{"id":3471,"date":"2021-03-08T10:10:26","date_gmt":"2021-03-08T09:10:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bpa.es\/the-history-of-the-library\/"},"modified":"2021-03-08T10:10:28","modified_gmt":"2021-03-08T09:10:28","slug":"the-history-of-the-library","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bpa.es\/en\/the-history-of-the-library\/","title":{"rendered":"The history of the library"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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The history of the library<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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DOWN HISTORY'S PATH<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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A hundred and twenty five years<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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1887<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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AR\u00daS'S WILL<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Rossend Ar\u00fas i Arderiu dictates his last will and testament. He commands his heirs Valent\u00ed Almirall and Antoni Farn\u00e9s to found a public library in Barcelona. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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1895<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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GRAND OPENING<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Grand opening of the Ar\u00fas Public Library. A massive festival was held with the collaboration of over 150 civic organizations, three music bands and the Clav\u00e9 Choir amongst others. The librarian was Eudald Canivell, and the initial archive featured 24.000 volumes. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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1906<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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BIBLIOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Library loans some volumes to the 1833-1906 Bibliographic Exhibition, one of the events of the First International Convention of the Catalan Language. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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1912<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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NEW LIBRARIES<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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New libraries appear around Barcelona, which in turn causes the Ar\u00fas Library\u2019s user count to decline. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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1914<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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LEIPZIG'S BOOK EXHIBITION<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Ar\u00fas Library loans some volumes to the International Exhibition of the Book Industry and Graphic Arts in Leipzig, as suggested by the Catalan Institute of the Book Arts.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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1922<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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LIBRARIAN RELAY <\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Eduald Canivell resigns. The following year, writer and journalist Josep Buxad\u00e9 is appointed as Head Librarian.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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1929<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Ar\u00fas Library loans some volumes to the Barcelona International Exposition. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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1939<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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SHUTDOWN<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Death of Josep Buxad\u00e9. The Board chooses not to appoint a new librarian and to shut the library down. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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1955<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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REOPENING ATTEMPTS<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Some attempts are made to reopen the Library, albeit unsuccessfully.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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1967<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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PUBLIC REOPENING<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Concepci\u00f3 Rodergas, manager of the Board, finally manages to reopen the Ar\u00fas Public Library. However, the reopening was held in a very subdued manner. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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1976<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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INCOMING DONATIONS<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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After the end of Franco’s regime, in 1978 the library starts recieving donatins by prominent anarchists, cooperativists and members of the labour movement. Some outstanding patrons were Hermoso Plaja, Diego Abat de Santill\u00e1n and Alert P\u00e9rez Bar\u00f3.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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1987<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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FRIENDS OF THE AR\u00daS LIBRARY<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Friends of the Ar\u00fas Library Association is founded. Its goals are to prevent further decline of the Library, to spread awareness of the Ar\u00fas Legacy and to turn the institution into an active, throbbing cultural hub.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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1991<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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CENTENARY OF THE FOUNDER'S DEATH<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Library is reopened on the Hundred year anniversary of Rossend Ar\u00fas i Arderiu’s death.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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1995<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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CENTENARY CELEBRATION<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Centenary of the Ar\u00fas Public Library, with many events to commemorate it throughout the year, along with the creation of the new APL logo.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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2006<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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MAINTENANCE WORKS<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Betwen 2006 and 2009, the Library undergoes maintenance works and a premises expansion.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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2011<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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JOAN PROUBASTA'S DONATION<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Joan Proubasta donates his personal Sherlock Holmes Collection, the largest in Spain and one of the largest in the world. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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2020<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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125-YEAR CELEBRATION<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Ar\u00fas Public Library celebrates 125 years. Many conferences and activities are organized, along with a special exhibition. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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ROSSEND
AR\u00daS<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Barcelona, 1844 \u2013 1891<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Rossend Ar\u00fas was born in Barcelona in 1844. His father, Pere Ar\u00fas Cuixart, was a prominent trader of colonial goods, particularly textile industry dyes, who came from a wealthy family from l\u2019Hospitalet de Llobregat, whereas his mother, Teresa Arderiu Pons, came from Das, a little village in the Catalan Pyrenees. Ar\u00fas was good-natured and cheerful, yet had a sharp and sarcastic demeanour, which spurred his avid defence of democracy, federal republicanism, left-wing catalanism, freethinking and Freemasonry. He also was a philanthropist and generous benefactor who sought progress for those around him.<\/p>\n

He was a member of the Societat del Born (the Born Society), a neighbourhood association where he helped organize the Carnival festivals of the 19th century sixties and seventies. As the secretary, he promoted the use of the Catalan language within the committee and was involved in many of its cultural and charity initiatives. He also took part of the society Lo Niu Guerrer (the Warrior Nest), which took over the Born Society\u2019s role in the community after 1874. <\/p>\n

