National Library of Catalonia

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The National Library of Catalonia (the Biblioteca de Catalunya) is a Spanish National Library located in Barcelona. The mission of the Library of Catalonia is to collect, preserve, and spread Catalonian bibliographic production and that related to the Catalonian linguistic area, to look after its conservation, and to spread its bibliographic heritage while maintaining the status of a universal center for research and consultation.[1]

Contents

[edit] History

The library was initially organized in 1907 by the Institut d’Estudis Catalans (IEC).[2]

In 1914 the Mancomunitat de Catalunya converted the library of the IEC into a public cultural service.[2] In its early days, the library was situated in an area of the Palau de la Generalitat in Barcelona. In 1931 the building formerly occupied by the ancient Hospital de Santa Creu was declared a part of Spain's historical patrimony; and the municipality of Barcelona granted a large part of it to the Biblioteca de Catalunya.[3]

During the rule of Franco, the institution was turned into a general use library, which was intended to supplement the deficiencies of the public and university libraries.[2] In 1936 the first reading room, the Sala Cervantina was opened, but the project was halted because of the Civil War and not all of the necessary adaptations were completed. After the fall of Barcelona in early 1939, the library was closed until 1940.[3]

In 1981, the Law of Libraries recognized the collection as a national library and an official depository for Catalonia. In 1993, the Law of the Library System of Catalonia extended the institution's depository functions and helped in its modernization, which included the remodelling of the building, its own functional reorganization and the digitization of its procedures.[2]

During the 1990's, a major renovation project further transformed the library, including the construction of four underground levels of storage (creating more than 40 kilometres of shelf-space) and the annex building.[3]

[edit] Partnership with Google

In 2007, the Biblioteca de Catalunya and four more Catalan libraries agreed to join the digitization project. The Biblioteca de Catalunya will act as coordinator and intermediary on behalf of the other four Catalan libraries participating in the project:

  • the library of the Monastery of Montserrat,
  • the Public Episcopal Library of the Seminary of Barcelona,
  • the Library of the Barcelona Excursionist Centre and
  • the Library of the Barcelona Athenaeum.

The Catalan libraries group became the second non-Anglo-Saxon collaborator to join the Google Books Library Project, within the Google Book Search program. In 1977, the National Library of Catalonia joined another Spanish participant int he project, the Complutense University of Madrid.[4]

[edit] Statistical overview

  • Linear metres of shelving:
    • Free access: 1,500 m (20,000 volumes)[5]
    • Closed stacks: 49,000 m [5]
  • Approximate total surface area of the Biblioteca: 15,000 m2[5]
  • Approximate total surface area of the General reading room: 2,700 m2[5]
  • Approximate surface area of the Reserve room: 360 m2[5]
  • Seats (reading points): 229[5]
  • Total documents: 3 millions (estimation)[5]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Missió i funcions de la BC (in Spanish)
  2. ^ a b c d La Bibliotecha de Catalunya (Guide in English), p. 4.
  3. ^ a b c La Bibliotecha de Catalunya (Guide in English), p. 6.
  4. ^ La Bibliotecha de Catalunya (Guide in English), p. 22.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g La Bibliotecha de Catalunya (Guide in English), p. 30.


[edit] External links