The Mayagüez Children's Library (BJM) was founded in 1992 as the realization of Jackie Winter’s dream to create a space dedicated to Mayagüez’s children. It all began with the donation of two bags of books, which found their first home in a space provided by Citibank on the third floor of its Plaza Colón building. This remained the library’s home until 2023.
Over the past 32 years, the library has grown into a cornerstone of the community, housing over 20,000 bilingual books in Spanish and English for all ages. It features a modern computer center, a collection of reference materials about Puerto Rico, and even Braille books for children with visual impairments.
In 2004, the library received the prestigious National Library Service Award from the Institute of Museums and Library Services, presented by then-First Lady Laura Bush. This recognition marked an important milestone, making BJM the first library in Puerto Rico to receive this award.
A new chapter began in 2023 when the library moved to Méndez Vigo Street, with the support of Banco Popular de Puerto Rico. This new space has allowed the library to modernize its services while staying true to its mission of fostering education and community engagement.