WOMEN OUT OF SERIES: ENRIQUETA MARTÍN ORTIZ DE LA TABLA
Enriqueta Martin Ortiz de la Tabla
Henrietta Martin She was librarian at the International Institute from 1929 until her retirement in 1971 and responsible for the International Institute's Library Science Courses for almost four decades. She is a teacher at the Institute-School, the Residence for Ladies and the Courses for Foreigners of the Center for Historical Studies, she enjoyed long stays in the United States for study and training in the twenties and thirties.
Enriqueta Martín was born in 1892 in Llerena (Badajoz) where she studied high school. She graduated in Philosophy and Letters from the Central University, she obtained her Ph. to pensioner Her purpose in the request for consideration as a pensioner without a subsidy was “education and language teaching”. Upon her return, she joined the Institute-School as an applicant and in 1918 she obtained the certificate of proficiency endorsed by her work at Smith College. She taught Latin for two courses at the Institute-School and also at the Residencia de Señoritas. She was also part of the teaching staff of the courses for foreigners organized by the Center for Historical Studies. In the 1917-18 academic year she moved to the United States again, this time to Vassar College. There she was integrated as an "instructor" of the Department of Spanish where she would achieve the position of "Assistant Professor" in 1920. Enriqueta Martín decided to resign her position at Vassar College and accept the position of librarian at the International Institute offered by Susan Huntington. Before returning to Spain, he spent several weeks in New York City training for his new role by attending courses and visiting libraries of "the most varied classes in migrant neighborhoods, the university sector, children's, library buses and others, all different. In other words, I took advantage of the torrid heat of New York in all its splendor”[1] .
Enriqueta Martín joined the library of the International Institute in September 1928, the date on which it was already operating jointly with the Residencia de Señoritas. In 1929 and again with the encouragement of Susan Huntington, she began to teach library science courses that her predecessor, the North American Mauda Polley, had begun in the spring of 1928. These courses, the first to be taught in Madrid, quickly became a two-year programme. The students of these courses created the "Book Association" in 1933. Association that resumed its activity after the. After the Civil War, the courses were resumed with high participation and the “Books” activity. From those schools, for example, children's libraries arose in Madrid in the Retiro and Glorieta de Quevedo areas. The courses were also extended to other Spanish cities (Seville, Cuenca, Valencia and Valladolid) and continued until 1979. Enriqueta Martín worked as director of the library of the International Institute until 1971.
Pilar Piñon Varela
[1] Report written by Enriqueta Martín dated June 5, 1971 in which "she reports her admission to the IIGS as a librarian and later as a professor of library science." Smith College Archives.
