Biblioteca Electrónica Sixto Escobar

Heroes are generally hard to come by, and when a sports hero like Sixto Escobar appears, everyone stands behind him, and no-one wants to forget his spectacular life and triumphs. Sixto Escobar is a legend in Puerto Rico. Winning hearts and support through every punch he threw and today, streets, monuments, and in this case, libraries, keep his name and memory alive. The Biblioteca Electrònica Sixto Escobar serves two purposes, paying tribute to the boxing idol, and to provide a service to the public.

The Biblioteca Electrònica Sixto Escobar is located in the town of Barceloneta, in the former house of Sixto Escobar. Escobar was born in this town on 23 March 1913 and was drawn to the world of boxing from an early age. On 26 June 1934, Escobar made history in Puerto Rico, by becoming a world champion in the professional boxing arena, which had never been achieved before by a Puerto Rican. During his boxing career, he climbed into the ring sixty four times. He won twenty one of his forty two victories with knock outs and drew four times. In 1950, Escobar was inducted into the Hall of Fame Boxing, and following his death in 1979, he was also inducted into the Hall of Fame International Boxing (New York) in 2002. Escobar passed away in his home town, bringing his life, triumphs and retirement full circle.

Students, researchers and the inquisitive, will find the Biblioteca Electrònica Sixto Escobar to be a fountain of information and a library that can accommodate everyone. With computers also being available, the library has opened up the doors to the world for everyone in Barceloneta. As mentioned before, the library also pays tribute to Sixto Escobar and visitors to the library will be astounded by the Escobar exhibition that documents his life through photographs, memorabilia and personal items. Visitors can therefore also learn more about this magnificent sportsman that helped to put Puerto Rican boxing back on the map. The Biblioteca Electrònica Sixto Escobar brings the past, present and future together under one roof, by reminding everyone of the past and helping people today, to shape a better future.