Our History, Founding Statutes & Community Roots

The history of the Association des Amis de la Licorne is inextricably bound to the civic commitment of the citizens of Liginiac. Situated on the high plateau of Haute-Corrèze, overlooking the valleys of the Dordogne and Triouzoune rivers, our municipality has long prided itself on community solidarity and mutual aid. However, in the late 1990s, local residents observed that access to books was becoming increasingly difficult for families without the means to travel regularly to Ussel or Tulle.

The municipal collection originally occupied a modest cupboard in the town hall, maintained by a single dedicated municipal secretary on occasional weekday afternoons. Recognizing that the town needed a welcoming, permanent reading space where children could study after school and elders could gather for conversation, a coalition of retired teachers, local artisans, farmers, and young parents convened an extraordinary civic assembly.

On that foundational evening, the citizens voted unanimously to constitute a formal non-profit association under the historic French Law of July 1, 1901. The name "Amis de la Licorne" (Friends of the Unicorn) was selected to honor the legendary creature of imagination, purity, and intellectual quest, symbolizing our collective belief that literature has the power to transform ordinary rural life into an extraordinary voyage of discovery. The association registered its declaration at the Sous-Préfecture d'Ussel, receiving official receipt and publication in the Journal Officiel de la République Française, formally establishing our legal identity (RNA W191002058, SIREN 420205858).

The Formal Partnership with the Municipality of Liginiac

From its inaugural day, the association chose not to operate in isolation, but in close, organic partnership with the municipal council (*Conseil Municipal de Liginiac*). A formal multi-year partnership convention was drafted and adopted by the municipal council. Under this agreement, the commune provides:

• Dedicated physical premises located in Le Bourg, equipped with heating, electricity, high-speed fiber internet access, and compliant disabled access ramps.
• An annual operating grant intended solely for the acquisition of new books, graphic novels, and reference works.
• Building insurance covering physical infrastructure and public liability during official municipal library opening hours.

In return, the Association des Amis de la Licorne pledges the voluntary labor of its members to ensure regular weekly opening hours, perform catalog accessioning according to universal decimal classification (UDC) standards, organize cultural and educational events, and welcome readers of all ages with warmth, dignity, and attentiveness.

Over the past two decades, the association has continually expanded its horizons, transforming the municipal library from a quiet book storage facility into an energetic center of civic vitality.

Statutory Mission & Non-Commercial Integrity

Our statutory framework is governed by Articles 1 through 15 of our official Association By-Laws (*Statuts de l'Association*). These statutes establish that:

1. The association is strictly non-profit (*à but non lucratif*) and serves exclusively the public interest (*intérêt général*).
2. No commercial activity, product merchandising, or paid entry ticketing shall ever be undertaken.
3. The association shall remain completely independent of any political party, religious denomination, or commercial interest group.
4. All elected officers (President, Secretary, Treasurer) exercise their responsibilities on a strictly benevolent basis without any direct or indirect remuneration.
5. In the event of dissolution, all assets and cataloged book collections shall be transferred directly to the Commune de Liginiac for the continuous benefit of the municipal library.

Rural territories in central France face demographic shifts, including an aging population, the departure of some young adults toward metropolitan universities, and the centralization of public services. In this context, cultural isolation is a genuine vulnerability that affects both mental wellbeing and civic cohesion.

The Bibliothèque Municipale de Liginiac functions as a vital social anchor. For many retired farmers, widowed seniors, and solitary residents, their weekly visit to the library is their primary social contact outside their home. Here, conversations unfold naturally over tea and newly arrived books. Readers recommend novels to one another, discuss local agricultural yields, exchange gardening seedlings in the spring, and reminisce about the historical traditions of Haute-Corrèze.

Our intergenerational reading initiatives intentionally bridge the gap between age groups. When school children participate in our oral history sessions, they do not simply read about history in an abstract textbook; they listen to ninety-year-old neighbors explain what it felt like when electricity first illuminated the village, or how timber was floated down the Dordogne river on traditional wooden rafts (*gabares*). These encounters forge deep mutual respect, giving younger citizens pride in their regional identity while granting our elders the profound validation of being heard and cherished.

In an era of disposable digital media, physical books possess tactile, aesthetic, and historical durability. However, maintaining a public library in a humid plateau climate requires continuous vigilance and physical conservation craftsmanship.

Every autumn, our volunteer conservation team conducts an inventory audit of our collections. Worn bindings are reinforced with archival-grade acid-free tape, soiled pages are gently cleansed using specialized document cleaning pads, and newly acquired volumes are fitted with heavy-gauge transparent polyethylene dust jackets to protect them against moisture and frequent handling.

For historic local records—including 19th-century cadastral maps, agricultural society bulletins, and regional folklore compilations—we employ protective archival boxes and maintain strict climate monitoring within our historical document cabinet. By teaching these delicate techniques to teenage volunteers during our summer workshops, we pass on the sacred heritage of library custodianship to the next generation.

The Rich Literary Heritage of Limousin & Haute-Corrèze

The Limousin region has nourished a proud and distinctive literary tradition characterized by intimate relationships with nature, granite landscapes, and quiet contemplation. From early troubadours writing in ancient Occitan across the courts of Ventadour to modern chroniclers of peasant life and resistance literature, the written word has always served as the soul of our plateau.

Our association considers itself the humble inheritor of this tradition. We maintain dedicated shelf space for regional authors, including chroniclers of the Haute-Dordogne, poets of the Massif Central, and historical novelists who illuminate the hardships and beauty of rural existence. By introducing younger generations to these regional works, we ensure that our unique cultural voice is not submerged by standardized mass entertainment, but remains a living, vibrant conversation across our villages and valleys.

Looking Ahead: Our Vision for the Next Decade

As we look toward the future, the Association des Amis de la Licorne remains firmly rooted in its foundational principles while adapting to modern civic challenges. We are expanding our environmental literature section, providing citizens with authoritative texts on climate resilience, biodiversity conservation in the Massif Central, and sustainable agro-ecology.

We are also preparing an expanded digital catalog portal that will allow residents in the outermost hamlets to browse our library holdings from home and reserve books for collection or delivery. Through every innovation, our human touch remains unchanged: a warm smile at the reception desk, a thoughtful book recommendation, and an unwavering commitment to public enlightenment in Liginiac.