Ar\u00fas was a well-known writer and playwright, though he also dabbled in chronicling, journalism and several genres of poetry, prominently epigrammatic poetry. As a theatre enthusiast, he was involved in some societies such as Flora (1864-1865) and Tert\u00falia Catalana (Catalan Gathering; 1865-1871 and 1871-1873), which gradually took a more professional turn and gained relevance to the point of staging a fair share of the city\u2019s theatrical production (were it light-hearted sketch and full-length comedies, or more ambitious dramas) along with the increasing presence of Catalan playwrights and plays. It was at that time when he did writings of his own: at least 46 plays in Catalan and 7 in Spanish (52 of which were preserved). All of them were produced and staged from the 1860\u2019s onwards, and about 15 of them were also published. Some were quite successful. Beyond satire and political plays, there is an abundance of genres, with comedic and dramatic realism embedded with social commentary, magic theatre, folktale recreation and even biblical-inspired plays. All of them conveyed Ar\u00fas\u2019s progress and freedom ideology, as well as a clear defence of the working class interests and an appeal for enlightenment. They became an important part of the 1800\u2019s Catalan theatrical renaissance, where Frederic Soler (aka Seraf\u00ed Pitarra) and \u00c0ngel Guimer\u00e0 reigned supreme. Additionally, Ar\u00fas\u2019s business mindset prompted him to rent and manage several venues, aiming for a widespread audience within the working class. Some such theatres were the Teatre de l\u2019Olimp, in Mercaders Street; the Teatre Espanyol, when it was located at the beginning of passeig de Gr\u00e0cia; the Teatre de Sant Andreu, a more ambitious attempt as of 1876; and throughout the 1880\u2019s, the Teatre del Bon Retir, in Catalunya Square between passeig de Gr\u00e0cia and rambla de Catalunya. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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After the ousting of Queen Isabella II of Spain in 1868 and the proclamation of the First Republic in 1873, Rossend Ar\u00fas began dabbling in politics, like many other socially-involved liberal young men, and also in Freemasonry. He joined the ranks of the Partit Dem\u00f2crata Republic\u00e0 Federal (Federal Republican Democratic Party), was part of several of its committees and even run (unsuccessfully) for the City Council elections; all while he also devoted himself to writing and theatre. The restoration of the Spanish Monarchy in 1875 partly extinguished his passion for politics, although he never officially left the Party. He became deeply invested in catalanism along with Valent\u00ed Almirall, taking discreet yet crucial roles such as secretary for many committees. He was involved in the preparation and celebration of the first catalanist congresses (Congressos Catalanistes of 1880 and 1883), the creation and expansion of the Centre Catal\u00e0 (Catalan Center: 1882), and the Jocs Florals (Floral Games, the most important literary contest of 19th century Catalonia). <\/p>\n

Rossend Ar\u00fas was initiated into Freemasonry on May 16th 1866, in L\u00f2gia La Fraternitat n\u00fam.1 (Fraternity Logde no.1) in Barcelona, and in 1884 he achieved the 33rd Degree (the highest degree according to the Scottish Rite). Afterwards, he also became a member of other lodges: La Verdad, n\u00fam.17 (The Truth, no.17) in Barcelona, el Gran Cap\u00edtol Catal\u00e0, Pureza n\u00fam.2 (Lisbon), Uni\u00f3n Ib\u00e9rica n\u00fam.252 (Madrid), La Sagesse (Barcelona), Perfetta Unione (Italy), and he also joined the Supreme Council of Portuguese Masonry. In 1881 he created his own Catalanist Lodge, Avant n\u00fam.149 (Advance Lodge no.149) in Barcelona, of which he became Worshipful master. In 1886, the GLSRC Constituent Assembly took place, and Rossend Ar\u00fas was appointed the Grand Master of Catalan Masonry.<\/p>\n

Ar\u00fas\u2019s work as a journalist is also noteworthy. He published for several journals and magazines, with an outstanding presence in La Llumanera de Nova York (New York\u2019s Oil Lamp, 1874-1881), a prestigious Catalan magazine published in New York by Artur Cuy\u00e0s. Some of his Costumbrist serials were highly successful, particularly Cartes a la Dona (Letters to the missus), where he wrote under the heteronym Pau Pi i Pla supposed letters from a Catalan mayor to his wife about the Centennial International Exhibition in Philadelphia, 1876. He also published regularly in the Diari Catal\u00e0 (1879-1881), sustained by Valent\u00ed Almirall, and in Tramontana (1881-1896), a magazine run and financed by anarchist Josep Llunas i Pujals. Some widely successful magazines such as L\u2019Esquella de la Torratxa and La Campana de Gr\u00e0cia also were keen on publishing his work. Ar\u00fas himself was also involved in the promotion of other monographic publications, such as Pepe Hillo (1874-1878), one of the first bullfighting magazines in Catalonia; La Luz (1885-1886), which was also the name of a freethinking society in Barcelona; and the Bolet\u00edn Oficial de la Gran Logia Simb\u00f3lica Regional Catalana (1886-1887), about Freemasonry and the news media of this Catalan obedience. <\/p>\n

Ar\u00fas died in 1891. His last will and testament named Valent\u00ed Almirall and Antoni Farn\u00e9s, to whom he had confided his dying wish, as his legal heirs and estate executors. Specifically, they were tasked with managing and completing the building of the new City Hall and public schools of Das (Ar\u00fas\u2019s mother\u2019s hometown) and l\u2019Hospitalet de Llobregat (Ar\u00fas\u2019s father\u2019s hometown). Additionally, his own apartment along with the whole building he owned in Sant Joan boulevard had to undergo some remodelling in order to open a library for the people of Barcelona. His will was fully realized, and the Ar\u00fas Public Library held its grand opening on the 24th of March, 1895, with a large crowd and many civic entities partaking in the celebration.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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