events.