Il Leggio Società Cooperativa Sociale

Il Leggio Società Cooperativa Sociale is an Italian social cooperative based in Breno, in the Valle Camonica of the Province of Brescia, Lombardy. Founded in 2007, it operates in the cultural heritage sector, delivering library and archive services, educational workshops, and publishing and historical research projects. As a social cooperative, it is owned by its members (soci) and workers, and it is legally recognised as an Onlus (non-profit of social utility). It is a member of the territorial consortium Sol.Co. Camunia and of the category association Confcooperative, and is a supporting member of the Associazione Nazionale Archivistica Italiana. The cooperative's activities are organised around four main areas: libraries, archives, education (didattica), and publishing and research. In the library field it manages public and specialised library services, compiles bibliographies, assists with research, promotes reading, plans bibliographic acquisitions, and handles the circulation of borrowed books. In archives it provides archival consultancy, designs and carries out censuses, reorganisation and inventorying, manages archives, assists with consultations and specialist research, drafts records-management manuals, designs enhancement projects for historical archives, manages archival disposal, and offers training and assistance to public administrations and private clients. In education it offers workshop programmes for schools of all levels, proposals linked to the world of books and libraries, archival and historical workshops, and assistance in designing specific educational and workshop paths. In publishing and research it develops editorial and historical research projects and advises on participation in funding calls; it is active as a publishing house, on its own or in collaboration with associations, public bodies and university institutes, and conducts original historical research that has produced source editions, study conferences and cultural enhancement projects for the territory. Each year the cooperative organises dozens of cultural initiatives in libraries and cultural venues across the Valle Camonica and the provinces of Brescia, Bergamo and Sondrio. In summer it launched the i(l) leggio festival, described as a way to meet, read and play with culture. During the 2024/2025 school year it consolidated its commitment to STEAM education and other didactic offerings. The cooperative's stated values centre on the idea that the world is a tangle of information and words, and that the library and librarian help words meet people; this cultural core is combined with particular attention to sharing projects among employees and members, who are the true owners of the enterprise because it is a social cooperative. Leadership has rotated among presidents and legal representatives: Federica Giacomelli (2007–2012), Simone Signaroli (2012–2018), Guido Mensi (2018–2021), Pamela Viola (2021), and Simone Signaroli again from 2021. The team includes librarians, archivists and educators, some of whom have been with the cooperative for many years and are also members.

Il Leggio Società Cooperativa Sociale was founded in 2007 and has operated since then in the cultural heritage sector, based in Breno in the Valle Camonica and working across that valley and beyond. From its inception it has been a social cooperative, meaning that its members and workers are its owners, and it is legally an Onlus. Its work is organised around libraries, archives, education, and publishing and research. The cooperative's leadership has changed over the years. Federica Giacomelli served as president and legal representative from 2007 to 2012, followed by Simone Signaroli from 2012 to 2018, Guido Mensi from 2018 to 2021, Pamela Viola in 2021, and Simone Signaroli again from 2021. The team has included long-serving staff such as Bruno Abondio, who joined the cooperative in 2010 after a career as a specialised textile worker and became a member in 2017, and Jessica Baroni, a librarian and student of publishing. Over time the cooperative has built a portfolio spanning library management for public reading and specialised libraries, archival consultancy and processing for public administrations and private clients, educational workshops for schools of all levels, and editorial and historical research projects. It has acted as a publishing house on its own or with associations, public bodies and university institutes, producing source editions, study conferences and cultural enhancement projects. It is a member of the territorial consortium Sol.Co. Camunia and of Confcooperative, and a supporting member of the Associazione Nazionale Archivistica Italiana. Each year it organises dozens of cultural initiatives in libraries and cultural venues across the Valle Camonica and the provinces of Brescia, Bergamo and Sondrio. In summer it launched the i(l) leggio festival, described as a way to meet, read and play with culture. In the 2024/2025 school year it consolidated its commitment to STEAM education and other didactic proposals. Its stated values emphasise the role of libraries, librarians, archives and archivists in connecting people with words and information, and it stresses sharing projects among employees and members, who are the true owners of the enterprise.

• 2024

  During the 2024/2025 school year the cooperative consolidates its commitment to STEAM education and other didactic offerings.

• 2021

  Pamela Viola serves as president and legal representative; Simone Signaroli returns as president from 2021.

• 2018

  Guido Mensi becomes president and legal representative (2018–2021).

• 2017

  Bruno Abondio becomes a member (socio) of the cooperative.

• 2012

  Simone Signaroli becomes president and legal representative (2012–2018).

• 2010

  Bruno Abondio joins the cooperative as interlibrary loan officer and museum operator.

• 2007

  Il Leggio Società Cooperativa Sociale is founded; Federica Giacomelli serves as president and legal representative (2007–2012).

• Launch of the i(l) leggio festival, extending the cooperative's annual cultural initiatives.

A member-owned social cooperative and Onlus specialising in cultural heritage services — libraries, archives, education, publishing and research — rooted in the Valle Camonica and serving nearby provinces.

• Library management services

  Management of public reading and specialised libraries, bibliography compilation, research assistance, reading promotion, bibliographic acquisition planning, and circulation of borrowed books.

• Archival services

  Archival consultancy, censuses, reorganisation, inventorying, archive management, consultation assistance, records-management manuals, enhancement of historical archives, disposal, and training for public and private clients.

• Educational workshops (didattica)

  Workshops for schools of all levels on books, libraries, archives and history, plus assistance in designing educational paths; includes STEAM offerings.

• Publishing and research

  Editorial projects and historical research, source editions, study conferences, cultural enhancement projects, and advice on funding calls.

1. 1Cooperativa il Leggio homepagecooperativailleggio.it
2. 2Chi siamo | Cooperativa il Leggiocooperativailleggio.it
3. 3Il leggio società cooperativa sociale — Wikidatawikidata.org