The Manuel Zapata Olivella Public Library - El Tintal is located near the intersection of Avenida Ciudad de Cali and Avenida de las Américas. It opened its doors to the public on June 29, 2001, and was designed by architect Daniel Bermúdez and built on the site of a former garbage transfer station. Its name pays homage to the most important figure in Afro-Colombian literature, who was also a physician, anthropologist, and advocate for Black communities.
Since its opening, it has served residents of the Kennedy, Bosa, and Fontibón districts. It boasts a strategic location, with easy access to bike paths and local roads such as La Alameda, El Porvenir, and the bike path along Avenida Ciudad de Cali. In recent years, it has become a hub for knowledge, information, and cultural expression through services and programs tailored to the needs of its users.
The library has an area of 6,650 m² and a collection of 90,474 items, including books, audiovisual materials, multimedia resources, and serial publications. It also offers access to databases covering major areas of knowledge and entertainment, with content of interest to children, teenagers, adults, and materials for people with disabilities and senior citizens.
Recently, the library has acquired assistive technology (tools designed to assist people with visual impairments), such as a Braille printer in the main reading room, as well as all-readers and screen magnifiers.
