Guadalajara group demands renaming of municipal archive

The AIKE municipal group is bringing a motion to the Guadalajara City Council to demand the fulfillment of a 2019 agreement to rename the Municipal Archive in honor of Javier Barbadillo Alonso.

Barbadillo Alonso managed the archive for 34 years, from 1985 until his death in 2019. During his tenure, he modernized the service through electronic administration and earned the title of Spain’s Best Archivist in 2018. His professional legacy includes leadership in the Anabad Castilla-La Mancha association and contributions to international projects, such as the modernization of national archives in the Philippines.

Susana Martínez, a councilor for AIKE, expressed frustration that seven years after the initial agreement, no physical signage has been installed at the CMI Eduardo Guitián facility, nor has the name been updated on the municipal website. The group argues that the institutional recognition must be made effective to honor his exceptional career and contribution to the city’s documentary heritage.