The Municipal Library was established with Municipal Council Deliberation no. 148 of May 14, 1977, with an initial collection of 44 volumes. Since 1980 it has been housed in the former Convent of San Francesco d’Assisi. The premises extend over approximately 400 square meters, excluding the large colonnaded atrium of the recently renovated entrance. It houses the Cappucinorum Library (16th-19th century) and among the modern literature texts an interesting special section on the Risorgimento formed thanks to the donations of Prof. Francesco Brancato (historian from Ciminna), to whom the Library itself is dedicated, and to the purchases made by the municipal administrations that followed one another over the years. The library has activated some new sections regarding the town of “Ciminna” which collects all the books relating to the town, a section dedicated to “Francesco Brancato” which collects all the books written by the Professor and a “Braille” section with books for the blind. Annually it registers about 2000 users, with several loans and consultations on site. The Library’s activities are computerized and it is possible to carry out consultations and research with reading assistance, as well as borrow books and multimedia material.
The discovery of an Incunabulum, which occurred in October 2016, was an exceptional event for the entire “Ciminna community”. During a research and study activity on the volumes belonging to the Convent of the Capuchin Friars Minor, Prof. Domenico Passantino was surprised to discover an “Incunabulum” volume, the only copy kept inside the Library printed with movable type technology dating back to the year 1492. The Volume Title is Supplementum Chronicarum, composed of nr. 512 pages, Author: Foresti, Giacomo Filippo Bergomensis, published on February 15, 1492 in Venice, through the Bernardino Rizzo Publishing House. The volume tells the story of the world and humanity, in a Christian key, from its creation until the moment of writing the work, a universal story.
