International library Ilaria Alpi and Library Guanda

The International Library opened on February 2, 2009 in the premises of the former Benedictine monastery of San Paolo.
It is named after the young RAI journalist Ilaria Alpi, of Parma origin thanks to her father Giorgio, originally from Compiano, who on March 20, 1994 was killed in Somalia during a reportage with her operator Miran Hrovatin.
The Library is the latest addition to the libraries of the Municipality of Parma and is part of the Library Service of the Municipality of Parma,  together with the other 7 structures.

The International Library's mission is to create a bridge between cultures of the world; an ideal place for exchange, dialogue, meeting and knowledge, for sharing.
Furthermore, the library is committed to enhancing pluralism and different cultural traditions to promote and support Parma's ethically sustainable internationalization process and thus contribute to the cultural growth of the community.

The Ugo Guanda Municipal Library, named after the publishing house founded by Ugo Guandalini, opened on 15 December 1973 in the renovated basement located under Piazza Garibaldi, originally the Cobianchi day hotel.
Something new in Parma at the time, a library that did not appeal only to the cultured ones but that tried to reach all potential readers, of all ages, with the desire to eliminate or minimize all those bureaucratic and physical barriers that could stand between the book and the reader: maximum simplicity for registration and loan, but above all an "open shelf" book heritage which, in addition to the search for literary quality, well represented by the Guanda Collection donated by the publisher's widow, was constantly implemented also taking into account the so-called escape narrative and readers' proposals.

Later it was moved to vicolo delle Asse 5, its current location, in a privileged position overlooking the splendid garden of San Paolo, and after a move to allow for a complex restoration that lasted almost two years, on 15 December 2008 it became a library completely renovated in spaces and furnishings, made entirely accessible even to people with disabilities.
Over the course of almost forty years, its setting as a public reading library has been preserved and strengthened through meetings, book presentations, and with a continuous care of its heritage, always attentive to anything new.

The library is intended primarily for adult users, due to its assets and purchasing policy, but it also offers a children's section that is constantly enriched. Schools can arrange guided visits to the library and readings.
The offer is completed by a fund dedicated to poetry and the DVD section.

It has computer stations, wireless access and publishes a weekly news bulletin.