Argentina
Argentina
Formal Name:
Biblioteca Nacional de la República Argentina -
National Library of Argentina
Name of Librarian: Enrique Pavon
Pereyra
Address: Mexico 564, 1097 Buenos Aires
Phone: (01) 8066155
Fax: 8126038
On August 29, 1884, the library was nationalized, and from September
9 it was called the National Library. Its first collections consisted of
works from the libraries of the Colegio San Carlos, the Jesuit library
of Cordoba, the library of
Bishop Manuel de Azamor y Ramirez of Buenos Aires, and donations from
General Manuel Belgrano and others. The public also provided assistance
in the form of books and financial contributions.
Materials are acquired through purchase, donations, exchange, and legal
deposit. Its holdings consist of books, pamphlets, newspapers, manuscnpts,
maps, illustrations, musical compositions, photographs, and reproductions
from the Archive de Indias. Among its special collections are the library
of Mariano Balcarce, son-in-law of Jose de San Martin, and the libraries
and archives of Ezequiel Leguina, Pedro Denegri, Felix Frias, and Pastor
Obligado, as well as manuscripts of
Ruben Dario and other well-known writers. Paul Groussac served as director
from 1885 to 1929. Jose Maria Castineira de Dios was appointed director
in 1989.
The National Library operated from 1901 to 1992 from a building constructed for the National Lottery. A new building was dedicated in 1992 as a place to store Argentina's bibliographic patrimony and as a center for information networks throughout the country.
The National Library has been the site of the Escuela Nacional de Bibliotecarios
and the Comisi6n Nacional Procectora de Bibliotecas Populares (National
Commission on Popular Libraries) since 1958. The Library published the
national bibliography until 1956, when that role was assumed by the Camara
Argentina del Libro (Argentine Book Council). The
Council also serves as the official agency for registering International
Standard Book Numbers (ISBN) and publishes Argentine Books: ISBN.
Sources:
World guide to libraries. New York: Saur, 1998.
World encyclopedia of library and information services. 3rd ed.
Chicago: American Library Association,c1993.