Background: From Documentation Center to Specialized Library in Human Movement Sciences and Recreation

The Library of Human Movement Sciences and Recreation (BICIMOHURE) of the School of Physical Education and Sports of the University of Costa Rica originated in 1989, when the School’s Director, M.Sc. Luis Fonseca Retana, identified the need for a specialized space to support information consultation, research, and academic activities. As a result, the School Assembly agreed to request faculty members to donate books and bibliographic materials related to physical education and sports, with the aim of forming a specialized collection.

Subsequently, a pro-library committee was established to promote the acquisition of books and specialized journals, many of which were purchased by faculty members abroad. Initially, the service operated empirically as a documentation center. In 1991, under the direction of M.Sc. Sandra García Pérez, the creation of a specialized information unit in the field of human movement, physical education, and recreation was formalized, initiating the technical process of document organization.

In the following years, the collection was strengthened through the transfer of materials from the Carlos Monge Alfaro Library and the extension of service hours. Due to the growth of the bibliographic collection and increasing user needs, in 1996 the acquisition of technological equipment and the construction of a dedicated building for the Documentation Center were promoted, a project that was completed in June 2003.

From its creation to the present, the library has continued to develop and update its collection through the acquisition of specialized books and periodical publications. Its main purpose is to support teaching, research, and social outreach in the area of human movement sciences, adapting its services to new academic demands and to the growth of scientific production within the School of Physical Education and Sports.

Description of Services

1. In-library loan
2. Home loan (when more than one copy is available)
3. Loan for photocopying
4. Interlibrary loan
5. Alert services
6. Document reproduction
7. Vertical file
8. Publication exchange
9. Production of specialized bibliographies
10. Specialized bibliographic research
11. Advising and training in the use of computers, software, and databases