The Boston Public Library maintains a vast book collection, but the food isn’t too shabby, either. The Map Room Lounge at the central Back Bay Branch hosts restaurant takeovers in partnership with catering partner The Catered Affair and culinary entrepreneurship incubator CommonWealth Kitchen, which focuses on BIPOC and women-owned enterprises.

Starting on Friday, Jan. 24, the library welcomes Magic Empanadas, created by Dedham’s Edward Jerez. Jerez, 37, is a longtime restaurant server. This is his first venture. It’s a busy time: He’s rolling out the business while also expecting a baby, due this summer. Try his crunchy, gluten-free dishes during the weeklong Map Room program, or find him at local farmers’ markets.

Why did you start Magic Empanadas?

I started Magic Empanadas to bring the flavors of Colombian empanadas to Boston, with a passion for traditional recipes. I create empanadas that are delicious and are also made with fresh ingredients: 100 percent corn. It’s mostly to celebrate our heritage and to bring people together through the food. The name Magic Empanadas is because we want to show our customers the magic flavors that we have in Colombia.

Entrepreneurship can be risky. Have you always been in the food business?

This is new for me. I’ve worked at several restaurants as a dishwasher and in prep. At Vida in Hingham, I worked the line and took care of customers. One restaurant where I learned a lot was Spiga, an Italian restaurant in Needham, where I worked as a waiter. I learned techniques and preparation.

I’m very shy. For me, when you don’t have much English, conversation is hard. It was like being put in a pool and swimming, if you can. I unlocked this skill and I started talking in English with people, and it was a huge challenge. … I’ve been getting support from many organizations: CommonWealth Kitchen has basically been like a college for us.

What makes your empanadas special?

They’re made from scratch. We work with the corn, and we basically boil the corn for dough. The dough is gluten-free. So when the customer gets a bite, it’s crunchy, and you don’t have to worry about celiac. One million people suffer from celiac [disease]. So we see this as an opportunity.

How did you come to collaborate with the library?

This is a partnership with The Catered Affair and CommonWealth Kitchen. We’ll take over the Map Room for 10 days. They’ll help us with the service and marketing. My idea in the future is for Magic Empanadas to have places for takeout and to sell our products.

We’ll take this opportunity as a huge challenge for us to see: How’s the real world? Now, we’re actually a factory out of CommonWealth Kitchen. We supply empanadas to catering services, for parties, for huge events, and frozen products to stores.

What do you eat at home?

I like to cook for myself. I love salads, soups — especially ajiaco, a typical Bogotan soup with potatoes, chicken, corn, capers. It’s creamy as well. Very comforting.

Where do you like to eat when you’re not working?

Spiga is one of my favorite restaurants. I love the pasta. I love the pizza there. And I love shabu-shabu, and I love ramen as well. I go to the Soup Shack in Jamaica Plain.

Is there any food that you just can’t stand?

I don’t like when food is too spicy, because you lose its real flavor.

How would you describe Boston, either the food or the city itself?

I love that you can meet people from any part of the world. Boston is beautiful. People are easygoing. If you’re on the street, they want to help you in any way. They are very polite. The support from the city has been important: The mentors who show us the right way to be successful as an entrepreneur. It’s not easy, because we have a lot of steps in our journey.

Because you’re popping up at a library, I have to ask: What’s your favorite book?

One of my favorite books is “Colombiana: A Rediscovery of Recipes & Rituals from the Soul of Colombia’’ by Mariana Velásquez. She’s a popular chef in Colombia who innovates with Colombian flavors.

Interview was edited and condensed.